James Su, CFA
+886 2 2500 8792
james.k.su@gmail.com
Henry Chua
+852 9097 3783
henry.chua@cfainstitute.org
Taiwan Investment Professionals Unite To Establish CFA Association of Taiwan
Taipei, August 29, 2007 − Investment professionals in Taiwan have established CFA Association of Taiwan (CFA Taiwan) as the newest affiliate society of the global CFA Institute, in a move to advance the investment profession by enhancing investment knowledge and encouraging high ethical and professional standards throughout Taiwan.
With CFA Taiwan as the 135th professional society to join CFA Institute, the global organization’s reach has now expanded to 56 countries and territories.
CFA Institute is the global, non-profit professional association that administers the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) curriculum and examination program worldwide and sets voluntary, ethics-based professional and performance-reporting standards for the investment industry.
A key component of the new society’s mission is to raise awareness of the CFA designation in Taiwan’s investment industry. The CFA charter is widely recognized as the leading professional designation demanded by investment analysts worldwide.
“The growing numbers of CFA charterholders here is helping to build Taiwan’s reputation as one of Asia’s pivotal financial markets,” said James Su, CFA, newly elected president of CFA Taiwan and fund manager of AIG Global Asset Management Corporation (Taiwan) Ltd.
Currently there are about 330 CFA charterholders in Taiwan. Some of the top employers of CFA charterholders in Taiwan include Citigroup; Cathay; Shin Kong; Yuanta; Jih Sun; Merrill Lynch; Nan Shan; ABN AMRO; Allianz; Capital; KGI; and SinoPac.
The CFA Program and exams cover ethical and professional standards, equity analysis, debt analysis, derivatives analysis, alternative investments, financial statement analysis, quantitative methods, economics, corporate finance, portfolio management, risk management, asset allocation, and performance measurement. The Level I exam is offered twice per year, while the Level II and Level III exams are offered once each year.
CFA Institute recommends candidates to spend at least 250 hours preparing for each of the three, six-hour exams. On average, candidates take about four years to complete the program and earn the coveted CFA charter. In addition to passing the exams, candidates must also have completed the minimum work-experience requirement of four years in the investment industry, apply to a CFA Institute society such as CFA Taiwan, become a member of CFA Institute, and must commit to abide by the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, a commitment they must reaffirm each year once they earn the charter.
“Our other role is to develop a culture where ethics and standards of professional conduct are fully observed and respected. In Taiwan we want to contribute to creating an environment where ethics are encouraged and supported,” said Tommy Lin, CFA, vice president of CFA Taiwan and director of the board of Hua Nan Financial Holdings.
“We would like to invite like-minded investment professionals to join CFA Taiwan,” added Su. Interested parties may contact CFA Taiwan at info@taiwan.cfasociety.org.
Currently CFA Institute has more than 93,000 members including more than 79,000 CFA charterholders worldwide in 133 countries and territories. There were more than a record-setting 140,000 candidates worldwide enrolled for the December 2006 and June 2007 exams combined, with nearly 3,200 in Taiwan. The past June 2007 exam was administered in 89 countries worldwide.
Since 1990, global enrollment in the CFA Program has increased twelvefold at a 16 percent compound annual growth rate while CFA Institute membership has more than quadrupled at a 9 percent compound annual growth rate.
The following society members have formed the first board of directors of CFA Taiwan:
- James Su, CFA, president (AIG Global Asset Management Corporation (Taiwan) Ltd.);
- Tommy Lin, CFA, vice president ( Hua Nan Financial Holdings);
- David Cheng, CFA (Antig Technology Co. Ltd);
- Will Chung, CFA (Shin Kong Life Insurance Co., Ltd);
- Veronica Lai, CFA (Taiwan Ratings);
- Chih-hui Lee, CFA (HSBC Investments (Taiwan) Limited);
- Stan Lee, CFA (Shin Kong Financial Holding Co., Ltd.)
- Charles Lin, CFA (Taiwan Glass Ind. Corp.); and
- M. Walsh McGuire, CFA (Worlds Gym)
CFA Taiwan has a board of supervisors consisting of the following members:
- Peter Griffith, CFA, chair (Arbiton International Ltd.);
- I-Cheng Liu, CFA (Cathay United Bank); and
- Gerald Lin (Securities & Futures Institute)
CFA Taiwan’s secretariat is supported by:
- Wen-chi Chang, CFA, secretary general; and
- Lydia Yin, CFA, deputy secretary general (Fidelity Investment Securities (Taiwan) Ltd.)
CFA Institute
CFA Institute is the global membership association that
administers the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®)
and Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) curriculum
and exam programs 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 93,000 members, who include the world’s 79,000
CFA charterholders, in 133 countries and territories, as well as 135
affiliated professional societies in 56 countries and territories. 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). CFA Institute RSS
feeds are now available.