Denver hosts CFA Institute Research Challenge Americas Final
DENVER, March 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — CFA Society Colorado co-hosted student teams and guests from North and South America at the CFA Institute Americas Regional Final, held on March 18-19, 2014 at Grand Hyatt Denver. This prestigious finance competition is one of three Regional Finals hosted by CFA Institute; the winning team from the University of Missouri – Kansas City now advances to the Global Final in Singapore on April 25, 2014.
Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140320/PH87315
Cary Kennedy, Denver's Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Mayor, delivered the keynote address to over 350 attendees, focusing on ethics and investor protection. Kennedy discussed recent findings from CFA Institute stating, "Clients care about integrity more than about returns."
"We are fortunate to have an expert of Ms. Kennedy's caliber and dedication to help launch the 2014 event. We are also thrilled for CFA Institute's decision to host the world's largest Final here in our Mile High City," said Ivan Sichkar, CFA, Advocacy Chair for CFA Society Colorado.
Speaking to students about a future career in finance, Khalid Ghayur, CFA, CEO of Westpeak Global Advisors, emphasized the importance of passion. "Passion is the key to success, but only one percent are lucky to be born with their passion. The rest should experiment and try to find their passion early in their career," said Ghayur.
A University of Denver team, representing Colorado, faced 47 other student teams in their bid to be named the top finalist. "It is an honor to represent the University of Denver and the State of Colorado in this global competition. We all believe our team can be competitive to move on to Singapore, our goal from day one," said DU member Derek White.
Subject companies researched by participating student teams include well-known domestic and foreign publicly traded corporations across various sectors and industries, e.g. Molson Coors, Aetna, Cemex LatAm Holdings, Kellogg, Potlatch, and Colgate-Palmolive.
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition providing university students with real-world exposure to the role of a research analyst. It was introduced in 2006 and is considered to be the "Investment Olympics," testing students on their ability to value a stock and present their own recommendations.
About CFA Society Colorado
With over 1,000 members, CFA Society Colorado (CFACO) is the largest organization of investment professionals in Colorado. CFACO was founded in 1968 and is a member society of CFA Institute. Learn more at www.cfacolorado.org.
About CFA Institute
CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials. The organization is a champion for ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. CFA Institute has more than 119,000 members in 147 countries and territories, including 112,000 CFA charterholders, and 140 member societies. For more information, visit www.cfainstitute.org.
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