IT IS MY DISTINCT PRIVILEGE to be your new President for the 2012–2013 year. We have an exceptional Board of Directors that has been expanded to 13 members with the addition of five new members this year: Sara Alvarado, CFA programs chair; Dan Lavallee, CFA board member at large; Chris Polson, CFA, program vice-chair; Ron Schwarz, CFA communications chair; and Andrew Turnbull, CFA board member at large. The new board provides the Society with diversity of expertise and enables us to focus on programming and outreach for members. At the same time, I would like to personally thank retiring board members for their efforts and dedication over the past few years: Nancy Hoi Bertrand, CFA; Rossa O’Reilly, CFA; and Peter Rusheleau, CFA.

I would also like to thank outgoing President Fred Pinto, CFA; the board; Peter Jarvis, CFA; and the dedicated staff of CFA Society Toronto for guiding the society last year through some of the biggest operating changes in our 75-year history, including our office relocation and expansion and the society’s joint rebranding with CFA Institute. Our new facility offers more space for in-house courses and networking events and greater functionality overall. We now have the ability to partner with others and expand our educational focus and product offerings. In addition, we are enhancing our technology to make it easier for members to access event information, and the installation of new audio-visual equipment will increase our remote learning capabilities and offerings of programming to members outside the GTA. I am confident that the global rebranding initiative by CFA Institute will give CFA charterholders a bolder voice and identity while strengthening brand awareness. Enhancing the CFA brand with all stakeholders is an important part of CFA Society Toronto’s current vision and mission.

CFA Society Toronto’s key focus for the coming year will be programming and education, networking, career development, and outreach. This year we are creating a new board portfolio to focus exclusively on outreach. We will continue to offer high-quality professional development programming, which consisted last year of almost 100 courses, seminars, conferences, and speaker events catering to our over 7,500 members. Kicking off this year’s programming season is the Forecast Dinner, with a great line-up of speakers, including Warren Justin, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, Scotiabank; Paul Mortimer-Lee, Global head of Market Economics, BNP Paribas; and Ezra Levant, TV anchor, newspaper columnist, and author. Another key priority will be enhancing the new CFA brand within the GTA business community. Our outreach efforts will focus on key stakeholder groups, including employers, regulators, universities, media, and other professional organizations.

I look forward to serving the society and working with you, and I am always interested in your views and suggestions for improvement. Please ensure that you are on our email list and take part in our social media groups. I encourage you to review the numerous professional development opportunities and networking events that may be of interest to you—and to get involved!