Industry veterans recommend CFA for career in finance

Monday, 21 September 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Research and risk management professionals needed
CFA focus on ethics a plus

From left Colombo University Senior Lecturer Dr. A. A. Azeez, CFA Society Sri Lanka President Sanjay Kulatunga and Colombo Stock Exchange Chairman Vajira Kulatilake

By Shiran Illanperuma

CFA Sri Lanka recently carried out a presentation on ‘Introduction to CFA Designation, Work Areas and Career Options in the Finance Industry’ for final year BBA finance special students at University of Colombo. University of Colombo has become the latest university to be welcomed into the CFA Institute University Recognition Program. Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance program at Colombo University, has been acknowledged as incorporating at least 70% of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge.

CFA Sri Lanka President Sanjay Kulathunga and University of Colombo Head of Finance Department Dr. A.A. Azeez were present at the event. NDB Capital Holdings Director CEO Vajira Kulatilaka and Copal Amba CFA and Country Head Chanakya Dissanayake, CFA were the key presenters at the event.

Kulatilaka primarily spoke on the benefits of acquiring CFA accreditation and current employment trends in the country’s financial sector and called the CFA designation ‘A passport to a global career in the financial sector’.

Speaking on the professional job market in Sri Lanka, Kulatilaka says the country faces a skill shortage in specific fields in the capital markets. “We need to develop a larger talent pool in investment research, private equity investments, and we also need more risk-management specialists,” said Kulatilaka.

In a post-war economic climate where capital markets are experiencing rapid expansion, research analysts and risk-management specialist would be vital to ensure stable growth he argued.

Dissanayake also endorsed the program and spoke of the heavy focus on ethics that the CFA program has. “The capital market is all about ethics and trust, and here in Sri Lanka it is particularly noteworthy that the CFA society has taken active leadership in promoting global best practices,” he said.

Today, India and China, two of the world’s largest and fastest growing economies have about 50,000 CFA candidates between themselves. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has over 160 CFA charter holders. Sri Lanka’s slow adoption of the program has put it behind the rest of the region in terms of finance, says Kulatilaka.

According to CFA surveys, graduates are able to participate in a vast arena of professions within finance with a significant percentage ending in the sectors of Equities and Fixed Income. Two of the most common positions reported by CFA graduates are Portfolio Managers and Research Analysts.

Pix by Lasantha Kumara