TORONTO, ON, June 24, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CFA Society Toronto is happy to announce Chris Polson, MBA, CPA, CMA, CBV, CFA has been appointed Board President following today's election meeting. In addition, CFA Society Toronto welcomes four new members to the board of directors, Kevin Dribnenki, MBA, CFA, Bruce Grantier, MBA, CAIA, CFA, Noam Silberstein, CFA and Richard Talbot, MBA, CPA, CA, CFA.
"During these challenging times, CFA Society Toronto continues to represent a higher standard of competence and integrity amongst capital markets professionals. In this regard we are enormously pleased to welcome such a distinguished group of individuals to our board for the coming year. We believe that the high quality of our board reflects both the overall importance of our mission and the deep sense of commitment which each of our board members feels towards it. Over the coming year the Society will seek to enhance its relationships with a number of our broader stakeholders - including investors, employers, regulators, educators, the media, and complimentary professional organizations - in order to carry our message further than ever before. In this regard, CFA Institute's recent 'Future of Finance' initiative has generated some tremendous inroads which we look forward to building upon." said President Chris Polson, CFA.
Past President Josephine Marks, FCIA, FSA, CFA added, "We are pleased to welcome our new board members as they engage for the coming year and appreciate the support of the continuing members. At this time I would like to express appreciation for those board members who are completing their terms and trust they will continue to stay involved with CFA Society Toronto. As an organization we rely on myriad volunteers to develop creative ideas for programs and events and to implement our many initiatives. I am looking forward to providing support to Chris Polson as he assumes his term as President of CFA Society Toronto for the coming year."
CFA Society Toronto expresses gratitude to Randy Cass, CFA, Christy-Jane DeCosimo, CFA, Ellen Lee, CFA and Gregory Woynarski, CFA who have finished their terms on the board of directors.
New Members
Kevin Dribnenki, MBA, CFA - Vice Chair, Programming
Kevin Dribnenki joins BlueCrest Capital, as a Portfolio Manager in July 2014. Previously Kevin was Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income at the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board. With over 15 years of experience in Canadian capital markets he has focused mainly on leveraged alpha strategies in G10 interest rates since joining OTPP in 2004. Kevin earned a BA in economics from the University of Victoria, an MBA degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario and earned his CFA charter in 2000. Kevin joined the Fixed Income Committee in 2009 and was appointed Chair in 2011.
Bruce Grantier, MBA, CAIA, CFA - Board Member at Large
Bruce J. Grantier retired in 2008 after 16 years at Scotiabank, where he was managing director, pension assets. Previously he was chief strategist and head of fixed-income for Scotia Investment Management Ltd. Bruce has written articles and reviews for industry publications including: Journal of Investment Management, Financial Analysts Journal, Canadian Investment Review and Benefits and Pension Monitor and publishes investment literature research reviews online through InvestorLit.
He earned his BASc. in industrial engineering at the University of Toronto, MBA at York University and is a CAIA and CFA charterholder.
Bruce is an active volunteer and board member for several industry associations, is a member of the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors and joined CFA Society Toronto's Portfolio Management committee in 2009.
Noam Silberstein, CFA - Chair, Awards and University Relations
Noam Silberstein is a Director in the Investment Banking group at National Bank Financial, where he is part of the Diversified Industries team with responsibility for financings and M &A advisory in the agri-business, industrials, and technology sectors. Noam has over a decade of investment banking experience and was most recently at Wellington West, prior to the firm's acquisition by National Bank. Noam has a B.Comm. from McGill University and earned his CFA charter in 2006. He speaks English, Spanish, French and Portuguese and serves on the board of directors of the Canadian Council for the Americas. Noam joined CFA Society Toronto's Mentorship Committee in 2009 and was appointed Vice-Chair in July 2012.
Richard Talbot, MBA, CPA, CA, CFA - Board Member at Large
Richard Talbot is Chief Operating Officer of RBC Capital Markets with global responsibility for all operational and administrative matters of the firm. Previously, Richard was Co-Head of Global Research at RBC Capital Markets, where his primary focus was on equity, fixed income & currencies and credit research in Canada, Europe and Australia. He joined RBC Dominion Securities in 1993 and over the years gained recognition as the leading analyst in the sector. He was ranked the #1 telecom and cable analyst in Canada from 2000 to 2005 by Brendan Wood. Richard holds an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at Western University, is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst.
About CFA Society Toronto
CFA Society Toronto supports the professional and business development of more than 8,000 CFA charterholders in Toronto, making it the second largest CFA Society in the world. It provides members with a local perspective on a global designation, including: educational programs, sponsored events, job postings, quarterly newsletters, a comprehensive affinity program and networking opportunities. A not-for-profit organization, CFA Society Toronto is affiliated with CFA Institute, the global body that administers the Chartered Financial Analyst curriculum and sets voluntary, ethics-based performance-reporting standards for the investment industry. CFA Society Toronto's members are leaders in ethics in the financial community. For more information, please refer to www.cfatoronto.ca.