In May, the board of directors of Toronto CFA Society approved a strategic plan for 2011-2013 that reinforces the society’s commitment to building relationships with members and other stakeholders. It includes three key strategies:

1. continuing to educate members through professional development and training, targeting the needs of all members
2. deepening relationships with key stakeholders including members, volunteers, employers, employees, partner organizations, regulators and the general public
3. developing a culture of evaluation internally to ensure that limited resources are being used in the most effective way

Toronto CFA Society set itself the goal of becoming a benchmark society within CFA Institute a number of years ago. It has achieved that status through a commitment to the highest standards of member programming, service, operations and financial management and has become the second largest CFA society (after New York). The board is strongly committed to ensuring that Toronto remains at the forefront of societies in these areas.

A member survey and member focus groups earlier this year have significantly assisted the society’s management and board to formulate the details of this strategic plan. As evidence of the new plan at work, over 2011-2013 we can expect to see:

• the society’s first audio webcasts, online courses, webinars and podcasts
• an improved website with new functionality and greater ease-of-use
• more high value-added just-in-time courses
• co-branded courses with partners
• new networking events for both new and established members
• increased job-postings

At the same time, the society will be pursuing sponsorship arrangements with key organizations and reaching out to employers to build awareness of and support for the society’s activities. As always, the input of members will be vital to ensuring that the society succeeds in meeting members’ needs, and the gathering and assessing of evaluations on every course and event will be a vital part of the strategic plan. We will make it easier for members to give, and for the society to receive, that input. Although conditions in the capital markets and the economy have presented challenges to the society over the past two years, we remain in a strong financial position to implement our plans; the board looks forward to ensuring that the society becomes an ever-more valuable resource to its members and, in the process, continues its role of helping to raise the standards for all CFA societies.