A Storied Career
How is asset management evolving? What forces are re-shaping the financial industry? And what lessons were learned over the career path of one financial wizard? On June 23, 2025, the CFA Institute released the video of a far-reaching interview with Kenneth Blay, Head of Research, Global Thought Leadership at investment management company Invesco. “I started ‘in the dregs’ as a stockbroker,” Blay reminisced, “cold calling and pitching stocks before moving into research.” He noticed he was giving different recommendations for portfolios than his colleagues were, and he wondered why that wasn’t explored more systematically. Later, with Nobel laureate Harry Markowitz, Blay did […]
Global Energy Transition
What’s changing in relation to global energy supply and production? What are the latest trends in demand? And what do the changes mean for investment opportunity and risk? These and other questions were addressed by David von Eiff, Director, Global Industry Standards at CFA Institute during a webinar on April 22, 2025, titled “Global Energy Transition: Investment Opportunity and Risks.” Since the day marked the 55th anniversary of Earth Day celebrations, he began with a review of the goals of the zero emissions agreement. “There are health benefits to renewable energy and economic benefits.” “In the U.S., renewables-based electrical generation […]
The Future of Financial Advisors
How have investor expectations and behaviors evolved under the new U.S. administration? With recent strides in artificial intelligence, how is the role of the financial advisor changing? These and other questions were discussed by experts in behavioral finance during a webinar on April 16, 2025, titled “The Future of the Investment Professional: Mastering the Psychology of Investor Behavior.” The panelists touched on issues that will be discussed more fully at the upcoming conference, CFA Institute LIVE 2025 to be held in Chicago, 4-7 May, 2025. The panel moderator, Peter Lazaroff [Photo, RHS], is Chief Investment Officer at Plancorp Private Wealth […]
A Defining Moment
Investing in emerging markets amid today’s complex global landscape presents both opportunities and risks. Can investors identify markets with a strong potential for risk-adjusted returns? Can they avoid the worst of the pitfalls? In a webinar on March 19, 2025, three experts in the field presented a round-table discussion titled “Capital Flows, Tariffs & Trade: A Defining Moment for Emerging Markets Investors.” They touched on issues as wide-ranging as exchange rates, geopolitical risk, and trade barriers that will be discussed more fully at the upcoming conference, CFA Institute LIVE 2025 to be held in Chicago, 4-7 May, 2025. The panel […]
Finance and AI
Artificial intelligence is transforming the fields of investment and asset management. Finance professionals must learn how to leverage predictive analytics and machine learning in order to maintain a competitive edge in the new AI-driven financial landscape. In a webinar on February 26, 2025, two experts in the field presented a round-table discussion titled “AI Tools and Techniques: Revolutionizing Investment and Asset Management in 2025.” They touched on issues that will be discussed more fully at the upcoming conference, CFA Institute LIVE 2025 to be held in Chicago, 4-7 May, 2025. The panel moderator, Brian Pisaneschi, [center photo] is an affiliate […]
The Rise of Blue Bonds
“Oceans absorb one-third of carbon dioxide emissions. Yet projects connected to oceans are underfunded as per the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG),” said Tom Counsell, Assistant Vice President at T. Rowe Price, a global investment management firm. “What is meant by the blue economy, and how can it help save the oceans?” On December 10, 2024, Counsell welcomed an audience to a webinar, “The Rise of Blue Bonds and the Blue Economy,” featuring two panelists from the Chartered Financial Analysts Institute (CFA Institute) and T. Rowe Price. Blue bonds are fixed-income financial instruments (bonds) issued specifically to finance ocean conservation and sustainable […]
Investing? Climate Matters
How will climate change affect investment decisions, going forward? Are investment professionals well informed on climate risk and transition risk? “Around the world, nations are committing to net-zero emissions targets of greenhouse gases,” said Richard MacGillivray, Senior Director at CFA Institute. “What are the implications of these commitments for the value and performance of companies in the real economy?” The 2024 Global Risks Report tabled by the World Economic Forum (WEF) polled risk managers on the biggest global threat to sustainability. Over the next two years, respondents said the top risk is misinformation and disinformation. However, over the next ten […]
California Perspective
Imagine feeling shut out from important decisions in your community. Imagine feeling you were always the last choice when it came to hiring for the good jobs. If social studies showed this was always due to systemic bias, wouldn’t you want to work for change—if not for yourself, at least for the generation to come? This is the motivation behind the movement for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). What are the fundamental principles to accelerate change around DEI? Can financial institutions adapt to DEI—and can their regulatory body, CFA Institute, lead the way? To showcase thriving financial institutions that have […]
E-Growth in Emerging Markets
What is happening in emerging markets? Are there areas where an informed investor can make a profit? What are the pitfalls to avoid? On November 22, 2022, the CFA Society of Toronto hosted a virtual webinar, “Rethinking Emerging Markets: The Case for Growth & How to Capture It.” The speaker was Kevin T. Carter, the founder and Chief Investment Officer of EMQQ Global. Carter began by providing his background. “I pray toward Omaha,” he quipped, because he considers himself an active “value” investor first and foremost, along the lines of “the oracle of Omaha,” Warren Buffett. Carter has collaborated with […]
Towards a Common Standard
Investors around the world are demanding consistent, high-quality reporting of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data. Is there any global governing body for financial reporting that is up to the task? How can an organization ensure that sustainability reporting is comparable, consistent, and comprehensive? Furthermore, is the input from financial professionals welcomed? The answer, apparently, is “yes” on all three counts. On June 21, 2022, Josina Kamerling, member of the Value Reporting Foundation and the CFA Institute, welcomed an audience of hundreds to a webinar titled “Endgame: Will the ISSB become the comprehensive global baseline for sustainability disclosure?” She introduced the representative […]