3rd Philippine Junior Finance and Investment Summit
Judging by the massive attendance and enthusiastic young
crowd at the recently concluded Philippine Junior Finance and Investment Summit
held at the SMX Convention Center, it’s safe to say that the country’s finance
industry in the coming years will be bright and bullish as participants learned
and inculcated a treasure trove of valuable insights into the current trends
and future direction of the finance industry as a whole.
One of the more noteworthy insights came from speaker
Andrew Stotz, President of CFA Society Thailand. His topic, “Ten Ways Ethics
Adds Value to You” gave delegates tips into building one’s competitive edge by
engaging in ethical practices.
In the CFA Program, there are financial areas covered
where one can build competitive advantage like Financial Accounting,
Alternative Investment, Derivatives, Portfolio Management, Corporate Finance,
Equity Evaluation, Fixed Income, Asset Allocation and Behavioral Finance.
But above all these, according to Stotz, a financial professional must
build a high level of competitive advantage in the area of ‘Ethics’. This is a
major factor that distinguishes a financial professional from others. “Build this
competitive advantage in Ethics, and you’ll be rare,” Stotz said.
Stotz, an award-winning stock market analyst, has twenty
years of experience working for various investment banks. He is also the
CEO of A. Stotz Investment Research, which helps individuals and institutions
build wealth through stock selection and portfolio management.
“I was treated ethically and my family was treated
ethically, and I have benefited from it for years; that’s why I wanted to
communicate ethics in a simple and positive way,” Stotz said.
As financial professionals, according to Stotz, one must
be diligent, loyal, independent, trustworthy, always striving for continuous
improvement, must be fair, the objective has a high sense of confidentiality,
thorough, and must be able to face and address conflicts head-on.
“We are meant to be independent in our work. We serve our
clients. As financial professionals, we should fill the gap of our clients’
financial interest. And you should care for your clients as you would your
mother,” he said.
“Build your value through ethics. Spend more time building
your ethical advantage than building your technical advantage,” Stotz added.
Ms. Rosalia de Leon, Treasurer of the Philippines (Bureau
of Treasury Department of Finance) and also the summit’s keynote speaker
shared, “Live a balanced life. Try new things and develop hobbies. Make smart
investments today apart from savings.”
She also stressed the importance of PJFIS and its
advocacy. “This [PJFIS] is a very useful platform for the students and
professionals who really want to pursue a career in finance. I would like to
congratulate CFA for hosting this kind of conference that really educates
students and young professionals about the finance and investment career and
even the problems that may come up,” de Leon said.
PJFIS’ other speakers were Mr. Neil Govier, CFA–Head,
Education Asia Pacific (CFA Institute); Ms. April Tan, CFA-Vice President and
Head of Research (COL Financial Group, Inc.); Mr. Robert Stammers, CFA-Director
of Investor Engagement on the Future of Finance (CFA Institute); Mr. Mark Yu,
CFA-President (Retail) and CIO (SEAOIL Philippines Inc.); Mr. Mark Ilao, CFA-Business
Development Officer (COL Financial Group Inc.); Mr. Ronilo Balbleran-Vice
President for Operation (Research Education and Institutional Development
(REID) Foundation); and Mr. Edmund Lee, CFA-President and CEO (Caylum
Tracing Institute).
“Being part of the 3rd PJFIS
is such a wonderful experience for me as a finance student, because it opened a
door for me to know what my craft is all about and broad knowledge that will
help me a lot in pursuing my dreams,” Jobelle Balasbas, Polytechnic University
of the Philippines (PUP) Banking and Finance student said. “Upon hearing the
speakers, I was left with a question, rather a motivation of, ‘Instead of
wasting my time on non-profitable things, why don’t I make my everyday life
productive?”
PJFIS is a conference and exhibition catered for students
and young professionals who want to advance their personal career and financial
wellness. A brainchild of CFA Society Philippines, this project aims to deliver
value to the Philippine investment community by providing future investment
professionals a clear view of how to properly build a career in finance, an
overview of various investment products and tools, and a venue to understand
the significance of ethics and professional standards.
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