Distinguished Speaker Series Featuring Jean Hynes
October 21, 2025 Jean Hynes, CFA, CEO and Managing Partner of Wellington Management Moderated by Jim Mohan, CFA of Mercer Personal Background and Career Start Jean Hynes is one of three managing partners and the CEO of Wellington Management, one of the...
Distinguished Speakers Series Featuring Jason Cummins of Brevan Howard
January 29, 2026 The event was hosted by the CFA Society Chicago – Distinguished Speakers Advisory Group. The format of the event was a fireside chat at the Union League Club of Chicago. Background of the Speakers About the Speaker: Jason Cummins joined Brevan Howard...
DSS Welcomes Orlando Bravo, Founder of Thoma Bravo
On April 9, 2025, CFA Society Chicago welcomed Orlando Bravo as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS). Orlando Bravo is a Founder and Managing Partner of Thoma Bravo. He led Thoma Bravo’s early entry into software buyouts and built the firm into one of the...
DSS Welcomes: Heather Brilliant, CFA – CEO of Diamond Hill
On March 20, 2025, the CFA Society Chicago hosted a Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS) event presented by the DSS Advisory Group. The event featured a conversation with Heather Brilliant, CFA, Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Hill, a valuation-disciplined boutique...
DSS Welcomes Shundrawn Thomas and Kweku Obed, CFA, CAIA
Introduction and Opening Remarks: On February 12, 2025, CFA Society Chicago welcomed Shundrawn Thomas as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS). Chris Vincent, CFA, President and CEO of CFA Society Chicago, provided opening remarks. He noted that February is...
DSS Welcomes: David Herro, CFA
On January 14, 2025, the CFA Society Chicago hosted a Distinguished Speaker Series event presented by the Distinguished Speaker Advisory Group featuring a conversation with David Herro, CFA, Chief Investment Officer of International Equities and Deputy Chair of Harris...
Vault Series: Dr. Mark Shore
Protecting Your Tail from Correlation Risk On November 13, 2024, CFA Society Chicago welcomed Dr. Mark Shore as part of the Distinguished Speaker Vault Series. Dr. Shore is currently Director and Economist at the CME Group. Shore’s presentation was titled “Protecting...
Distinguished Speaker Series Welcomes: Rick Rieder
On June 11, 2024, CFA Society Chicago hosted a luncheon conversation featuring Rick Rieder at the prestigious University Club of Chicago. Attendees enjoyed a delicious three course menu while engaging in a thought-provoking discussion. The main course of fish fillet...
The Vault Series – International Investment Experts
CFA Society Chicago members convened at the University Club of Chicago on June 4,2024 to listen to a panel discussion on international investing. Chris Vincent, CEO of the Society, welcomed the members and introduced the moderator and the two panelists, both of...
DSS Welcomes Bob Michele, CIO of J.P. Morgan
On a day when inflation surprised to the upside, it was timely for the CFA Society of Chicago to host Bob Michele, Chief Investment Officer, and Head of Global Fixed Income, Currency & Commodities group (GFICC) of J.P. Morgan Asset Management. James Mohan,...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Cathie Wood
Wednesday, March 13 Union League Club of Chicago On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, the CFA Society of Chicago’s Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS) Advisory Group welcomed Cathie Wood. The group convened at the Union League Club of Chicago. The event began with a...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Lawrence Golub, CEO
On September 20, 2023, the Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS) Advisory Group of the CFA Society of Chicago welcomed Lawrence Golub for a lunchtime discussion at the Union League Club. Jim Mohan, an Investment Consultant at Mercer, interviewed Golub. Lawrence Golub is...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Cliff Asness, CFA
On May 9, 2023, the Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS) Advisory Group hosted George Walker, Chairman and CEO of Neuberger Berman, at the University Club of Chicago. Our meeting venue played an important role in Mr. Walker’s personal story. His father lived...
Distinguished Speaker Series: George Walker, CFA
On May 9, 2023, the Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS) Advisory Group hosted George Walker, Chairman and CEO of Neuberger Berman, at the University Club of Chicago. Our meeting venue played an important role in Mr. Walker’s personal story. His father lived...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Howard Marks, CFA
On January 26th, 2023, the Distinguished Speaker Series Advisory Group hosted a conversation with Howard Marks, CFA, a legendary American value investor, writer, and co-founder and co-chairman of Oaktree Capital Management. He is well known for writing periodic...
Distinguished Speaker Series: John Rogers, CFA
Over 500 charterholders, including 64 newly minted ones, and friends of the CFA Society Chicago gathered in the Aon Grand Ballroom on Navy Pier for the Society’s Annual Dinner on October 26. Society CEO Chris Vincent welcomed the attendees and reminded the group of...
