The managing director of the new CFA Societies Canada will underpin standards that advisors require when dealing with clients
The managing director of the newly-launched CFA Societies Canada said the prospect of building a national organisation was a key factor in him taking the helm.
Christopher May, who recently served as director of government affairs for the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, heads up the national body, which represents the 12 Canadian member societies and formalises a long-standing collaboration with CFA Institute.
May brings nearly 14 years of leadership experience in the financial services and will focus on three primary objectives: regulatory outreach advocating for policies to protect investors; thought leadership through policy research and analysis; and acting as a strong voice in the media for ethics and standards in investment management.
“Building a national organisation looked very attractive to me,” he said. “I was part of the unification of the accounting profession in Canada and that was a very exciting time and I see a similar effort happening here with the establishment of CFA Societies Canada. So I am looking to bring the skills I helped to develop there to helping build this organisation.”
He added: “Having French as a background, I am looking forward to helping to build the relationships across the country, especially with Montreal and Quebec City, and how we bring the family in Canada all together.”
May said that the body will “underpin” standards that advisors require when dealing with clients and the broader investment community, aiming to put investors first and add to the work of the body’s societies and 17,000 members.
“I believe that the CFA charter holder is more than just a designation,” he said. “Really, it’s a higher standard for investment professionals, and the CFA charter holder has to adhere to the highest ethical standards which put the investor first.
“In terms of ethics – that underpins the CFA charter. Just this year was the fourth annual ‘Putting Investors First’ campaign and that is something that will continue and we will continue to push the notion of best standards as it pertains to clients.
“We have been involved on the financial planning and financial advisory discussion here in Ontario and that is one of the fundamental issues at play, whether we are going to hold financial advisors to a best-standard duty.
“Canada has had a very strong track record on advocacy and working collaborations amongst the 12 societies. I believe the issue really at play is that we wanted to take the next step and put something in place that was a little more established and could provide continuity on an ongoing basis. That’s the role CFA Societies Canada will play. It will be there to help lift up the efforts of each of the societies and bring it to a national level.”
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How advisors can start to reshape their industry
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Christopher May, who recently served as director of government affairs for the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, heads up the national body, which represents the 12 Canadian member societies and formalises a long-standing collaboration with CFA Institute.
May brings nearly 14 years of leadership experience in the financial services and will focus on three primary objectives: regulatory outreach advocating for policies to protect investors; thought leadership through policy research and analysis; and acting as a strong voice in the media for ethics and standards in investment management.
“Building a national organisation looked very attractive to me,” he said. “I was part of the unification of the accounting profession in Canada and that was a very exciting time and I see a similar effort happening here with the establishment of CFA Societies Canada. So I am looking to bring the skills I helped to develop there to helping build this organisation.”
He added: “Having French as a background, I am looking forward to helping to build the relationships across the country, especially with Montreal and Quebec City, and how we bring the family in Canada all together.”
May said that the body will “underpin” standards that advisors require when dealing with clients and the broader investment community, aiming to put investors first and add to the work of the body’s societies and 17,000 members.
“I believe that the CFA charter holder is more than just a designation,” he said. “Really, it’s a higher standard for investment professionals, and the CFA charter holder has to adhere to the highest ethical standards which put the investor first.
“In terms of ethics – that underpins the CFA charter. Just this year was the fourth annual ‘Putting Investors First’ campaign and that is something that will continue and we will continue to push the notion of best standards as it pertains to clients.
“We have been involved on the financial planning and financial advisory discussion here in Ontario and that is one of the fundamental issues at play, whether we are going to hold financial advisors to a best-standard duty.
“Canada has had a very strong track record on advocacy and working collaborations amongst the 12 societies. I believe the issue really at play is that we wanted to take the next step and put something in place that was a little more established and could provide continuity on an ongoing basis. That’s the role CFA Societies Canada will play. It will be there to help lift up the efforts of each of the societies and bring it to a national level.”
Related stories:
How advisors can start to reshape their industry
How to snare high-net-worth clients
