The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association, a global leader in alternative investment education, has embarked on its first international branding campaign.
Titled “Mind the Gap,” CAIA’s new campaign incorporates creative advertising in the London Underground system, social media outreach to CAIA Members and prospective Members, and educational events designed to help professionals in various alternative investing disciplines better understand the changing nature of the space and the ways in which education can help them build and maintain the relevant skills, while advancing their careers.
“We chose to launch the Mind the Gap campaign in London since it is home to one of our largest international Chapters and is a vibrant hub for alternative investment innovation,” says William J Kelly (pictured), CEO of CAIA. “As alternatives have become what is nearly a USD10 trillion category, the number of people looking to enter the field is on the rise as well. But as alternatives have grown so too has their complexity, and the ‘gap’ between the traditional investment management space and alternatives has only widened, making it more important than ever for professionals to ensure that they have the right skills and proper knowledge base; that is where CAIA comes in.”
CAIA recently completed its spring exam cycle, when over one thousand candidates sat for the Level I exam, newly revised this year to reflect an updated curriculum. “Our exams are challenging, which reflects the subject matter in which candidates need to be proficient,” says Kelly. “The industry recognises this, and we hear with great frequency about the value that the CAIA Charter brings for those who have earned it. We’re very pleased to be seeing new Candidates embarking on this process from different corners of the globe and at different points in their career across a breadth of job descriptions. All of these people are looking to mind ‘the gap’ that a lack of education can create between them, their clients, their competition and their local regulators.”
“We are about to mark the launch of our 25th global Chapter in Ireland later this month, which comes on the heels of our having hosted this year’s annual CAIA board meeting in India,” adds Kelly. “We are very much a global organisation and the reach of our Members bears that out. Though London is our first stop in rolling out this new campaign, there are clearly opportunities for us to bring this message to other financial centers as well, something we’ll be excited to do in the coming months and years.”
The CAIA Association offers the only credential focused on the alternative investment space and has become the global benchmark for alternative investment education. The CAIA Charter, an educational designation uniquely designed for individuals specialising in institutional-quality alternative investments, is granted upon successful completion of two levels of qualifying exams combined with relevant professional experience and joining the Association membership.
The Association supports 24 global Chapters in financial centres in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and in North America, including the recent launches of Chapters in Atlanta, the Cayman Islands, and India, as well as in the form of a Virtual Chapter that brings together members from far-flung locations in more than 60 countries.
CAIA sponsors more than 120 educational and networking events each year and has 37 academic partnerships with leading universities, including 16 in the Americas, 11 in EMEA, and 10 in Asia Pacific.
