Waleed Khalid Fatani, Former CEO, Saudi Fransi Capital • Interview
What are CFA Society’s main mandate and program in the Kingdom?
CFA Society Saudi Arabia is a non-profit organization, and we aim to promote the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence in the investment industry. We also work on building an active community of investment professionals through engaging the intellect and insights of our shared membership to achieve our mission. To do this, we start by providing our member base access to continued professional learning opportunities through workshops and seminars, networking events and conferences. As well as to access up to date industry research and informative reports. In addition, we work closely with the support of regulators to bridge the gap between objectives and implantation.
How does CFA contribute to the growth and development of the young talent that is emerging in the sector today? The demand of local talent is casting light on the Importance of professional education and certificates that give practical knowledge and needed skills to the job market that go beyond formal higher education. What differentiates these certifications from university degrees, is that candidates’ interest is usually ignited by practical experience rather than theorizing only. We support candidates in Saudi with access to discounted study martials, study groups and mentorship programs. One of our flagship programs is the CFA Institute Research Challenge, which is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. Participating students are tested on their analytic, valuation, report writing, and presentation skills. They gain real-world experience as they assume the role of a research analyst. Local competitions are hosted by CFA Society Saudi Arabia. The winning university team from the local competition advances to middle east regional competitions then advance to the Global Final, where one team emerges as the global champion.