Charles J. Yang, CFA, Elected Chair of CFA Institute Board of Governors

cfa-logoYang to lead board as CFA Institute aims to shape a more trustworthy financial industry that better serves society

New York, United States, 17 July 2013

Charles J. Yang, CFA, has been elected the new chair of the Board of Governors of CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals that promotes the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence. Effective 1 September, Yang succeeds Alan M. Meder, CFA, who will continue to serve on the Board as immediate past chair. The new board lineup was elected by the membership at the CFA Institute 66th Annual Conference in May.

“Charles really has a heart for CFA Institute members and is particularly interested to help our societies, especially in the Asia Pacific region, to grow and flourish,” said John Rogers, CFA, president and CEO of CFA Institute. “As we step up our commitment to shaping a more trustworthy financial industry, Charles is a fine choice to lead and support our members, volunteers, and global community to help advance our mission.”

Yang is the chief investment officer of T&D Asset Management, a wholly owned asset management subsidiary of T&D Holdings Inc., the holding company of the fifth-largest life insurance group in Japan. He began his career as a quantitative analyst at the asset management division of J.P. Morgan and served as a portfolio manager in New York City and Tokyo. Yang is a member of two CFA societies, CFA Society Hawaii and CFA Society Japan.

“This is a very exciting time to lead the CFA Institute Board of Governors,” said Yang. “As the organization seeks to make a positive impact on the financial industry with initiatives like the Future of Finance project, I am honored to step into this leadership role. As the highest governing authority of CFA Institute, the board and I look forward to promoting the high standards and industry leadership that the organization is known for around the world.”

In addition to Yang’s appointment, CFA Institute elected Aaron Low, CFA, as vice chair of the Board. Low is principal of Lumen Advisors in San Francisco and Singapore, where he oversees Lumen’s operations in Asia.

Board of Governors Roster Represents 11 Countries

The 18-member board of governors represents 11 countries: Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States. Each governor is elected by the CFA Institute membership for a three-year term that runs from 1 September to 31 August.

  • Charles J. Yang, CFA (Japan) – chief investment officer, T&D Asset Management Company, Ltd.
  • Aaron Low, CFA (Singapore) – principal, Lumen Advisors
  • Alan M. Meder, CFA (United States) – senior vice president and chief risk officer, Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co.
  • Saeed M. Al-Hajeri, CFA (United Arab Emirates) – head of Emerging Markets Department, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
  • Giuseppe Ballocchi, CFA (Switzerland) – head of Financial Engineering and Risk Analytics of the Trading Division, Pictet & Cie
  • Heather Brilliant*, CFA (United States) – global director of Equity and Credit Research and chief equities strategist, Morningstar, Inc.
  • Beth Hamilton-Keen, CFA (Canada) – director of Private Client Portfolio Management, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
  • Robert Jenkins*, FSIP (United Kingdom) – a senior adviser to CVC Capital Partners; a nonexecutive director for the Aberdeen All Asia Investment Trust; and adjunct professor at London Business School
  • James G. Jones, CFA (United States) – founder and president of Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC
  • Attila Koksal, CFA (Turkey) – managing partner, Standard Unlu Securities
  • Mark Lazberger, CFA (Australia) – CEO, Colonial First State Global Asset Management (CFSGAM) and First State Investments
  • Frederic P. Lebel, CFA (Switzerland) – co-CEO and CIO of OFI MGA; CIO and owner of HFS Hedge Fund Selection S.A.
  • Colin McLean, FSIP (United Kingdom) – CEO, SVM Asset Management Ltd
  • John D. Rogers, CFA (United States) – president and CEO, CFA Institute
  • Matthew H. Scanlan, CFA (United States) – CEO of RS Investments; president and trustee of the RS Investment Trust and RS Variable Products Trust
  • Jane Shao, CFA (China) – founder and director, Lumiere Pavilions
  • Sunil Singhania*, CFA (India) – chief investment officer, Equity Investments, Reliance Capital Asset Management Ltd
  • Roger Urwin (United Kingdom) – global head of Investment Content, Towers Watson

*New incoming governors for the fiscal year commencing 1 September 2013

Research Foundation of CFA Institute adds new board members

In addition, the Research Foundation of CFA Institute has added three new members to its Board of Trustees. Diane Garnick, CPA, founder and chief executive officer of Clear Alternatives; George Hoguet, CFA, managing director and global investment strategist in the Investment Solutions Group at SSgA; and Manu Bhaskaran, director of Centennial Group International and the founding director and chief executive officer of Centennial Asia Advisors. The Research Foundation of CFA Institute (RF) is a not-for-profit organization established to promote the development and dissemination of relevant research for investment practitioners worldwide.

CFA Institute

CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials. The organization is a champion for ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. The end goal: to create an environment where investors’ interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow. CFA Institute has more than 113,000 members in 140 countries and territories, including 102,000 CFA charterholders, and 137 member societies. For more information, visit www.cfainstitute.org.