CFA Program benefits

Saurav Mishra, CFA, Senior Treasury Manager, HDFC Bank, Mumbai, India

Poised for India’s Economic Ascent

Each day when he arrives on the trading floor of his Mumbai office, senior treasury manager Saurav Mishra is already deep in thought. Almost every trade he is working on is complicated by questions about the effects of the global economic crisis, shifts in India’s socioeconomic and political situation, and the rapid changes being witnessed in the Indian markets.

”You get in your office and you don’t know which currency pay is going to be where. You don’t know what is going to happen to interest markets across the globe. You don’t know what is going to happen to oil prices.”

Yet, Mishra thrives on the dynamic, almost chaotic nature of his work. “All of us spend a significant portion of our waking life in an office. You cannot make a career unless you are passionate about it.”
Driven by the challenges — and opportunities — of uncertainty, Mishra has positioned himself at this crossroads and is poised to take advantage of the current changes.

“The most interesting and challenging aspect of my work is the sheer randomness and unpredictability of the markets,” he says. “Every day is a new day, and you cannot predict what opportunities will present themselves or challenges that will come as you enter the office in the morning.” And this unpredictability is what motivates Mishra to move forward.

He recognizes that many things are needed to strengthen the current financial system, and likewise, he hopes to be part of the solution by educating others about the CFA Program and the CFA charter.
“Indian organizations are not yet fully aware of the benefits of hiring CFA charterholders,” he says. Spreading the word about the values CFA Institute represents would go a long way toward creating a robust framework for market practices in India, Mishra says matter-of-factly. Even more important, the timing is right.

“The level of optimism is really high in this part of the world,” he explains, “and that’s important not only for the entire market but also for the profession itself.”
One of the key drivers for sustainable growth of Indian financial markets, he believes, is making the country more aware of who a CFA charterholder actually is, what the designation means, and why it is an important program to pursue.

The entire CFA Program curriculum — including the expectations and the commonality — gives great guidance toward how you conduct yourself, Mishra says. “The CFA curriculum is a conglomeration of theory and an application of a body of knowledge covering finance, economics, mathematics, law, psychology, and ethics. . . There is a lot that emerging markets could learn, particularly in the area of ethics and its application in market practices.”

The ethical framework of the CFA Program, especially the Code of Conduct, is one of the primary reasons why he advocates for CFA charterholders today. “We [CFA charterholders] represent common value systems, work ethics, and strong bonds with co-professionals,” Mishra says.

He is frequently asked for career advice by his colleagues and other Indian finance professionals in his networking circle. “I seriously advise people — not only the ones who are planning to make a career in finance, but also the ones who have been in the industry for a number of years — that the CFA Program is the perfect amalgam of a diverse body of knowledge and a vast area of practice.”

He believes this robust, global body of knowledge will make a difference, not only for the investment professionals who earn the credential but also for India as well. “If we have educated, worthy, and intelligent investment professionals that pursue this credential, I am certain that we can carry India toward a brighter economic future as a player in the global markets,” Mishra says.
“India is indeed uniquely positioned, and it has turned out to be a beacon of hope in today’s global downturn.”

Source: http://www.cfainstitute.org/