TEXT: CFA Society Pakistan, a not for profit entity, has taken several initiatives to increase professionalism, enhance awareness on ethical practices and collaborate with regulators for overall market development. Annual Excellence Awards Ceremony is held by the society to recognize outstanding performance under various categories including Banking, Microfinance, Islamic Banking, Brokerage, Corporate Finance, Gender Diversity, Investor Relations, Equity Trading and Research. We consider this event as our contribution to financial markets as it motivates both professionals and institutions to strive for excellence, adding value to the industry. Eminent professionals with extensive experience are carefully chosen to judge these awards. We take pride in fairness, independence and transparency of our selection process and, for the same reason, the recognition of CFA Awards has grown significantly over the years.

Honorable Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Dr. Reza Baqir, chaired this year's ceremony which was held on a very limited scale due to Covid-19 at a local hotel where audience joined us live through online platforms. While delivering the keynote address, Dr. Baqir appreciated the contribution of CFA Society Pakistan and highlighted the importance of such events. Furthermore, he shared the support provided by SBP to the economy for various sectors challenged by the financial impact of the Covid-19 crisis. The Governor pointed out that the leading economic indicators are on an upward growth trajectory while candidly speaking about the ongoing challenges. Industry professionals appreciated the valuable insights provided by the Governor. We are extremely thankful for the support provided by industry professionals in enabling us to organize the event.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020