Message from the president, Carl Robert, CFA | May 2021

Dear Members:

With the cloud of COVID-19 starting to lift, I am delighted to share with you this summary of the Association’s achievements during the past year. As you have undoubtedly noticed, we have kept services running uninterrupted throughout the pandemic and continued to host a variety of events adapted in line with public health restrictions. The high turnouts we have witnessed are confirmation that our community is as dynamic as ever.

The past months have seen a number of positive developments emerge for CFA Montréal. The Strategic Planning Committee led by Odrée Ducharme, CFA, has drafted their 2021–2023 plan, the details of which are covered in more detail in this newsletter. Be sure to have a closer look to discover CFA Montréal’s priorities moving forward and the goals we have set to remain relevant for our members and help them pursue their career ambitions.

Another major undertaking this past season has been the overhaul of the Association’s general bylaws for the first time since 2013. This operation was overseen by the members of the Governance Committee, chaired by Sandy Poiré, CFA. One of the outcomes will be a new governance cycle, with our annual general meeting taking place in October from here on in. Our Board of Directors will now be elected based on a nomination process that will kick off in late summer and culminate with the confirmation of the selected directors at the AGM.

This overhaul will also affect meeting and voting procedures. At the upcoming special general meeting on June 21, 2021, for example, you will notice that voting will be held during the meeting itself rather than in advance as was the practice in the past.

Last but not least, we rolled out our ESG investment certification program on April 30, which has already generated a great deal of buzz. The program was developed by the CFA Society of the United Kingdom to meet the needs of investment professionals looking to learn more about how to assess ESG factors and incorporate them into their analysis practices. Participants will acquire the basic knowledge and skills necessary to be better attuned to the needs of their clients and approach this type of investment with more confidence. Note that this certification is not exclusive to CFA charterholders. We encourage you to share this information with your colleagues, far and wide, to get the word out about this innovative program.

Also, our investment policy at CFA Montréal has been reworked to integrate ESG factors into all of our investments. The contents of this new policy and their incorporation into our portfolio were finalized over the past few weeks. We are very pleased and proud of this move forward, which emphasizes our commitment to sustainable investing.

I would like to thank the members of our Board of Directors for their unwavering commitment to the Association and for the many projects brought to fruition by all our strategic and management committees.

My gratitude also goes out to all the volunteers who serve on these committees. Their hard work has been instrumental in bringing you the services that we sincerely hope are living up to your expectations.

Finally, I have a special thank-you to share with you, our valued members. Your drive, your determination and your spirit of innovation make you a community that we are very proud to support and be a part of.