How the CFA Institute community is a catalyst for career success in finance

Now a senior executive at a global investment bank and financial services firm in Singapore, James Cheo has contributed to — and relied upon — the CFA Institute community throughout his impressive career

Key takeaways

The CFA charter helped James Cheo transition from a public-sector economist role to a career in investment management.
The CFA Institute community and local CFA Societies offer networking, mentorship, and professional development opportunities at every stage of a finance career.

How did the CFA® Charter help unlock a private sector finance career?

Being a CFA charterholder allowed James Cheo to segue from being an economist at Singapore’s central bank to working in the private sector. But getting the letters CFA after his name was more than just a sought-after qualification, Cheo also joined a community that gave him a platform to navigate constant change, forge meaningful connections and open the door to new opportunities.

Even before Cheo’s career had got off the ground, he became aware of CFA Institute during an internship at the Singapore Economic Development Board, where many of his colleagues had engineering degrees that they had then supplemented with the CFA Program. Fast forward 25 years and the recognition of CFA Institute as the gold standard for those looking to pursue a career in finance has never been stronger, he says.

Cheo became a CFA charterholder in 2007 while working as an economist for the Monetary Authority of Singapore, as part of a team doing macroeconomic research on financial stability as the effects of the global financial crisis started to be felt in the region.

Five years later, his CFA charter was instrumental in paving the way for a career pivot — initially with HSBC in a role applying macroeconomic research to investment strategy, using it for asset allocation and to build portfolios for clients.

The CFA designation played an important role in allowing me to move from the public sector into the private sector. For my prospective employers in the private sector, who might have deemed that my public sector skills may not be as relevant, the CFA charter provided a bridge to make that crossover.”

James Cheo Economist Monetary Authority of Singapore

Today, Cheo is Chief Investment Officer, Southern Asia and Australia at a global investment bank and financial services firm. As his career has evolved, being a CFA charterholder has enabled him to demonstrate his expertise, his value and his brand, Cheo says. “It’s a badge of honour and it signals that you know your stuff and you have the determination to get through it.”

And with opportunities for members to come together through CFA Institute networks, societies and groups, the shared experience of becoming a CFA charterholder underpins a community of professionals able to communicate with a common language, he says.

When it comes to careers, a lot depends on your network. Your local CFA Society® gives you that access point into a very targeted, high-quality network where everyone understands each other from the outset. And that connection transcends international boundaries because everyone has gone through that same process.

James Cheo Economist Monetary Authority of Singapore

CFA Institute community support for career growth at every stage

The community aspects of CFA Institute membership cannot be underestimated, he says. The diverse program of events organized by societies — from more formal mentorship programmes to guide young professionals through the CFA Program, to webinars, in-person events and informal networking drinks — offer opportunities for CFA charterholders at every stage of their careers.

“The local chapters serve as a guild where people of a certain financial craft come together, socialize, relax and talk about the industry,” says Cheo.

In the 19 years since becoming a charterholder, the CFA Institute community has provided Cheo with a constant source of support and development — from being a mentee and building a network to presenting at events and being a mentor. People benefit in different ways from the community as they reach different stages of their careers, he says.

"Mentees at the early stages of their careers benefit from guidance, contacts and career advice, but it works both ways and mentors gain from potential new hires, new ideas and energy from the younger mentees. There is a matching of demand and supply in these chapters because different people come with different things to offer," Cheo explains.

“CFA Institute provides a big enough platform with different activities for all CFA charterholders regardless of where they are in the journey. It gives people the flexibility to participate in different ways and devote as much or little time as they like, depending on where they’re at in their careers and what works for them at that time.”

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