The CFA Institute LIVE 2025 conference turned out to be one of highlights of the year so far. CEO Margaret Franklin and her team curated an amazing list of topics and speakers which stood out in providing insights on the most important issues facing the investment business today. CFA Institute Board Chair Marchall Bailey set the tone in the CEO panel with good friends Stephanie Braming and Daniel Gamba talking about leadership issues in challenging times. Not to be outdone, Institutional Investor CEO Rip Reeves and Senior Advisor Cynthia Steer had one of more lively panels on what it takes to lead through change and uncertainty in our industry. ISS Executive Editor Amy Resnick brought out some of the most interesting views on markets of the conference with a star studded panel including good friends Shundrawn Thomas and Lori Heinel.
Though a conference of this size with 1700 attendees can seem challenging to navigate, the session breakouts and layout of the Hilton made meeting a large number of clients and friends very accessible. The last time I attended this conference was in Philadelphia for the 70th Annual Conference in 2017, and I look forward to participating more frequently in the future when the event is in North America.
Many thanks to the team at Neuberger Berman for hosting the dinner and cocktail party Tuesday night at the famed Chicago Science and Industry Museum adjacent to the University of Chicago campus. A favorite museum from my childhood, I really enjoyed being back again, and the updates to the exhibits were amazing.
Thanks again to the entire team at CFA Institute for an amazing conference experience