Challenging Perceptions

Challenging Perceptions: Diversity in Investment Management

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About the Initiative

After researching the impact of diversity on decision making and effectiveness of organizations, the Changing Perceptions initiative was launched in 2016 with a group of more than 15 volunteers and CFA Society Minnesota staff met regularly to plan programming, events and projects aligned with the goals of the initiative.

In 2019 the group reorganized to re-launch the initiative. The group will kick-off a new series of events in late 2019-early 2020, and has renamed themselves Challenging Perceptions.

Philosophy

Encouraging diversity in our profession will improve investor outcomes in our profession.
Associated programming must be inclusive and will be aimed at providing value to all members.
We recognize the limits of what a primarily volunteer run professional association can accomplish.
Despite uncertainty about the causes and solutions, we will take action.

Initiative Focus Areas

Visibility | Research | Awareness | Professional Development

Get Involved

The CFA Institute website is a wealth of information on this topic including and provided the guidance we needed to launch this initiative. View CFA Institute resources and information here

Please contact any of the following people if you have questions, ideas or want to get involved in this initiative:

Kate Lyons, CFA - reach out to CFAMN for contact info
Carol Schleif, CFA - reach out to CFAMN for contact info
Diane Senjem - support@cfamn.org
Amanda Sullivan - events@cfamn.org

Goals

1. Identify the Society’s role in helping members and employers address challenges faced by, and opportunities available to, women in the field of investment management.

2. Determine and implement appropriate measures aimed at increasing the level of female participation in the Society.

University students participating in the event "Owning It: Money and Power for Young Women" at Piper Jaffray, co-hosted by CFA Society Minnesota.

"The wonderful panel gave us a glimpse of life as a female in the field of finance: the realities of the gender gap and the overarching reward of being in the field of finance," said Yeng Lee, Gustavus Adolphus College.