The CFA Institute announced this week that Paul Smith, CFA, has been named President and CEO. He succeeds Dwight Churchill, CFA, who has served as President and CEO on an interim basis since June 2014. We should be grateful for Dwight’s willingness to assume this role, and allow for, I’m sure, a much smoother transition.

The announcement I read said that Paul “joined the CFA Institute in October 2012 as Managing Director, Asia Pacific, and has been instrumental in the development of significant activities in the APAC region, including extending CFA Institute’s presence in China and India. Paul has also served as Global Head, Institutional Partnerships, and led the organization’s important work to build relationships with major institutions. In all of this Paul has shown a clear understanding of CFA Institute’s mission, demonstrated alignment with our core values and shared a vision that resonates with management, staff, and stakeholders. Paul brings to the role three decades of global experience as an investment practitioner and executive, with 18 years of experience in Asia. Paul has also lived and worked in New York, London, Paris, and Dublin. He received his CFA charter in 1996. ”

It appears that Paul is a Brit, having earned a Masters Degree in history from Oxford University. This would, I’m guessing, make him the first non-American to hold this post, though I could (obviously) be wrong on both points.

More can be learned from reading the press release.

Given the importance that the CFA Institute plays in our industry today, this is an important announcement. We wish Paul much success as he takes on the leadership of this organization that not only brought us the CFA and CIPM programs, but also oversees the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS(R)).