Aaron Low, CFA, Elected Chair of CFA Institute Board of Governors

Aaron Low, CFA, has been elected the new chair of the Board of Governors (PDF) of CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals that promotes the highest standards of ethics, education and professional excellence. Effective Sept. 1, Low succeeds Charles J. Yang, CFA, who will continue to serve on the Board as immediate past chair. The new board lineup was elected by the membership at the CFA Institute 67th Annual Conference in May. 

“Aaron has played an important role on CFA Institute committees over the years, chairing both the Capital Markets Policy Council and the Asia Pacific Advocacy Committee,” said Dwight Churchill, CFA, president and CEO of CFA Institute. “With his vast industry experience, knowledge of the organization and involvement with CFA Society Singapore, Aaron will confidently lead the organization as it moves forward with its mission.”

Low is principal of Lumen Advisors in San Francisco and Singapore, where he manages emerging markets macro long/short funds and oversees Lumen’s operations in Asia. Previously, Low was a senior portfolio manager and head of Asia Ex-Japan at PIMCO, where he oversaw Asia investment strategies and managed global and emerging market bond portfolios. Low serves on the Board of Trustees for the Singapore Government Pension Fund and is also a senior adviser to Minsheng Tonghui Asset Management in Shanghai. He earned a PhD in international finance from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and an undergraduate degree in engineering from National University of Singapore.

"I am honored to be elected chair of the CFA Institute Board of Governors,” said Low. “Now is a critical time for the organization as it continues its mission to lead the investment profession globally by promoting the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence for the ultimate benefit of society. I look forward to leading the Board through this upcoming year of continued focus on the high standards and industry leadership for which CFA Institute is so widely respected.”

In addition to Low’s appointment, CFA Institute elected Beth Hamilton-Keen, CFA, as vice chair of the Board. Hamilton-Keen is a director of private client portfolio management at Mawer Investment Management Ltd., where she advises and manages portfolios for private client and family office clients and sits on the management committee for the firm.

Board of Governors Roster Represents 10 Countries

The CFA Institute board of governors is comprised of a diverse group of 17 members who represent 10 countries: Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States. Each governor is elected by the CFA Institute membership for a three-year term that runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31. The full slate of board members is: 

– Aaron Low, CFA (Singapore), Lumen Advisors
– Beth Hamilton-Keen, CFA (Canada), Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
– Charles J. Yang, CFA (Japan), T&D Asset Management Ltd.
– Giuseppe Ballocchi, CFA (Switzerland)
– Heather Brilliant, CFA (United States), Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd.
– Dwight Churchill, CFA (United States), CFA Institute
– Robert Jenkins, FSIP (United Kingdom), London Business School
– James G. Jones, CFA (United States), Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC
– Attila Koksal, CFA (Turkey), Unlu Securities
– Mark Lazberger, CFA (Australia), Colonial First State Global Asset Management (CFSGAM) and First State Investments
– Frederic P. Lebel, CFA (Switzerland), OFI MGA and HFS Hedge Fund Selection S.A.
– Colin McLean, FSIP (United Kingdom), SVM Asset Management Ltd.
– Scott Proctor*, CFA, (United States), eBay Inc. 
– Sunil Singhania, CFA (India), Reliance Capital Asset Management Ltd.
– Lynn Stout* (United States), Cornell Law School
– Michael G. Trotsky*, CFA, (United States), Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management (“PRIM”) Board
– Hua Yu*, CFA, (China), Morgan Stanley Huaxin Fund Management Company Ltd.

*New incoming governors for the fiscal year commencing Sept. 1, 2014