During the 10th annual Montreal Alternative Investment Forum (FIAMtl) Méchoui BBQ event on August 24, 2023, Julie Ducharme, CFA, received an award from CFA Montréal for her outstanding contributions to Montreal’s financial and investment community. Through her volunteer efforts, Julie has played a key role in shining the spotlight on financial professions and the benefits of being a CFA charterholder, thus helping to improve outreach to prospective candidates.
Julie has been an active, insightful and engaged member of the CFA Montréal Board of Directors for the past four years. She also serves on the Strategic Planning Committee and has been involved with the mentoring program in several capacities, including program co-lead, pairing advisor and mentor. She firmly believes in the importance of paying it forward. A vocal proponent of diversity and inclusion, and women in finance in particular, she embodies the values of ethics and integrity that are fundamental to the CFA designation. Her sense of engagement and spirit of community are beyond exemplary. And she is quick to seize every opportunity to talk to high school, college and university students and to share her passion about the profession unites us all.
“I am grateful to be part of this community and to help advance CFA Montréal’s mission of contributing to the career progression of our members,” said Julie. “Whether it’s been through the mentoring program or the support provided by our Board to our members, I’ve always felt like this is a place where I can be myself and do my part to make CFA Montréal the best it can be.”
Her thoughts on the current state of the financial industry, specifically as it pertains to diversity within its ranks, are very clear. “With markets evolving as quickly as they are, the financial community needs to stay one step ahead of the game,” she said. “Our leaders will have to be proactive to change the face of our industry in order to better represent the clients we serve, especially with regard to diversity, and especially here in Montreal. Right now, 40% of CFA candidates around the world are women. That number plummets to 26% for Montreal.”
Julie is enthusiastic about what the next generation will bring and hopes that other women in the financial industry will join her in making more female students aware of the career opportunities available to them, with the ultimate goal of fostering greater diversity among financial industry leaders moving forward.
During the event, FIAMtl President Claude Perron added that “Julie is making an indelible mark on our financial community, most notably through her passion for developing young talent by way of the CFA Montréal mentoring program that she has championed so vigorously these past years. She is a proud ambassador of the Society’s work and the values it espouses. Her tireless efforts to empower women in the financial industry have been pivotal in encouraging and inspiring female students to pursue a career in this field.”
Julie’s reputation as a go-getter is well established in Montreal’s financial circles. On behalf of the entire CFA Montréal community, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to her for this richly deserved honour.
