WITH DECEMBER UPON US, we find ourselves reflecting on the past calendar year and the events that helped shape CFA Society Toronto in 2021. 

This year, we focused our efforts on meeting the unique needs of our members during the second year of a global pandemic. To help our members thrive and sharpen their financial knowledge, we offered timely and thought-provoking virtual learning through our professional learning accredited events, workshops, and conference series. We also provided meaningful virtual networking opportunities to better connect our members with their local investment communities during a time when face-to-face interaction was not possible.

On September 13, we hosted the second session of our Crypto Series. In this session, we were pleased to welcome Ajit Tripathi, CFA, Head of Institutional Business at Aave, one of the world’s largest decentralized finance (DeFi) exchanges, and James Wang, a senior DeFi investor and Head of Tokens at Amun. Tripathi and Wang shared their unique experiences and perspectives on Ethereum and the future of DeFi in an engaging fireside chat moderated by Victor Li, CFA, Co-Founder of DeFi Toronto. 

In October, we celebrated the highly anticipated return of our Annual Forecast Dinner. Our first Annual Forecast Virtual “Dinner” was a resounding success, with our attendees enjoying a presentation and intimate fireside chat with internationally renowned historian, academic, author, and filmmaker Niall Ferguson, moderated by Sharon Ranson, President of The Ranson Group Inc.

Our Mentorship Committee continued to help expand our library of virtual content with their “Day in the Life Of” and “Ask Us Anything” series. In 2021, we hosted eight sessions of “Day in the Life Of” and eleven sessions of “Ask Us Anything”, with the recorded webinars available for on-demand member consumption. I encourage you to visit our website to access past sessions in our On Demand Resources section.

The 2021 Wealth Conference was held virtually over six sessions in September and October. The topics for this year’s conference were based on the feedback from past Wealth Conference participants and particularly emphasized how advisors can have more impactful and higher-quality conversations with their clients by asking the right questions and creating a better overall client experience. 

As we bid farewell to 2021, I would like to thank those who have helped us make it through this past year with aplomb. On behalf of CFA Society Toronto, I wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday season and a prosperous 2022 as we embark on the new year ahead.