35th Annual Dinner: Zanny Minton Beddoes
Over 500 charterholders, including 64 newly minted ones, and friends of the CFA Society Chicago gathered in the Aon Grand Ballroom on Navy Pier for the Society’s Annual Dinner on October 26. Society CEO Chris Vincent welcomed the attendees and reminded the group of...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Thomas Lee, CFA
The Distinguished Speaker Series Advisory Group hosted Thomas Lee, CFA, at the Chicago Club on May 10, 2022. Lee, co-founder, managing partner and head of research at Fundstrat Global Advisors and FSInsight.com, has received the top rank in the Institutional Investor...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Orlando Bravo
On March 10, 2022, CFA Society Chicago’s Distinguished Speaker Series Advisory Group welcomed Orlando Bravo at the University Club, and via livestream, for a discussion of the role of private equity in the software industry. Bravo is Founder and Managing Partner of...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Phil Snow, CFA
On February 16, 2022, CFA Society Chicago’s Distinguished Speaker Series Advisory Group hosted Phil Snow, CFA, CEO of FactSet, to discuss the delivery of data to clients, ESG, private markets, and alternative data. Chris Vincent, CFA, President and CEO of CFA Society...
34th Annual Dinner: The Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown
On November 3, 2021, CFA Society Chicago held their 34th Annual Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The Keynote Speaker was The Right Honourable Gordon Brown, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. As...
Distinguished Speaker Series: T. Bondurant (Bon) French, CFA
On October 5, 2021, The Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS) Advisory Group hosted T. Bondurant (Bon) French, CFA, for lunch and a webcast on Private Equity. French, Chairman of Adams Street Partners, covered not only the state of the industry, but provided a whirlwind...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Josef Lakonishok
Approximately 60 members of CFA Society Chicago and their guests gathered at the University Club on August 18, 2021, for the latest event in the Distinguished Speaker Series. An additional 190 people participated virtually, by live streaming. This was the first event...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Dan Draper, CFA
The S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) have a long and proud history with the DJIA celebrating its 125th anniversary late this spring. At the time, this was a ground break innovation and today, investors all over the world still rely on this...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Jan Hatzius
On May 26, 2021, CFA Society Chicago’s Distinguished Speaker Series held a webinar entitled “Economic Outlook – Passing the Peak.” Drew Speight, CFA, moderated the conversation with Jan Hatzius, chief economist and head of the Global Investment Research Division at...
Distinguished Speaker Series: David Coolidge
On May 4, 2021, CFA Society Chicago members gathered by video conference for a wide-ranging survey of the history of the banking and brokerage business in Chicago from the perspective of David Coolidge of William Blair & Company. Coolidge, currently vice chairman...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Marc Lasry
One of the few charms of the COVID era has been virtual events with a wide variety of the industry’s leaders. Distressed debt investor Marc Lasry, co-founder and CEO of Avenue Capital Group and co- owner of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, fits that description. On April...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Jean Hynes, CFA
On March 23, Jeremy Heer, CFA, remotely interviewed Jean Hynes, CFA, Wellington Management Company’s incoming CEO, who will retain her role as the firm’s leading Healthcare investor. The conversation covered Hynes’ unique career path, her view of the issues facing the...
