TEXT: It is indeed a great pleasure to witness CFA Society Pakistan achieve a monumental milestone of 20 years. I remember being present at the launch of the Association in 2002, where I was honored to be among those who shared the podium with the then finance minister, Mr. Shaukat Aziz.

I would like to repeat some of the things I said in 2002 to the finance professionals who had gathered that day. Finance professionals must not be esoteric or obscure. They must use the vast repertoire of skills that they have in the most practical and down to earth manner, so that whatever they say really adds value, and is found useful, not just by the business community but the common man as well.

I have observed two distinguishing features of Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA®) which separate them from other finance and investment professionals. Firstly, CFA® have no sense of entitlement. Whatever they seek, they seek on merit and based on what they can deliver. Secondly, CFA® are not risk averse. They can take, and are quite comfortable with, calculated risks. The Non-Banking Finance Sector of Pakistan lacks a risk appetite which is necessary for growth. If CFA® Charterholders are entrusted with positions of responsibilities in NBFCs, I believe this would be beneficial for these institutions and for the financial sector as a whole.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022