Delhi Volunteer Orientation Workshop

Contributed by – Vibhor Nayar, CFA

The Delhi chapter of the Indian Association of Investment Professionals, (IAIP) organized its first Volunteer Orientation Workshop at Lemon Tree Hotel in New Delhi on 6^th August, 2016. Arati Porwal, Director – Society Relations (CFA Institute India); Manisha Sharma, External Consultant – IAIP; and Sonia Gandhi, CFA – Board Member and Active Volunteer joined us from Mumbai. From Delhi, we had Jitendra Chawla, CFA; Aviral Jain, CFA; and Deepak Mundra, CFA – all active volunteers of the local IAIP chapter.

Manisha began the session by introducing Indian Association of Investment Professionals, (IAIP) to the potential volunteers for the Delhi region. IAIP is an association of local investment professionals. It was established in 2005 and is currently present in 8 locations via regional chapters across India. Thereafter, Manisha spoke about the various committees through which volunteers can participate and contribute to the society.

Manisha highlighted the key requirements for and benefits of Volunteering:

Requirements

• Time Commitment
• Passion
• Dedication
• Involvement
• Participation

Benefits

• Networking and collaboration
• Build leadership, communication and other professional skills
• Enhance knowledge
• Build connections in local markets
• Contribute to the investment community

Manisha also discussed the career path of a Volunteer and concluded her session by the following quote:

You must be a volunteer, always. To volunteer means to conduct your life willingly. Right now if you say, “I am a volunteer,” what it means is, “I am doing whatever I am doing willingly.”

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

The next session was conducted by Arati Porwal. Arati discussed how Volunteering has been a key aspect for CFA Institute and the local CFA Societies. Contributions from Volunteers has helped to grow awareness of the CFA Institute among 100 countries through 145 local societies globally. Volunteering has helped individuals:

• Develop leadership, communication and organization skills
• Network with the best and brightest investment professionals in India and globally
• Obtain a broader view of the profession

Arati described the eligibility criteria to become a Volunteer. She also elaborated on the different types of Volunteering opportunities at CFA Institute. Arati shared list of various Committees and Council with the attendees and then concluded her session by describing the process to apply for CFA Institute Volunteering Opportunities.

Sonia Gandhi was the next speaker of the session. Sonia is the Committee Chair for the Membership Committee. Sonia shared interesting insights on her Volunteering experience of more than a decade. Sonia spoke about how she started her career and how she began her journey toward attaining the CFA designation. Sonia then concluded on her Volunteering journey and discussed how it has contributed in developing her personally and professionally.

Sonia shared her personal experience with the participants when she was travelling to an international location for the first time and did not know any local person in town. She discussed how by virtue of her volunteering efforts at IAIP, she could connect with the local society members in the region and managed to interact, connect, and make friends with like-minded people from the other part of the world.

The session was then led by the Delhi Volunteers, Aviral Jain, CFA, Jitendra Chawla, CFA, and Deepak Mundra, CFA. The senior active Volunteers shared their experiences working with various committees over the years and responding to questions from the potential Volunteers about the Delhi chapter. The participants were intrigued by the passion of and experiences shared by the senior Volunteers.

Participants then filled up the Volunteer application form and were assigned specific mentors based on their chosen volunteering area of interest. The session ended with a vote of thanks by Manisha Sharma. Participants then proceeded for Lunch.

-VN