STARTING MY JOURNEY AS CHAIR of CFA Society Toronto’s Board of Directors, I am excited for this extraordinary opportunity to serve my fellow members, volunteers, and the greater finance community. I look forward to deepening our impact, locally and abroad, and working with our Board towards our three core strategic objectives: driving member value, increasing the value of the CFA charter, and increasing efficiency. 

In preparing myself to take on this role, I thought a great deal about what it takes to be a strong leader, and about the things that I have learned during my tenure on the Board, as a volunteer, and from the people I’ve been lucky enough to work alongside. And I think of the words of Jack Welch: “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” 

Before I do anything else, I would like to thank our past Chair, Vadim Gracie. During his terms, Vadim led the Board in creating opportunities for our membership and was successful in making contributions towards building a trustworthy and sustainable finance community in Toronto and beyond. We are especially thankful for the leadership he provided during the tumultuous COVID-19 time period in 2020. Leadership and a focus behind the scenes, carried out with empathy and care during difficult times, showcase the many facets of our professional, personal, and volunteer roles. I will strive to fill these shoes in the coming Board year and continue this work alongside our hard-working Board and volunteers.

I would like to extend holiday greetings, a safe holiday season, and a Happy New Year to all. I look forward to continuing our work together in 2021!