I am writing this letter as I return from the Society Leadership Conference (SLC) in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. This annual event brings together leaders from CFA societies around the world to meet, to share ideas, and to discuss matters of common interest. This two-day conference was attended by representatives from 134 of the 135 member societies, plus representatives from four prospective member societies–Kenya, Nigeria, Ukraine, and Vietnam. With over 100,000 members and 200,000 candidates, CFA Institute is truly a global organization.

Whenever I mention that I am going or have been to an SLC, I am invariably asked, “What do you do there?” The overall theme of this SLC was “Achieving greater results through collaboration.” The agenda for this SLC, which would not be atypical of other SLCs, included a presentation on the CFA program’s evolution and current processes including how the curriculum and examinations are developed and how exams are graded, a keynote presentation from a renowned author on alliances and partnerships, sessions on governance and leadership, and various breakout sessions. These breakout sessions covered topics such as Programming & Education, Social & Networking Activities, and a Canadian Regional Meeting involving all 12 Canadian CFA societies.

However, the sessions that I find the most valuable are the Society Leader Meetings by size. Toronto, as an extra-large society, has much to share with and to learn from other large societies–that is, those with over 1,500 members. Toronto has over 7,000 members and is the second largest CFA society. Other extra-large societies include New York, Boston, Chicago, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Montréal. At this particular meeting we discussed committee organization, board development initiatives, and volunteer development. Our mutual goal is to provide the very best member experience that we possibly can. Certainly at Toronto CFA Society we strive to be at the forefront of and set a good example for all CFA societies in terms of governance, management, and member services.

Toronto has over 7,000 members and is the second largest CFA society. Other extra-large societies include New York, Boston, Chicago, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Montreal.

Watch for our member survey

We will soon be sending out a survey to all of our members asking what you want and expect from your society so that we can tailor our activities to be responsive to your needs. Please respond to that survey–a good sample of members’ ideas will help us to ensure that we allocate resources as effectively as possible.