Distinguished Speaker Series: President Charles Evans
A sold-out crowd gathered on Zoom on March 3, 2021, to hear the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Charles Evans, speak about the state of, and outlook for, the U.S. economy. The event was moderated by CFA Society Chicago’s own Nick Vassilios,...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Sir Angus Deaton
On February 23, 2021, CFA Society Chicago’s Distinguished Speaker Series Advisory Group held a webinar entitled American Exceptionalism—The Erosion of US Working Class Life. Cosmin Lucaci, CFA, served as moderator and the keynote speaker was Sir Angus Deaton, Nobel...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Ben Inker, CFA, GMO
On January 26, 2021, CFA Society Chicago’s Distinguished Speaker Series held a webinar entitled “Value: If Not Now, When?” Jeremy Heer, CFA, served as moderator and the keynote speaker was Ben Inker, CFA, head of asset allocation at GMO. The conversation initiated...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Ted Merz, CFA, Bloomberg
On December 1, 2020, CFA Society Chicago hosted another virtual meeting of its Distinguished Speaker Series featuring Ted Merz, CFA, Bloomberg’s Global Head of News Products. Merz oversees search and display for news and social media content on the Bloomberg...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Ed Wehmer, Wintrust
On the day after Election Day, Nick Vassilos, CFA, from Charles Schwab remotely interviewed Ed Wehmer, founder and CEO of Wintrust Financial. Thirty years ago, Wehmer recognized a market opportunity in a mostly commoditized banking industry. He designed a culture and...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Anthony Scaramucci, Skybridge Capital
Over 300 CFA Society Chicago members and investment professionals gathered virtually on October 15, 2020, for the latest event in the Distinguished Speaker Series. The featured “Distinguished Speaker” was hedge fund manager Anthony Scaramucci. Perhaps best known to a...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Liz Ann Sonders, Charles Schwab
A crowd of over 200 signed in for a “virtual fireside conversation” with Liz Ann Sonders on September 22, 2020. Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab, covered a range of topics within the context of the environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Suni Harford, UBS Asset Management
On August 19, 2020, members of CFA Society Chicago, among others, gathered on Zoom to listen on a discussion about the Future of the Asset Management Business between Suni Harford, President of UBS Asset Management, and CFA Society Chicago’s own Thomas Digenan, CFA,...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Roy Swan, Ford Foundation
On July 16, 2020, members of CFA Society Chicago, among others, gathered on Zoom to hear Roy Swan, director of Mission Investments at the Ford Foundation, speak about the Ford Foundation’s Mission Investments strategy as well as Mission Investments broadly. Swan...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Cathie Wood, ARK Invest
On June 8th CFA Society Chicago’s Distinguished Speaker Series Advisory Group welcomed Cathie Wood, CIO/CEO of ARK Investment Management, to provide her thoughts and insights on the impact of rapidly changing market dynamics, breakthrough innovations, and the...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Kristina Hooper, Invesco
Kristina Hooper, CFP®, CAIA®, CIMA, CHFC®, chief global market strategist at Invesco, joined CFA Society Chicago on June 2, 2020, for a webinar on the economic outlook for the coming months, including various scenarios given fiscal, monetary and public health policy...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Rocky Wirtz, Chicago Blackhawks and Wirtz Corporation
On March 11, 2020, a full house gathered at the Palmer House Hilton to hear a discussion between Rocky Wirtz, CEO of Wirtz Corporation—a holding company engaged in the real estate, beverage, banking, media and sports entertainment sectors—and CFA Society Chicago’s...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Alec Litowitz, Magnetar Capital
Dude, Where’s My Alpha? CFA Society Chicago’s Distinguished Speaker Series hosted Alec Litowitz at the W City Center for a discussion of the history of asset management and its evolution with respect to the hedge fund industry. Litowitz has been managing assets for...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Nancy Lazar, Cornerstone Macro
A full house was in attendance at the University Club on Tuesday, January 27, 2020, to hear Nancy Lazar, founder and CEO of Cornerstone Macro, share what could go right in 2020. Lazar started by stating that low global growth expectations, low inflation, and strong...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Bob Browne, CFA, Northern Trust
“Let my hindsight, be your foresight” Bob Browne, CFA Over 110 members of CFA Society Chicago gathered at the JW Marriott on December 10, 2019, to hear Robert (Bob) Browne, CFA, EVP and CIO of Northern Trust, prognosticate on his firm’s capital market assumptions...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Curt Bailey, Related Midwest
Curt Bailey, president for Related Midwest, was the presenter at CFA Society Chicago’s last Distinguished Speaker Series luncheon on November 20th. Related is one of the nation’s largest property development firms and Bailey’s talk introduced the firm and gave an...
Distinguished Speaker Series: David Herro, CFA, Harris Associates
Trust and effective communication provide investment teams with the ability to stick with a sound investment philosophy and process during periods when the approach is out of favor with the market. Oakmark’s focus on developing an intrinsic value for companies...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Rob Brown, CEO, Lincoln International
Current drivers of the global M&A market and perspectives on how it may evolve going forward On September 10th the Distinguished Speaker Series Advisory Group hosted Rob Brown to provide his insight on the M&A market over lunch at the Metropolitan Club. Brown...
Distinguished Speaker Series: Vivien Azer, Cowen & Co.
Cowen’s Views on Cannabis On July 9, Vivien Azer, the analyst responsible for covering cannabis at Cowen & Co., presented her views at CFA Society Chicago’s Distinguished Speaker Series luncheon at the University Club. Cannabis/Hemp/CBD is an “emerging” sector...
Distinguished Speaker Series: David Booth, Dimensional Fund Advisors
In September of 1969, an MBA student took a course that would result in positively affecting the lives of countless people, a couple of universities, and how much of the investment industry would learn to view the world. It started with two individuals, the University...