Marcelo Suárez Castillo, CFA
San Salvador, El Salvador
Charterholder since 2008
A Commitment to Lifelong Learning and Volunteerism
Marcelo Suárez Castillo, CFA, was recently named the 2013 CFA Institute Society Volunteer of the Year for the South Central United States, Latin and South America region (SCUSLA). Ultimately, Suárez Castillo says his passion for volunteerism stems from his vision to create a CFA Society Central America, and his strong belief in the importance of lifelong learning.
In addition to his demanding job in wealth management at Scotiabank and his volunteer duties for CFA Institute, Suárez Castillo is also a lecturer in the MBA program for the Instituto Superior de Economía y Administración de Empresas (ISEADE), and the Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA) in El Salvador. He has 21 years of experience in the finance and investment profession in Central America, working in previous positions as treasurer, financial analyst, risk manager, and investment advisor.
He shares his experiences with the CFA Program as well as his commitment to lifelong learning and volunteerism in this Question and Answer interview.
Q: What was it like to be named the 2013 CFA Institute Volunteer of the Year Award?
It was a great honor to be recognized by the South Central United States, Latin and South American region Society (SCUSLA) of CFA Institute as volunteer of the year. I believe that volunteering makes us a stronger investment community. It’s a way of giving back to CFA Institute and the CFA charter for all the opportunities that it has afforded us as investment professionals. I am constantly reminded of my role as a passionate volunteer; contributing to raise awareness of CFA Institute and its mission, promote the CFA charter, and support various ethics, advocacy and education initiatives in my country.
Q: What volunteer opportunities have you taken advantage of since becoming a charterholder?
I’ve been involved as volunteer for the CFA Program and CFA Institute Research Challenge, various society volunteer efforts, Asset Manager Code promotion, and raising awareness of the CFA charter and Claritas® Investment Certificate and in my region. For the Research Challenge this year I had an opportunity to attend the Americas regionals in Toronto, Canada, and it was such a thrilling experience.
Volunteering fulfills what I think is my ethical responsibility – to advance the investment profession in any way that I can.
Q: What inspires you to donate so much of your time volunteering for CFA Institute?
What drives my passion is envisioning a higher level of financial literacy and professionalism in the investment industry in El Salvador, or Central America, and of the world. I believe that a more educated investment community contributes to a more efficient and equitable capital market, which in turn, paves the way for sustainable economic progress around the globe. I continue to engage stakeholders – practitioners, universities, employers, regulators, and the media – to embrace the ethics and education initiatives of CFA Institute.
Q: What role does lifelong learning and continuing education play in your career?
I recently completed the seventh year of the continuing education program at CFA Institute. It’s a personal commitment I have taken because I am a firm believer of professional excellence. Learning never stops. It’s an ethical responsibility with oneself for the benefit of clients, markets, and society as a whole. With that in mind, I continue to raise awareness of CFA Institute with constituencies in Central America including:
- Charterholders – collaboration in CFA Institute outreach activities
- Universities – participation in the CFA Institute Research Challenge
- Employers – inclusion of the CFA Program in their employees’ career development plan
- Regulators – recognition of the CFA charter and its ethical standards
- Media – coverage of CFA Institute’s mission and initiatives
Q: Do you see challenges and/or opportunities in El Salvador?
El Salvador and Central America enjoy the benefits of political and economic stability with a highly productive workforce and strong democratic institutions (see related story that I wrote for CFA Institute on this topic). Opportunities remain in terms of raising the level of investor education (demand side) and instilling a stronger culture of governance and transparency (supply side). It’s my strong belief (and goal) that the way to approach these challenges – and seize the opportunities – is to establish a local CFA Society that promotes the highest standards of ethics, education, and excellence in the investment profession. If we can protect the integrity of the capital market for the benefit of society, then every region in the world will be a winner! For example, I have been promoting the Integrity List and the Statement of Investor Rights to help move these CFA Institute initiatives forward.
Q: Why do you want to create a CFA Society Central America?
I was one of the first charterholders in El Salvador, so I am very proud of that fact, but at the same time I’ve come to realize how crucial a local CFA Society is to bringing change to this region. Currently, there are 24 other CFA charterholders in four other Central American countries: Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama. With 25 charterholders (myself included), we are half way to reaching the magic number of 50 that constitutes a local member society. My vision is to establish a CFA Society Central America by 2015. It would be recognized for its leadership role as a forum in advancing CFA Institute’s initiatives and the investment profession in the region.
Q: What does the CFA charter mean to you?
To me, the CFA charter means a strong personal commitment to the investment industry to uphold ethical values and strive for excellence every day, which is consistent with CFA Institute’s mission and vision. It also means setting an example for my family and peers that education is a lifelong process. Overall, the charter means placing ethics at center stage of everything that you do as a professional. In my case, the CFA charter also meant a personal achievement. I remember my curriculum books arrived on my doorstep on September 15, which is El Salvador’s Independence Day. And my charter date is September 15. To this day, that memory still has special meaning to me.