NEW YEAR, NEW HORIZONS!

I had the tremendous pleasure of seeing many of you at our Outlook event in January that got 2024 off to a roaring start, with lots of invaluable tidbits of information for our community to pore over and a golden opportunity to socialize and re-energize!

I’m sure you’ve noticed that CFA Institute has been hard at work in recent months to roll out an ever-wider range of tools that are sure to come in handy. These include several new certificates that can be used to expand career horizons, the Research & Policy Center — where I personally enjoy boning up on the latest industry trends, and improvements to the digital experience available to members. These are all laudable developments and ones we should not hesitate to take full advantage of.

CFA Institute has crafted a new brand image to reflect this momentum and convey this broader scope of services. And CFA Montréal has followed suit with a revamped logo and colour palette that we proudly unveiled a few weeks ago. I’m sure you’ll agree that this approach is as refreshing as it is inspiring.

Similar to our parent organization, we kicked off the year with several of our own initiatives, including the new Innovating in finance Forum that we will be hosting in Montreal on April 30. We are confident that this new formula and the theme of the event, which will play a major role in our programming going forward, are in sync with your changing career development and networking needs.

We will also be shining the spotlight on your expertise in March as part of a media blitz designed to bring attention to atypical paths and some of the lesser-known facets of our industry. Watch for our articles in Urbania and the Financial Post. It is our hope that these and other efforts will pique the interest of up-and-coming business professionals and encourage young women to pursue careers in finance and investment.

Our thought process will be ongoing throughout the year so that we can make sure our services continue to align with your needs. But to achieve this, your input will be invaluable. Our member survey in February is incredibly important in this regard. Please take a moment to provide your feedback in order to guide our team’s efforts.

I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to thank all those who shared their insights as part of the survey Carrière en finance : trajectoires professionnelles et impacts by AFFQ (Association des femmes en finance du Québec). The resulting information will go a long way in helping to shape the future of our profession.

Wishing a wonderful spring break in the weeks ahead to all those who are taking one and all the best to candidates sitting for the Level 1 exam in February!