Diversity and inclusion are not just nice theoretical concepts, but a long-standing path of further market development. Education, devotion, professionalism, and high ethical standards incorporated in a diverse and inclusive world is something that makes a big difference in the current fast-evolving environment.
Under the umbrella of „Women in CFA Community – Powerful building blocks“, today we delightedly present to you our Society member – Aleksandra Bogdanovic, CFA, with whom we were speaking about her professional development, her view on DEI issues, and the CFA charter.
Ms Aleksandra Bogdanovic has been a CFA charterholder and member of CFA Society Serbia since March 2024. Currently, she is working as ALM Associate in Erste Bank AD Podgorica in Montenegro, with banking and financial markets expertise.
How did you get into the finance industry - did you choose it or did it choose you? Was it your first choice during your studies?
It was definitely my choice. Since the beginning of my studies, I have been drawn to all finance related subjects. As each year was passing by, I was more and more oriented towards finance and banking. This drive, naturally, led me to a banking job. That interest never stopped, on the contrary, it is still persistently growing.
Is your professional environment dominated by women or men? Do you think diversity in a team would lead to better team performance or you think that this is not so much relevant in respect of performance contribution?
My professional environment is quite evenly distributed gender-wise but the industry overall is mainly dominated by men. Diversity in all aspects is preferred, of course, because it opens the space for individual and collective growth. When it comes to team performance, presuming equal opportunities, it should be dictated by the skills, knowledge, teamwork and cohesion of the team, regardless of gender. Thus, the main criteria is undoubtedly an overall quality of the team.
What do you see as the main issue or field that can be improved in our region, from the DEI perspective, in order to support further financial market development – gender (in)equality, inclusion or equity (existence of policies and practices that ensure fair treatment and opportunities for all)?
At this point, I believe that our region has established solid policies and practices from the DEI perspective. Women are in an incomparably better position than it was the case 10 or 20 years ago. Since there is a decent setup that allows equal opportunities, women should be more active and encouraged to pursue top tier positions, to be leaders in their fields and break free from the limitations and beliefs that society has been imposing in the past years.
What was your key driver to pursue the CFA charter and how has that decision influenced your career?
Investment management is a field that I was always highly interested in. It covers a wide of specter of sub-fields and, as such, requires serious education. The CFA program offered that, so for me the main driver was acquiring diverse knowledge and set of skills. Apart from that, the program is designed in a way that results in great determination, self-confidence, endurance and patience. I believe that this decision has improved my career in more than one aspect. The acquired knowledge helped me do a better job with deeper understanding, the prestige of this designation brought me a special kind of respect and recognition and the overall journey has changed the way I perceive myself.
What are the main benefits for you of being part of the CFA world?
Being a part of such a valuable community brings numerous benefits such as a strong network with successful professionals from all over the world, continuous motivation to stay on top of new trends and practices, encouragement to maintain a high level of ethical and professional conduct and, most of all, professional evolvement and growth on a daily basis.