Just a few years into her burgeoning finance career, Azra Mirza left it all behind to focus on raising a family. And while motherhood proved to be rewarding, Azra felt something was missing. Her passion for finance and an unerring determination for success never wavered. With the support of her family, Azra returned to the workforce and set her sights on obtaining the CFA charter. On this episode of My Charter Story, we hear how one determined young woman bucked the trends of her traditional community to make her dreams come true. We’ll also learn how a network of colleagues and mentors helped guide Azra to her goal and discover how she’s making sure a new generation of females are financially literate. Azra's story is not only an inspiration for women breaking into finance, it is an example of motivation everyone can relate to. https://cfainst.is/DEIcode

You can follow Azra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azra-mirza-0800a55. Have a compelling story about your journey to earning the CFA charter? We want to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected] so we can explore telling your story on a future My Charter Story episode.  

Thomas Edison once said, “many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." For Greg Campion, CFA, those weren’t just some words cobbled together by one of the world’s greatest inventors, they were a reality. In his vigorous pursuit of the CFA® charter, Greg ran into many challenges including failing the exam. But sometimes life gives us an opportunity to discover who we truly are and realize our dreams no matter how far out of reach they may seem.

On this episode of My CFA® Charter Story, we hear how Greg responded to failure and discover important lessons we can use to move forward from setbacks in our own lives. Greg’s motivation to succeed not only resulted in him earning the CFA charter, but he also now literally writes the book on the exam process. CFA® Confidential: What It Really Takes to Become a Chartered Financial Analyst is a top seller on Amazon. Be sure to listen to Greg’s incredible story for some true motivation.

You can subscribe to Greg’s newsletter, Intentional Wisdom at https://gregcampion.substack.com/, and follow him on Twitter @gregorycampion: https://twitter.com/gregorycampion.

Have a compelling story about your journey to earning the CFA charter? We want to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected] so we can explore telling your story on a future My CFA® Charter Story episode.

Slinging drinks in crowded night clubs. Serving up street food to hungry patrons 7 days a week. Vying for the opportunity to land a job catering to the demands of weary passengers on transatlantic flights. What do these widely unique experiences all have in common? They were the first steps that would ultimately guide one man’s journey into the world of finance.

On this episode of My Charter Story, we meet Eric Sim – a banker, lecturer, author, and CFA Charterholder. Eric shares how his unconventional career path would set him up for success at some of the world’s biggest financial institutions. Eric Sim is the founder of Institute of Life and author of Small Actions: Leading Your Career to Big Success. Previously he served as a managing director at UBS Investment Bank and an adjunct associate professor of finance at HKUST.

Have a compelling story about your journey to earning the charter? We want to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected] so we can explore telling your story on a future podcast episode.

Personal LinkedIn: https://cfainst.is/3JEvtCf Personal Facebook: https://cfainst.is/36fD4bL Twitter: https://cfainst.is/3oVGozc Institute of Life LinkedIn: https://cfainst.is/3IaMByQ Institute of Life Instagram: https://cfainst.is/350m34S Institute of Life Facebook: https://cfainst.is/3rWhIbV Institute of Life: https://cfainst.is/33ssDk8 Small Actions: Leading Your Career To Big Success: https://cfainst.is/3sMODiu

 

In our premier episode, Sibil Patri, CFA, shares how her strict upbringing and determination helped give her the confidence she needed to tackle the Level I CFA® exam. Learn how her journey took her from working behind the cash register at her father’s convenience store to being one of the youngest VPs at American Century Investments and a leader in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

 

Sibil Sebastian Patri, CFA, is vice president, strategy and corporate development for American Century Investments. In this role, she partners with senior leaders across the organization to identify and assess strategic growth opportunities for the firm. In addition, Sibil oversees UCITS and international strategy and chairs the firm’s ESG strategy committee. She is a member of American Century’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and is the global co-lead of Accelerate, American Century’s business resource group focused on advancing women. Prior to this role, Sibil led product strategy for American Century’s global and non-US equity offerings.

Previously, Sibil held product management and marketing roles at Jennison Associates, OppenheimerFunds, and BlackRock. Sibil holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business and master of science in finance from Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business. Click here to see pictures of Sibil's journey to becoming a CFA charterholder.

Follow Sibil on LinkedIn Have a compelling story about your journey to earning the charter? We want to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected] so we can explore telling your story on a future podcast episode.

 

This January CFA Institute will launch a new podcast, My Charter Story, in which CFA charterholders like you will share personal stories of what inspired and motivated them to pursue the CFA charter. Have a compelling story about your journey to earning the charter? We want to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected] so we can explore telling your story on a future podcast episode.