President’s Report

Welcome to the CFA Society Melbourne's Annual Report for the 2022/23 financial year.

The CFA Society Melbourne has experienced another year of strong growth and I'd like to reflect on some of our achievements.

The Society ended the year with 989 active members, an increase on the same time last year, and our volunteer base has grown exponentially with more opportunities available to contribute to the Society's goals. We have welcomed a diverse group of investment management professionals all of whom bring unique perspectives and experiences to our community. Our efforts to engage our members, candidates and university students, through events, webinars and networking opportunities have contributed to a vibrant and active society.

This year we have seen the normalisation of the hybrid working environment and each of our Board portfolios has adapted well to the new normal.  We have delivered a combination of in person and virtual professional learning opportunities, retaining the flexibility that comes with being able to deliver a broader range of professional learning opportunities virtually, while also embracing the valuable connections we make when bumping into a CFA colleague at an in-person event. We have returned to in person Board meetings and seen the benefit of richer conversations. We delivered our flagship event, the CFA Annual Investment Conference, in person this year and we hosted the CEO of CFA Institute Marg Franklin for a fireside chat with members, ahead of our annual International Women’s Day celebrations.  This year we also hosted the inaugural social and networking event for the CFA community based in Adelaide, delivered the first mentoring program for Melbourne members and celebrated the contribution made by our incredible group of volunteers at our annual volunteer recognition lunch.

Members of CFA Society Melbourne have made a significant contribution to our national advocacy and employer engagement efforts. They have actively engaged with regulators and industry stakeholders to promote the highest standards of professionalism and integrity, ensuring that the interests of our members and the broader investment management community are well-represented, and to raise the profile and recognition of the CFA designation.

On the governance front, the CFA Society Melbourne welcomed three new board members this year and, at a national level, we welcomed the new Chair of the Australian Governance Council. In addition to our monthly Board meetings, we held two strategy workshops to ensure we continue to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of our members and the industry. The CFA Institute introduced a new Society Operating Model and with this, came the opportunity for us to engage with our colleagues nationally to help shape the future of our Society.

I would like to express my gratitude to our dedicated Board members, volunteers, and staff for their unwavering commitment to making 2023 a successful year for CFA Society Melbourne. I also express my gratitude to our sponsors and partners for their continued support and of course our members for their continued support and engagement.

As we move forward, I would like to reaffirm our commitment to our mission to promote the highest standards of ethics, educational and professional excellence within the investment management community. We will strive to continue to deliver excellent value for our members and we look forward to the challenges and opportunities that 2024 will bring.

I am delighted to highlight some outstanding initiatives of the last year and invite you to read Professional Learning, Member Engagement, Candidate Engagement, and University Engagement committee reports that provide more detailed accounts of our activities.

Louise Farmakis, CFA

President, CFA Society Melbourne