Introducing Our Refined Strategies

In September 2020, the CFA Institute Leadership Team announced a new strategic direction, introducing three strategic objectives to guide our shared efforts: 1) increase influence across the ecosystem, 2) increase our global constituent base, and 3) increase scale and diversify our product portfolio.

Over the past several months, we have refined our strategy for achieving these objectives, taking it from a general direction to a detailed plan. During this process, we asked new Leadership Team members (those who joined at the start of the calendar year) to weigh in on our strategy and offer their expertise and perspectives. To reflect their insights and our sharpened focus, we have refined our formerly named strategic pillars. To reach our organizational goals, we will:

These strategies will position us to deliver with more focus and speak with a much bolder voice in the industry. We will advance our research and thought leadership, so it better reflects and shapes current thinking in the industry. We will build on the expansion of our educational products to support the new dynamics of learning required from career entry to exit and serve new audiences. We will continue to focus on the CFA Program as our flagship product, creating a candidate experience that is modern and personalized. We will prioritize good customer experience, one that builds loyalty among existing constituents and creates enthusiasm with prospective ones.

These refinements capture the true extent of our ambition: to enable and empower investment professionals through our learning offerings; our research, advocacy, and standards thought leadership; and the communities that we cultivate to support our direction. I’m pleased to share that the Board of Governors is engaged and excited about our refined strategies and trusts that together these will amplify our influence and relevance for the future.

The next step is creating detailed implementation plans and metrics to track our progress and success. We are developing those plans to support each strategy and will share them with the Board of Governors for approval during the August meeting.

A New Way of Working

To operationalize these strategies, we have introduced a new enterprise Operating Model. Historically, our enterprise strategy was functionally driven, meaning each element aligned to one or two key functions at CFA Institute. Delivering these strategies will require a much higher level of cross-team collaboration, integration, and teamwork across CFA Institute—as our refined strategies touch multiple parts of the organization, not just one or two teams. Given the complexity involved, this operating model will ensure we execute smartly and successfully. For an overview of the CFA Institute Operating Model, and the four aforementioned strategies, please visit Society Center and navigate to the News & Updates tile > Strategy Update (May 2021).

What This Means for the CFA Society Community

The CFA Society community will play a vital role in advancing these strategies and is a key part of our Operating Model, helping to maximize our global reach and local impact. Our collective success will require your local insights and expertise; prioritization of efforts that have the greatest potential for impact; thoughtful resource allocation; and, as always, strong partnership and collaboration. We know there is opportunity to create greater understanding for exactly what role the CFA Society network plays in furthering our direction. With the refinement of our strategic goals and with specific business plans for each rapidly in development, look for an accelerated communication plan for how we will partner with all of you in the coming years to achieve our collective goals of relevance and influence.

In the near term, a key way you can contribute to these plans is through the reporting you will all be doing in the upcoming annual Business Planning and Operating Standards (BPOS) process. This year, we have made a concerted effort to link the four CFA Institute strategies to the planning process, so there are direct ties between local society efforts and how they advance our shared mission and strategic direction.  

We look forward to sharing plans for Professional Learning and Research, Advocacy, and Standards during the June Regional Virtual Events. This forum will provide an excellent opportunity for Society Leaders to learn more about the refined strategies.

Please remember to register to secure your spot to hear from Marg Franklin, CFA, CFA Institute President and CEO; Barbara Petitt, CFA, Managing Director, Professional Learning; and Paul Andrews, Managing Director, Research, Advocacy, and Standards.

I look forward to being back in touch in early June with more details related to the FY22 BPOS process and to seeing and hearing from many of you during the upcoming virtual events.

Best,
Randi

Get to know Randi

Randi Tolber, CFA, is Head of Global Society Relations at CFA Institute. Her team manages relationships with 160 local societes operating in more than 90 countries around the world.

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