Interview with Our President

Odrée Ducharme, CFA, is an insightful, confident and determined leader. She has been the President of CFA Montréal for the past two years, after serving as a board and committee member for several more. As she prepares to pass the torch to her successor in the coming weeks, we took a moment to ask her for her thoughts about the organization and the industry. We learned a great deal about her career, her achievements and her takeaways from her time in this role.

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Odrée, you have been active in the organization since 2016. Tell us a little about what made you want to get involved with CFA Montréal in the first place and how you started out.

I had been a regular attendee of CFA Montréal events and felt drawn to make a real contribution to pushing our industry forward, especially from the standpoint of ethics and integrity. Plus, I knew I wanted to be part of this inspiring group of go-getters who are determined to take our profession to new heights.

What have you gained from the experience?

There’s never a dull moment at CFA Montréal! There are lots of different challenges. I’ve been exposed to and learned about so many things, and developed very close ties with some incredibly passionate and dedicated people. I’ve never experienced anything like this before.

And if I’ve managed to persuade some young women to explore a career in investing during my university visits over the past few years, it will all have been worth it.

Of all the accomplishments you have achieved with your team, which make you the proudest?

First and foremost, I’d say building a Board of Directors that successfully transitioned from a primarily operational body to one with a more strategic focus. When I took over the reins, we had just hired a new Executive Director. Two years later, we have a five-person administrative team in place whose job it is to implement a detailed business plan, with support from a hundred or so volunteers who believe in the work we do.

It’s amazing to see how deep and abiding their sense of commitment is. It hasn’t waned at all. If anything, it’s grown to a whole other level. I’d like to thank the many members and candidates who recently responded to our call for volunteers. We were blown away by the number of applications that were sent in. It just goes to show how vibrant our organization is.

One thing I’ve always found particularly compelling is that CFA Montréal strives to remain at the forefront of progress within the financial community. We were one of only two CFA societies to sign the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Code when it was launched in 2022. Embracing and advocating for these principles just felt right for us. It was a natural extension of what we had already been doing for the past few years.

Our in-person events only resumed a little while ago, after a two-year hiatus during the pandemic. We have since organized several sold-out activities focusing on a wide range of topics, including the war in Ukraine, the economic outlook, alternative investments, family offices and ESG investing. Our programming has been top-notch, and we have been fortunate to play host to such big international names as Cathie Wood (ARK Invest) and Montreal-based game-changers like Nadim Rizk, CFA (PineStone). Not only have these been major networking opportunities, but our events and our guests are also getting more and more media attention, which is helping to boost financial literacy within the broader community and make the CFA designation and the expertise of our members more widely known.

Besides that, we have worked hard to strengthen our ties with universities, where we have doubled our outreach efforts, given how important it is to us to connect with to aspiring financial professionals.

This and the hard work of our team, our board members and volunteers are the reason we won CFA Institute’s 2023 Most Outstanding Society award in the 1,000 members and over category. So I’ll be stepping down from my role with a huge sense of accomplishment.

What advice do you have for young women who are thinking about a career in investing? Any words of wisdom to pass along to the next generation of financial professionals?

One message that definitely applies across the board would be: “Get your three CFA exams out of the way as soon as possible. Get started while you’re still at school if you can. Be ambitious. Be fearless. Never shy away from the challenges that come your way.”

To the young women out there who are contemplating this path, I’d say: “This industry really needs you. It’ll give you opportunities to do things you never imagined. Come join us. You belong here!”

If you could have one career do-over, what would it be?

I honestly feel that all the mistakes I’ve made, like all the things I’ve done right, have made me what I am today. I wouldn’t change any of it.

What do you think will be the key issues facing our members and the industry as a whole in the coming years?

Technology, artificial intelligence, climate change and social disruptions are all bound to have a transformative impact on our profession. Leaders who are open to innovation, who understand the importance of professional and team development, and who leverage their emotional intelligence will have a leg up on everyone else.

What do you wish for your fellow CFA members in the future?

The expertise within our community is truly remarkable. It’s up to us to stand by the core values of ethics and integrity that underpin of our designation. Be proud of your CFA charter. And never stop learning and sharpening your skills.

Take full advantage of the incredible network you have through CFA Montréal and CFA Institute at every step of your career. It’s something we can all take great pride in.

I hope to see you all at the AGM and cocktail reception on October 25. Don’t miss chances like these to share your views with the CFA Montréal team. It’s important for the organization to hear from all our members in order to better meet their needs.