CFA Society set for launch

The event will be held under the patronage of His Excellency, Rasheed Al-Maraj, the Governor of the Bahrain Monetary Agency. The guest of honour will be Mr. Ray DeAngelo, Managing Director in the Member and Society Division of the CFA Institute in the U.S.A. The new society in Bahrain is affiliated to the CFA Institute in the U.S.A.

The CFA Institute is a global professional organisation that awards the CFA designation, and leads the investment industry by setting the highest standards of ethics and professional excellence and vigorously advocating fair and transparent capital markets. The CFA designation has become known as the gold standard of professional credentials within the global investment community. Around the world, employers and investors recognise the CFA designation as the definitive standard for measuring competence and integrity in the fields of portfolio management and investment analysis.

Membership in the Bahrain CFA Society is open to all CFA charter-holders as regular members, and CFA candidates who can be admitted as associate members. The Society has been formed with a strong opening membership of over 50, including 46 CFA charter-holders. There are over 550 candidates pursuing the CFA program in Bahrain. Mr. Khalil Nooruddin, CFA, President of the Society said: "These numbers reflect the growth in the investment management business in Bahrain and the growing recognition of the CFA designation within the investment community in Bahrain and the region. It is helping to build Bahrain's reputation as one of the region's pivotal financial markets".

The first elected governing board of the Society includes Mr. Khalil Nooruddin (President), Mr. William Khouri (Vice President), Mr. Palani Alagappan (Treasurer), Mrs. Lamees Al-Baharna (Secretary), Mr. M.R.Raghu and Mr. Austin Sequeira (Board Members).

The founding sponsors of the Society include Arcapita Bank, Ernst & Young, Gulf International Bank, Investcorp, KPMG, Kuwait Finance House, Merrill Lynch and United Gulf Bank.