National Volunteer Week is a time to recognize the efforts of volunteers across Canada. This year it took place April 21 to 27, 2013 and we dropped by “Volunteer Appreciation Night” hosted by CFA Society Toronto on April 25, 2013 to view some fine magic entertainment by Revel Magic (see magician with flaming business card below), and to hobnob with volunteers. CFA Society Toronto has 17 different committees, plus a board of directors, so there is ample opportunity for community-minded members to find an area to which they can donate their time and talent.
Following are interviews with three members of CFAST who attended the event honouring their contributions as volunteers.
Profile of Yelena Stepanyan, CFA
Yelena Stepanyan, CFA was working on her MBA at Ivey Business School at University of Western Ontario when she became a student member of CFA Society Toronto 2005. She won the Level 1 CFA Scholarship through the CFAST University Outreach program.
Q: Can you describe the difficulty (or ease) of acquiring your CFA designation?
A: In my opinion, acquiring the CFA designation requires a significant commitment of time and effort. And it’s not only your commitment, but also your family and friends who should be ready for some sacrifices. It may be possible to pass one level without much studying; however, I think it’s highly improbable to pass all three levels.
What’s interesting about my entire experience is that I could never guess the outcome of the exams—both passing and failing. Also, it was hard to study during the spring time –the winter was finally over, but I couldn’t enjoy the nice weather outside with my family.
My work experience was fully qualified, and I received the CFA designation almost immediately.
Q: How many years have you been a volunteer with CFAST, and what committee(s) have you served on?
A: This is my third year [with the same committee]. I started with the “Risk Management and Derivatives” committee, which in 2012 was renamed “Risk Management and Alternative Investments.”
Q: What made you decide to become a volunteer with CFA Society Toronto?
A: I knew that I was going to meet bright and interesting people. Also, being relatively new to Canada, I wanted to build a professional network outside of my workplace. And last, but not least, I wanted to contribute to the society which helped me to gain the knowledge for building a successful career.
Q: What are the advantages of doing volunteer work through this group?
A: Meeting, networking, and learning from people that I wouldn’t meet otherwise.
Q: What are the disadvantages of volunteer work?
A: Sometimes your busy time at work can coincide with busy time on the committee if you are organizing an event. However, I wouldn’t call it a disadvantage, because other committee members are open to helping you with the workload.
Q: Any further comments?
A: It was a great experience to be on a CFAST committee. Even being on maternity leave, I still try not to miss our meetings and society events. ª
Profile of Viren Wong, CFA
Viren Wong, CFA joined CFA Society Toronto in October 2011.
Q: Can you describe the difficulty (or ease) of acquiring your CFA designation?
A: As long as one studies the materials and spends time on it, one can get the designation.
Q: How many years have you been a volunteer with CFAST, and what committee(s) have you served on?
A: Three years. Derivatives and Risk Management Committee (the name has changed now) and Equity Committee.
Q: What made you decide to become a volunteer with CFA Society Toronto?
A: I was interested in giving back to the Society, creating opportunities to bring events to our members, and meeting new people.
Q: What are the advantages of doing volunteer work through this group?
A: Being the Chair of the Equity Committee really puts my leadership skills to work. I learn a lot about group dynamics, teamwork, and how to motivate people. We have committee members from various levels of experience and work background. Each and every single one of them is important to the group. As the Chair, I am trying to bring out the best of each of them.
Q: What are the disadvantages of volunteer work?
A: Working as a Chair, one can’t think of it as “just volunteer work.” A lot of time and effort are spent on not only getting events done, but also on figuring out how the team should work together. Every time I go out, I carry the reputation of the CFA Society Toronto. Nothing but the best should be carried out.
Q: Any further comments?
A: I have met many people and some of them think that volunteering is like a hobby, or that volunteers have a lot of free time so that’s why they do this. This cannot be further from the truth. All my committee members are super busy all the time, and they have great careers. Many of us are doing this because we believe we can serve the Society, and we can be better investment professionals by engaging the community. ª
Profile of Sadiq Alladina, CFA
Sadiq Alladina, CFA became a member of CFA Society Toronto in 2012. At Volunteer Appreciation Night he was presented with the “MVP Volunteer Award” in recognition of his service to the Risk Management & Alternative Investments 2012-2013.
Q: Can you describe the difficulty (or ease) of acquiring your CFA designation?
A: I found the experience to be fairly challenging. Before I made a foray into investment management, I seriously considered becoming a diplomat, but decided against it because of the lifestyle sacrifices. My original background in international political economy coupled with a liberal arts education meant that the transition to my current career was fairly abrupt, and with respect to the CFA curriculum, I found myself in unfamiliar territory. But I responded to the challenge, and this accomplishment is an important milestone in my career.
Q: How many years have you been a volunteer with CFAST, and what committee(s) have you served on?
A: I’ve volunteered with CFAST for over a year and originally served on Corporate Presentations. That committee was dissolved after some restructuring within the Society. I decided to join Risk Management & Alternative Investments immediately after. I have a background in private equity real estate, so I felt I could make a meaningful contribution on the alternative investments side.
Q: What made you decide to become a volunteer with the CFA Society Toronto?
A: I simply wanted to get more involved in the broader investment community, organize events that contribute to the discourse, meet people and hopefully learn some things along the way. I truly enjoy my profession, so working with staff members and volunteers at CFAST has been a pleasure. I regret not doing this sooner.
Q: What are the advantages of doing volunteer work through this group?
A: It’s a great way to interact with interesting people in the industry, gain exposure outside of your asset class and build your soft skills. On that last point, there is a lot of emphasis on transcripts, education and technical skills in the short-run, but few people will sit you down and tell you about the importance of soft skills; most people draw that conclusion on their own at some point. Those who are truly successful in this industry eventually transition to a role where the ability to strongly articulate views, speak in public, form relationships, handle pressure and exude self-assurance is crucial. Volunteering is a great way to cultivate those things, especially if you’re starting out in a very analytical role that may not require those skills and abilities.
Q: What are the disadvantages of volunteer work?
A: It may sound trite, but I can’t think of any disadvantages besides the obvious: there is a time commitment that must be made in order to make a real contribution. But you wouldn’t volunteer in the first place if you couldn’t honour that, so that point is a non-starter. ª