THIS HAS BEEN A VERY PRODUCTIVE YEAR at CFA Society Toronto. We started off by welcoming 684 new CFA charterholders from the class of 2017. I had the distinct pleasure to meet more than 250 of them and their guests at the Annual CFA Charter Recognition event on Feb. 27, 2018. Joining me in the celebration of this milestone moment was Kim Shannon, CFA. Kim provided the audience with a very inspirational presentation, in which she shared her professional experiences and provided great insights into what it means to be a charterholder. Our Society is continuing to grow, and we’re excited to welcome our new charterholders from the class of 2018 on Feb. 8, 2019, at the Arcadian Court.

Throughout 2018, our dedicated volunteers from both our programming and non-programming committees have contributed many hours to enhancing the Society’s member services and to producing relevant, leading-edge content for our continuing education offerings. This year has also marked a full year of successfully executing events under the new programming committee structure. The new structure has allowed us to improve our ability to share diverse ideas in our efforts to plan more engaging and high-calibre events.

Finally, it was a great pleasure to see so many professionals from Toronto’s investment community attending our marquee event, the Annual Investment Dinner, on Nov. 1. Joining us this year at the Fairmont Royal York were host and MC Andrew Willis, business columnist at the Globe and Mail, and fireside chat experts Mark Wiseman, senior managing director & global head of active equities at BlackRock, and Shelley O’Connor, managing director & co-head of wealth at Stanley Morgan. The theme of this year’s dinner was “Future-proofing the Investment Management Industry”—more specifically, looking at the future of wealth management and active management in the current rising interest rate environment. In addition to insightful discussions, the evening’s entertainment included live music and networking opportunities to connect with fellow investment professionals.

Looking back at all we’ve accomplished in 2018 makes me even more excited to see what 2019 has in store for CFA Society Toronto. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I’d like to extend best wishes to you and your families during the holiday season.