Bill McGinnis, CFA, immediate past president of the CFA Society Milwaukee, has been named the CFA Institute Volunteer of the Year.
There are more than 130,000 members of the CFA Institute worldwide. McGinnis, the chief executive officer of Milwaukee-based Exponential Careers, received the award at a global leadership conference in London hosted by the CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals.
McGinnis was honored for his 2012 creation of Putting Investors First, a global initiative that encourages financial professionals to place the interests of investors before their own.
Putting Investors First has also worked to inform investors, political representatives, regulators and the media of the investor protection duty. Gov. Scott Walker has declared a Putting Investors First Day in May for the past three years, and governors in nine other states have done the same. The U.S. Department of Labor has recently been considering mandating that retirement advisors abide by fiduciary duties.
More than 95 CFA societies from 45 countries participated in Putting Investors First month in May.
“This award is a tremendous honor,” McGinnis said. “CFA charterholders comprise one of the most dedicated, professional, and ethical organizations not only in the investment community, but also in the world. I’m tremendously proud of the CFA Institute mission, which is ‘to lead the investment profession globally by promoting the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence for the ultimate benefit of society.’ It’s exceptionally rare that a professional organization focuses on society, rather than its own members. As an organization, we are committed to and understand that doing what’s best for society truly is the right way to go. It’s a privilege to help carry that message to the public.”
“From the beginning, Bill saw and planned Putting Investors First as a global project,” said Jim Fleming, president of the CFA Society Milwaukee. Bill’s tireless efforts in creating and promoting this project have already generated lasting dividends for investors across the globe. I am excited to see this movement, that Bill started, grow.”
