Henry Chua
CFA Institute – Asia Pacific
+852 9097 3783
henry.chua@cfainstitute.org
S.V. Balachander, CFA
CFA Institute – India
+044-2621-1250
bala@cfainstitute.org
Aradhana Prabhu
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide – Mumbai
+91 22-44344139
Aradhana.Prabhu@ogilvy.com
CFA Institute Enhances Commitment To India With Consultancy Appointment
Mumbai, 15 March 2007 – CFA Institute, the global professional association for the investment industry and administrator of the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) Program worldwide, announced today that it has appointed S.V. Balachander, CFA, CPA, MBA, as its consultant in India.
“We are very pleased to have a professional of Mr. Balachander’s caliber coming on board. His appointment exemplifies our increasing commitment to India, a market of growing importance to CFA Institute as evidenced by the rapidly growing numbers of CFA candidates and CFA charterholders in the country,” said Jan R. Squires, CFA, managing director, Asia Pacific Operations, CFA Institute.
Balachander and his staff will provide support and service to prospective and enrolled CFA candidates, CFA charterholders, and other CFA Institute members, both directly and in cooperation with the Indian Association of Investment Professionals, the local member society of CFA Institute in India. He will also be representing CFA Institute in outreach activities for employers, regulators, universities, and the media in India.
“IAIP welcomes Mr. Balachander’s appointment with enthusiasm. His local support will especially complement IAIP’s efforts in responding to candidate inquiries, which are increasing daily because of the rapidly growing interest in the global CFA Program in India,” said Sunil Singhania, CFA, president of IAIP.
Awarded the CFA charter in 1994, Balachander has been a CFA exam grader for 10 years and is currently a member of the CFA Institute Executive Advisory Board of the Candidate Curriculum Committee. He is chairman and managing director of JMN Investments Research based in Chennai. Prior to founding JMN, Balachander held previous positions with Waterstone Capital Management, Payden & Rygel Investment Council, Allstate Insurance, and Wells Fargo Financial in the US, and the Central Bank of India.
“As someone who has been a CFA charterholder for years, I have a good understanding of the needs and wants of the CFA candidates and CFA charterholders here in India. I am very excited about this new role, and am confident that my local insights will help advance the mission of CFA Institute and support the activities of the IAIP in India,” said Balachander.
In association with Balachander’s appointment, several new CFA Institute India contacts, along with live help support, have been established to respond to inquiries about the CFA Program and CFA Institute. During business hours of 11:00 to 20:00 India Standard Time (M-F), callers from MTNL and BSNL phones in India may call 1-800-425-4361 toll-free, and callers from other phones in India may call 044-2621-1250. In either case, messages may be left for next business day support. Inquiries may also be made via email. Interested parties are encouraged to visit the CFA Institute India web pages.
The global CFA Program – considered by many to be a “gold standard” and “global passport” in the investment industry worldwide – provides rigorous training in the areas of ethical and professional standards, securities analysis and valuation, financial statement analysis, quantitative methods, economics, corporate finance, portfolio management, and performance measurement. CFA charterholders have also met a substantial work experience requirement and are required to abide by the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct. The CFA charter is recognized by employers, regulators, universities, and clients worldwide. In India, enrollments for the global CFA examinations have increased nearly 500 percent since 2003, to a total of more than 6,600 in 2006. Membership in the IAIP has increased to nearly 250 since its founding in April 2005.
CFA Institute
CFA Institute is the global, not-for-profit professional
association that administers the Chartered Financial Analyst®
(CFA®) curriculum and exam program worldwide; publishes
research; conducts professional development programs; and sets voluntary,
ethics-based professional and performance-reporting standards for the
investment industry. CFA Institute has more than 89,000 members, who
include the world’s 77,000 CFA charterholders, in 129 countries and
territories, as well as 134 affiliated professional societies in 55
countries and territories. CFA Institute has obtained trademark
registrations for its “CFA” and “Chartered Financial Analyst” marks in 54
different countries, with various trademark applications pending in those
and a number of additional countries. In 2007, CFA Institute celebrates
the 60th anniversary of “the founding of a profession.” CFA Institute has
offices in Charlottesville, Va., London, Hong Kong, and New York. More
information may be found at www.cfainstitute.org. (Bloomberg users can find CFA
Institute at 497458Z).