This, by far, is the most common question I get from people when they learn I’m part of CFA Society Toronto. It’s remarkable to me that so much of our membership doesn’t have a clear understanding of our mission, but I suppose we’ve never spent too much time or effort marketing ourselves to our membership. Allow me to take this opportunity to correct that.

CFA Society Toronto furthers the personal and professional interests of our nearly 8,500 members within the Greater Toronto Area. While CFA Institute, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, is largely responsible for the member experience prior to attaining a CFA charter (i.e., developing the curriculum, administering exams, etc.) and issues of an international nature, we focus on improving the affairs of charterholders right here in our local market. This is principally done through one of our three pillars of service: Programming and Events, Member Services, and Community Outreach.

Programming and Events is perhaps the best-known service we provide, with our annual Forecast Dinner consistently drawing large crowds and plenty of media attention. As perhaps the largest capital markets-oriented organization in Ontario (if not the country), we leverage our size and not-for-profit status to attract some of the most pre-eminent financial and political speakers in the world, such as Mark Carney, Hillary Clinton, and Paul Volcker.

Member Services is repeatedly rated as one of our most valuable functions by early and mid-career charterholders. Career-specific advice and guidance through programs such as Mentoring, Networking Events, Job Postings, and our highly regarded Compensation Survey (update anticipated in July 2015) connect our members with the specialized knowledge and opportunities necessary to further develop their careers.

Last, but certainly not least, Community Outreach is our way of enhancing the CFA brand by highlighting the positive impact that charterholders bring to society. Cynicism regarding the financial industry is (justifiably) at an all-time high, and our industry is becoming increasingly crowded with financial designations of questionable worth. We believe employers and clients still don’t fully appreciate the exceptional skill required to attain a CFA charter, or the value that it brings. Through regular interactions with the media, industry regulators, key employers, universities, trade groups, and other organizations, we give voice to our members’ views and concerns and seek to distinguish CFA charterholders as financial professionals of the highest quality.

Let me close by noting what a privilege and honour it has been to serve as your president over the past 12 months. We’ve made enormous strides in improving our performance in each of the above categories over the last several years, but, as the saying goes, the best is yet to come.