My CFA® Charter Story

In our premier episode, Sibil Patri, CFA, shares how her strict upbringing and determination helped give her the confidence she needed to tackle the Level I CFA® exam. Learn how her journey took her from working behind the cash register at her father’s convenience store to being one of the youngest VPs at American Century Investments and a leader in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Sibil Sebastian Patri, CFA, is vice president, strategy and corporate development for American Century Investments. In this role, she partners with senior leaders across the organization to identify and assess strategic growth opportunities for the firm. In addition, Sibil oversees UCITS and international strategy and chairs the firm’s ESG strategy committee. She is a member of American Century’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and is the global co-lead of Accelerate, American Century’s business resource group focused on advancing women. Prior to this role, Sibil led product strategy for American Century’s global and non-US equity offerings.

Previously, Sibil held product management and marketing roles at Jennison Associates, OppenheimerFunds, and BlackRock. Sibil holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business and master of science in finance from Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business. Click here to see pictures of Sibil's journey to becoming a CFA charterholder.

Follow Sibil on LinkedIn Have a compelling story about your journey to earning the charter? We want to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected] so we can explore telling your story on a future podcast episode.

Imagine preparing for one of the most notoriously difficult exams without any kind of support or mentorship. That’s exactly what Attila Köksal was up against in his home country of Turkey when he set his sights on becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst®. Back in the mid 90’s, there were only a handful of candidates in his part of the world. Without much support system, he studied constantly. Despite having difficulty with the first level, he was able to push ahead. Learn how Attila beat the odds to become Turkey’s first CFA® charterholder. You can follow @AttilaKoksal on Twitter or find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/attilakoksal/. Have a compelling story about your journey to earning the CFA charter? We want to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected] so we can explore telling your story on a future My Charter Story episode.

While some kids spent their summer days reading comic books or playing ball with friends, Michael Hakerem was reading about the S&P 500. To say finance was a hobby would be an understatement. Michael set his sights on a career in finance at an early age, but it was not a straight path to success. Through some unforeseen obstacles and challenges, Michael leveraged his personal and diverse social network as well as his experiences growing up to prevail. Be sure to listen to Michael’s journey from sweeping up cigarette butts at Busch Gardens to launching his own investment firm. You can follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhakerem.

Have a compelling story about your journey to earning the CFA charter? We want to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected] so we can explore telling your story on a future My Charter Story episode.

Just a few years into her burgeoning finance career, Azra Mirza left it all behind to focus on raising a family. And while motherhood proved to be rewarding, Azra felt something was missing. Her passion for finance and an unerring determination for success never wavered. With the support of her family, Azra returned to the workforce and set her sights on obtaining the CFA charter. On this episode of My Charter Story, we hear how one determined young woman bucked the trends of her traditional community to make her dreams come true. We’ll also learn how a network of colleagues and mentors helped guide Azra to her goal and discover how she’s making sure a new generation of females are financially literate. Azra's story is not only an inspiration for women breaking into finance, it is an example of motivation everyone can relate to. https://cfainst.is/DEIcode

You can follow Azra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azra-mirza-0800a55. Have a compelling story about your journey to earning the CFA charter? We want to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected] so we can explore telling your story on a future My Charter Story episode.

Discover the fascinating journey of Mark Temnikov, CFA, who transitioned from an aspiring surgeon to a passionate finance professional, as he shares his experience with the CFA Institute Research Challenge. Learn how Mark honed his skills in data analysis and problem-solving, key elements in both medicine and finance, and his inspiring story of pursuing the CFA Program.

Not only did the CFA Program help Mark land an internship in Hong Kong, but it also allowed him to apply his university studies to real-world situations. He shares his enchanting story of discovering his CFA Level III results in the same country and hotel where he first learned about the program a decade ago. Mark also talks about his ongoing involvement with the CFA Institute Research Challenge, CFA Society Switzerland, and his pursuit of a Certificate in ESG Investing. Don't miss the inspiring story of a journey from medicine to finance and everything in between!

(0:00:04) - CFA Institute Research Challenge Experience (13 Minutes)

Lauren McAdams chats with Mark about his journey from wanting to become a doctor to ultimately finding his passion in finance. He discovered a passion for data analysis and problem solving, which is a key element of both medicine and finance. They discuss how Mark heard about the CFA Institute Research Challenge and decided to become involved. After preparing for 12 months, Mark went headfirst into the challenge, eventually landing him in the global final. Mark also talks about the experience of preparing for each round and how it has helped him in his career in investment management.

(0:12:39) - From CFA Internship to Charterholder (6 Minutes)

Mark shares his journey from wanting to become a doctor to a career in finance. He was inspired to pursue the CFA Program in order to land an internship in Hong Kong and how the program was beneficial in helping him to apply his university studies in the real world. Mark recounts his magical story of finding out his CFA level III results in the same country and hotel that he learned about the program ten years prior. He also talks about his ongoing involvement with the CFA Institute Research Challenge and CFA Society Switzerland and how he is now pursuing the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing.