I AM THRILLED TO BEGIN my term as Chair of CFA Society Toronto’s Board of Directors. One key goal I’d like to look back on at the end of my term as Chair to deem it a success is that CFA Society Toronto’s membership, both new and long-term, strongly identifies with the Society as a professional support system and a vibrant peer-to-peer community, and not just a professional association that collects their dues.

On behalf of the Board, I thank all members who participated in the recent membership survey and provided valuable insight to help us develop our new three-year strategic plan in early 2024. The Board and CFA Society Toronto staff will work alongside CEO Fred Pinto, CFA, to create a strategic plan that zeros in on member satisfaction, growth, and retention as we draw from demographic and psychographic segmentations identified in the survey. We will also focus on financial and operational resilience through this plan.

I would also like to thank the Society membership for recognizing and supporting the changes to CFA Society Toronto’s bylaws at this year’s Annual General Meeting. As we work toward evolving and continuously improving the Society’s governance imperative, we can ensure that they align with the best practices of other CFA Societies globally and with CFA Institute.

As I transition into my new role, I want to share some highlights from my time as a volunteer with the Society. In 2020 we launched the External Relations Committee to identify and manage external relationships, increase awareness of the CFA charter, and increase engagement with CFA Society Toronto. When I was elected to the Board executive, I was pleased to see this role move into the skillful hands of Vince Au, CFA, who continues to lead the committee and promote the CFA brand by strengthening and building partnerships. This fall, I attended the Society Leadership Conference in Seattle. I had the opportunity to hear directly from CFA Institute leaders and network and exchange ideas informally with other CFA member Society directors, including our eleven other Canadian Societies and those from global financial centres abroad.

We welcome Sebastian Becerra, CFA, Audrey Gan, CFA, Jenifer Rush, CFA, and Minal Upadhyaya, LLB, to our Board of Directors and extend gratitude to departing Board members Brenda King, CFA, and Aaron Vale, CFA, who have finished their Board terms. Their hard work has been instrumental in the success of many recent CFA Society Toronto initiatives.

We are much obliged to Mari Jensen, CFA, for her tireless contributions across many initiatives as Board Chair this past year, notably including helping to onboard CEO Fred Pinto in his inaugural year as well as leading the charge to modernize our governance structure and bylaws. We are pleased to continue to work with Mari as she steps into her new role as Past Chair, sharing her expertise and insights to aid in the betterment of the Society.

I look forward to more opportunities to serve CFA Society Toronto’s membership and wish you all the best for 2024!