CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals, today announced a series of year-long, worldwide activities that will be held to celebrate 60 years of contributions to the investment industry.

On June 11, 1947, representatives from financial analyst societies in Boston, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia joined forces to form the National Federation of Financial Analyst Societies (NFFAS) to promote the exchange of ideas, develop a code of ethics, and support the welfare of the societies and their members. NFFAS’ name was later shortened to the Financial Analysts Federation (FAF). In 1990, the FAF merged with the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts to form the Association of Investment Management and Research, which is now CFA Institute.

Today, CFA Institute has nearly 90,000 members from 130 countries and is recognized worldwide as the administrator of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) examination program. It also is a leading provider of professional development publications and conferences and is the voice on issues of fairness, efficiency, and investor protection for global capital markets through the CFA Institute Centre for Financial Market Integrity.

“As CFA Institute, its members, and its societies worldwide reflect upon the many changes in the industry and profession that have occurred over the past 60 years, it is remarkable how the NFFAS’ goals are still applicable today,” said Jeff Diermeier, president and CEO of CFA Institute. “This demonstrates that while the industry has evolved, the framework of ethics and professional excellence that embodies the foundation of the industry remains the same.”

“The establishment of the NFFAS was a turning point for what was once known as a practice that was originated out of North America,” said Vincent Duhamel, chair of the CFA Institute Board of Governors. “Now that we are a profession across the world, where do we go from here? For CFA Institute, one thing is certain: we will continue to lead the way toward the highest standards of professionalism, education, and integrity globally.”

Activities planned to make the CFA’s 60th anniversary include:

  • CFA Day – the first of what will be an annual event, CFA Day is a worldwide celebration held during the week of June 11, 2007 whereby CFA Institute and its member societies recognize the founding of the investment profession with a variety of events.
  • The CFA Institute Annual Conference (April 29 to May 2, 2007) celebrates its 60th year and returns to New York, the city where it first began. Investment professionals from around the world will gather to hear industry leaders share insights on today’s most critical investment issues, including the role of alternative assets in a well-diversified portfolio, structural growth trends in emerging markets, the future of retirement plans, investment implications of behavioral finance, and the theories that will most shape the practice of investment management.