In this issue of The Analyst, we profile Mohsin Bashir, CFA, a beneficiary of Toronto CFA Society’s Mentorship program. This is run by the Mentorship committee, which pairs mentors with protégés for a one-year term. The committee coordinates events such as Day in the Life of Series, resume workshops, and networking opportunities in support of the program to add further value to the mentorship initiative. Mentors and protégés are also given initial coaching sessions and quarterly evaluations are used to continuously improve the quality of the programming.

Mohsin Bashir, CFA
CFA charterholder since: 2008
Participant in the mentor program: 2009
Education: Honours BA of Economics and Applied Studies (Finance specialization) from University of Waterloo.
Industry footprint: Associate Portfolio Manager at Highwater Capital Management, focusing on North American Active Value mandates with specialization in fixed income strategies including preferred shares and convertible securities.
Day-to-day motivation: Identifying intrinsic value of securities and expanding competitive advantage through continuous learning.
Life’s passions: Family – one of my favourite sounds in the whole world is hearing the laughter of my wife and children (admittedly sometimes at my expense).

Please tell our readers about your unique career path, and what prompted you to pursue the CFA designation?

Mohsin Bashir: My interests in finance began as early as age 7 when I was in Frankfurt, Germany, at the airport and my father asked me to change Deutsche marks for him at the foreign exchange counter. It was at that moment that I developed my interest in money, trade and the value exchange process.

What would you say was your most valued learning experience at the CFA Program?

MB: Through my studies for the CFA exams, I gained valuable analytical skills and a deep appreciation of interactions between various behavioural factors and capital market forces. The study helped reinforce the concept that finance is a social science. It also instilled in me the importance of professional integrity to maintain trust with our clients, at all times. Our reputation is our currency in this industry and we must uphold its value.

One of my most memorable achievements was completing studies for the designation while achieving some of my biggest milestones including engagement, marriage, home-ownership and raising a family with now two beautiful girls.

Please tell us about your learning experience at the society’s Mentorship Program?

MB: I was a protégé for the 2009 Mentorship Program organized by Toronto CFA Society which went from February 2009 through February 2010. My mentor was Mr. John Ewing, vice president and director of research at Burgundy Asset Management Limited. I had certainly learned a lot from John and we remained in contact even after the program had officially concluded. John was one of the first protégés in the Toronto CFA Mentorship Program and in 2009 he became my mentor. Leveraging the benefit of one-on-one coaching from an experienced professional was integral in helping me achieve my career goals.

Would you please share with us some of your professional achievements?

MB: Probably the most gratifying achievement is to be living my dream – when I moved from my home town of Ottawa to Waterloo, I would purposely take a detour to see the downtown Toronto skyline and appreciated the beauty that is our country’s economic engine hoping someday to be a part of it. As an investment professional, my greatest satisfaction was seeing an investment thesis come to fruition. I was very excited to be interviewed at BNN on a number of occasions – an indication of confidence and trust from my colleagues and clients.

Remarks from John Ewing, CFA, Mohsin’s mentor in the Toronto CFA Mentorship Program

JE: The Mentorship Program was a natural extension of my interest in seeing people reaching their potential. Through the CFA Mentorship Program, I met Mohsin and was really happy to have been able to contribute to his success. Through the process, Mohsin had helped me to hone the skills of mentoring younger investment analysts at the company and benefiting my career.

CHARTERHOLDER PROFILE is a regular feature of The Analyst. Do you have suggestions for members that we should profile? Email us with the member’s name and a few sentences about who he/she is and why this person would make an interesting choice for a profile. TheAnalyst@torontocfa.ca