Yash Liresh Sayla, CFA

I am a Principal at Versor Investments, a Quantitative Hedge Fund, working in Investor Relations. My responsibilities include creating marketing materials, newsletters, performance reports, handling client requests, peer analysis, marketing, business development, and solving complex business problems with tech solutions. I am a solution-oriented professional who coordinates across the firm to ensure timely execution. In my free time, I volunteer at CFA India Society’s Career Services Committee and indulge in extensive reading. My CFA journey began during my engineering years when I aspired for a career in financial markets. Initially guided towards an MBA in Finance, I later discovered the value of a CFA Charter through industry insights. Starting in 2017 alongside my MBA, I completed two levels but paused to explore finance further. Despite initially taking a study break due to a intentional career shift to Sales and Business Development, my manager encouraged me to complete the third level, which proved crucial in my role in institutional sales. Beyond traditional finance roles, I advocate for CFA in client-facing careers, emphasizing its role in product understanding and fit in client’s portfolio. Throughout my five-year journey, support from professors, and online resources like Arif Irfanullah, Kaplan Schweser, and Dr. Mark Meldrum were invaluable. Viewing CFA as a continuous knowledge application in daily work and personal portfolios adds significant value. Transitioning from a student to a practitioner, I believe the CFA charter should be seen as a stepping stone, with CFA Societies offering a robust professional network for ongoing learning and development.