CFA Society Dallas/Fort Worth announced the hire of its first full-time CEO, Lauren Minch CFA, CPA, to lead the organization as it becomes the definitive educational and networking resource for investment and financial professionals in the fast-growing North Texas region. CFA Society Dallas/Fort Worth is one of the largest member societies globally of CFA Institute – with more than 1,700 current members – most of whom have earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation, considered to be the gold standard in the investment analysis industry.
In this newly created role, Minch is focused on raising the profile of the CFA® designation throughout the region. The network of CFA charterholders in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area include private equity investors, asset and investment managers, private wealth managers, investor relations specialists; as well as professionals making investment decisions for corporate assets, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, endowments, pension funds, and foundations. In addition to hosting networking and educational programming for the local society, Minch will lead its outreach to corporations, universities, and financial institutions; plus, seek partnerships with other professional associations.
“The economy of the DFW region is one of the fastest growing in the country,” stated Minch. “CFA charterholders are involved in investment decisions across many organizations in our community that enable the growth. Whether your team is focused on wealth management, asset/investment management, corporate finance, consulting, or as an individual investor, having a CFA charterholder is a competitive advantage that can have far-reaching impact.”
Minch’s outreach to organizations across DFW has already uncovered examples of how CFA charterholders are leveraging the skill set learned from the CFA Program curriculum to drive significant impact within and beyond their respective organizations:
• Texas Christian University (TCU): Jason Safran, CFA, chief investment officer manages the University’s $2.5B endowment fund with a team of five CFA charterholders. During the last 10 years, the cumulative payout has surpassed $700 million to support TCU’s students, people, and programs. Income provided by the endowment supports approximately 15 percent of TCU’s budgeted operating expenses, including scholarships for students and salaries for attracting top professors. By producing leaders who graduate with skillsets to meet the talent needs offered by businesses in the region, their investment work to provide the educational experience supports the continued growth, innovation, and prosperity in the region.
• American Heart Association (AHA): Taylor Crutsinger, CFA, CPA, director of strategic finance provides investment, financial, and strategic oversight of commercial business operations, solutions, deals, and partners with AHA’s Social Impact Funds to evaluate and manage a growing portfolio of investments in access to health and healthcare, food security, economic resilience, and poverty reduction. His expertise, complemented by the CFA Program curriculum, in venture capital and investment products, valuation, risk assessment, financial analysis, and portfolio management has helped AHA’s Impact Investment Group support numerous small to medium-sized enterprises catalyze long-term positive health outcomes in under-resourced communities throughout the U.S.
“Lauren’s knowledge of our membership, community, and the CFA Institute is an asset as we evolve to meet the needs of financial professionals in the DFW area,” said Chris Terry, CFA, chairman of the board for CFA Society Dallas/Fort Worth. “While DFW is already one of the top financial services cities in the United States, the influx of corporate headquarters is also boosting the population and wealth of the area with new jobs, residents, and investment. This means more opportunity for existing and future CFA charterholders to be at the center of investment decisions that support the economic strength of the region.”
As a CFA charterholder and member of the CFA Institute, Minch has served as a volunteer for six years on the board of the CFA Society Dallas/Fort Worth, the last three as president. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), where she volunteers her talents as chairperson of the personal financial planning conference committee. Minch is also an adjunct professor for graduate courses at the University of Dallas and teaches executive education courses at University of Texas at Dallas. She started her financial career as an auditor at Arthur Andersen after earning her B.B.A. in accounting and M.S. in finance from Texas A&M University.
About CFA Society Dallas/Fort Worth
This chapter is one of 160 societies in the CFA Institute, whose global mission is to support the growth of dedicated financial professionals committed to the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and professional excellence. For more information, visit CFA Society Dallas/Fort Worth.
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