11-14-2023 2nd Annual Virtual DEI Conference
NOV
14
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A CFA Society Los Angeles and LACERA collaborative event
CFALA and LACERA are happy to collaborate on our 2nd Annual DEI Virtual Conference. We will again be briefly highlighting the best practices learned from this year’s roundtable discussions and bringing a variety of thought leaders who will touch on topics ranging from communicating effectively with the c-suite, navigating DEI Initiatives under the recent Supreme Court ruling, and hearing what was learned from the first cohort of signatories of CFA Institute’s DEI Code. We will end the conference with a frank discussion between two financial leaders passionate about DEI and how they lead with it in mind.
SPEAKERS
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An MBA graduate of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, Ramsey is a trusted voice of guidance and proficient communicator, having delivered more than 600 keynotes, seminars, and corporate trainings on financial engineering, strategy execution, and organizational leadership. Additionally, Ramsey has published two books, “Empowering Dreamers To Become Achievers” & “The Mentorship Engine” and has created proprietary training curriculums and technical models to optimize P&L performance. Civically, Ramsey is Chairman of Sigma Pi Phi’s Pacific Region Social Action Committee and Board President of the Gamma Zeta Boulé Foundation. This year Ramsey received the "2023 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteer Service" from AmeriCorps and the office of the President of the United States.
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Ms. Koch currently serves as a board member for the University of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees, The Investment Fund for Foundations (TIFF), The Investment Company Institute (ICI), the Toigo Foundation and The Spence School. She also serves as a Co-Chair of the University of Notre Dame Wall Street Leadership Committee and the advisory board of the Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing (NDIGI). Ms. Koch was named a Young Global Leader with the World Economic Forum.
Ms. Koch earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Literature at the University of Notre Dame.Back To Top ^^

Based in London, Sarah leads a global, industry-recognised portfolio of DEI programs for CFA Institute stakeholders who include CFA Program candidates, CFA charterholders, CFA Societies, and investment institutions, in order to champion the cause of greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the investment management industry. Sarah is also responsible for internal DEI at CFA Institute, reporting to CEO & President, Marg Franklin
An experienced investment professional, Sarah joined CFA Institute in 2019 from Majedie Asset Management, a global investment firm now part of Liontrust, where she was Head of Stewardship and Client Communications Director. In the role, Sarah focused on ESG, especially governance, with a keen interest in how companies can achieve success through improving inclusion.
Previously, Sarah was Director of Career Development at CFA Society of the UK, and a founder of the society’s Women’s Network, which she transformed into the Inclusion & Diversity Network, and which now has a membership of over 1,200 investment professionals.
Prior to that, Sarah was a fund manager and analyst at both an asset manager and an asset owner, for which she managed an equities portfolio of US $3.3bn. She has an MA in English Literature and Language from Trinity College, Oxford, holds the ASIP (the credential for Associates of the Society of Investment Professionals), and is an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. She currently serves on the Advisory Boards of Girls Who Invest, and the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP), Collaborative WIM, and on the CEO Advisory Council of Diversity Project North America. Sarah was also a state (public) school governor in the United Kingdom for over a decade and a charity trustee, mainly working with disadvantaged communities.Back To Top ^^

Sofia’s practice also focuses largely on social and governance issues. She leads Kirkland’s DEI strategic services, which include advising on emerging DEI-related legal developments, risk assessments, and risk mitigation strategies. Her experience advising on governance matters includes assessments of ESG programs and disclosures, as well as governance counseling through board presentations and trainings. She helps clients to identify opportunities to tailor their ESG programs to their particular goals while mitigating legal and reputational risks, including developing strategies for integrating ESG into larger business and governance practices.
Prior to focusing on ESG full time, Sofia spent over a decade working on cross-border capital markets matters across Latin America, the United Kingdom, Europe and Japan. Sofia earned a J.D. from New York University, a Ph.D. in History from UCLA, and B.A. in International Relations and Spanish from Stanford University. She was named a Council of Urban Professionals (CUP) Law Catalyst in 2021, serves as an LA Advisor to CUP, and was a member of the LatinoJustice-PRLDEF Líderes Board from 2014-2019. Sofia maintains an active pro bono practice that focuses on ESG, social impact, and civil rights matters. Back To Top ^^
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Zdrazil has over 20 years of investment stewardship experience. He was named to the National Association of Corporate Director’s “NACD Directorship 100” list of the most influential governance professionals and directors in and out of the boardroom in 2022. He chaired the Board of the Council of Institutional Investors from 2021 to 2023, a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of employee benefit funds and asset managers with over $44 trillion in assets focused on strong investor rights, sound corporate governance, and sensible financial market regulations that foster fair, vibrant capital markets. Prior to his election as Board Chair, he was Board Treasurer and chaired the Audit Committee. He is a member of the Society for Corporate Governance and represents LACERA on the Investor Advisory Group of the International Financial Reporting Standards’ (IFRS) International Sustainability Standards Board. He has also served on the Private Equity Advisory Committee of the United Nations-affiliated Principles for Responsible Investment.
Zdrazil previously worked as First Vice President at Amalgamated Bank and Director of Strategy and Corporate Engagement at the Office of the New York City Comptroller Bureau of Asset Management, implementing stewardship initiatives on behalf of the New York City Retirement Systems. Zdrazil holds a B.A. with Honors from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, a Certificate of Political Studies from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques at the Université d’Aix-Marseille in Aix-en-Provence, France, and a M.A. from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Back To Top ^^
Registration Fees |
Cancellations must be received in writing by 9:00 am the day prior to the event to receive a refund. No phone cancellations are accepted. Please e-mail info@cfala.org.
Didier Acevedo, CFA
Mariya Entina, CFA
Cheryl Lu
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As a participant in the CFA Institute Approved-Provider Program, the CFA Society of Los Angeles has determined that this program qualifies for 2 credit hour. If you are a CFA Institute member, CE credit for your participation in this program will be automatically recorded in your CE Diary. |