Sylvia Solomon, ASIP, IMC announced as chair of CFA UK

We’re delighted to announce Sylvia Solomon, ASIP, IMC as the new Chair of the CFA UK Board! She begins her term as Chair today, succeeding Hilary Eastman, CFA. 

A seasoned investor with three decades of global portfolio management experience, Sylvia has long championed rigorous analysis, responsible investment and forward-looking professionalism. Winner of the CFA Institute’s 2022 Inspirational Leader Award for Education, she brings the ideal blend of strategic clarity, energy and forward-thinking approach to strategically help guide CFA UK beyond its 70th birthday. 

Her leadership builds on more than two decades of dedicated volunteering with CFA UK and her pivotal role in designing and developing the Certificate in ESG Investing—now distributed globally by the CFA Institute as the Sustainable Investing Certificate. She is well-placed to understand the needs, aspirations and potential of our community in an exciting, evolving time for our industry. 

We sat down with Sylvia to learn more about her motivations, career and vision as Chair. 

Why this career? What first pulled you into investing?  

Growing up between Ghana and the UK, I saw the power (and the consequences) of access to capital. Opportunity and inequality often stem from the same financial roots. Those contrasts have a habit of lodging themselves firmly into your moral wiring.  

So, a career where discipline, ethics and purpose could actually coexist? Irresistible. Slightly idealistic? Perhaps. Arguably, idealism fuels innovation, creating markets and substantial returns.   And yes — I had phenomenal mentors. The kind of people who lean in, whisper “Aim higher,” and then make sure you follow through. 

How has CFA UK supported your career growth? 

As someone who joined back when we were still called LSIP — practically the prehistoric era in investment terms — this feels both surreal and wonderfully full-circle. What began as a professional membership very quickly became a community — a generous, brilliant, mildly obsessive group (I say that lovingly), who have shaped my career more than any job title ever could.  

Some of my closest allies and most persistent cheerleaders emerged from this innovative group of individuals with a passion for learning, whose friendships form the heart and soul of what makes our Society truly extraordinary. 

If you ever hear me refer to CFA UK as “my professional home,” it’s not marketing fluff. It’s genuinely how I feel.

You hold the IMC and ASIP designations: how have these supported you beyond receiving the designation? 

I must confess that IMC was, for me, more than just a UK regulatory passport: it made the jump to CFA Level I far easier than I expected. I’m still convinced it’s the best-kept advantage for aspiring candidates — I still tip people off about this at events! 

The ASIP designation has been a lifelong compass. Even though the designation stopped being awarded in 2002, the credibility it carries hasn’t dimmed. It quietly signals: “I take ethics and professionalism seriously.” In governance roles, fiduciary roles, leadership roles? That matters. Immensely. 

So, together, they are more than badges signalling technical competence. They demonstrate the highest professional quality. 

What changes have defined your investment career, and did you adapt?

How long do we have?  

I started when the euro was a glint in Maastricht’s eye and you still needed the mental elasticity of a gymnast to juggle francs, marks, pesetas and lire. It made me cherish two things early: discipline… and a reliable calculator. 

Today, we’re juggling sustainable finance, AI, tokenisation, geopolitics, plus enough acronyms to season alphabet soup. The rise of non-bank financial institutions — hedge funds, private equity, and credit platforms—has redefined market intermediation and introduced an era of complex innovation. Quantum computing now coexists with the principles of fundamental analysis espoused by Benjamin Graham — which I was raised on.  

However, even as the boundaries between finance, technology, and ethics increasingly converge, the core hasn’t changed: judgement, rigour, humility, and curiosity will always matter. 

My adaptation strategy? Lifelong learning, a refusal to fear transmuting ideas, collaboration, and the ability to laugh when a machine learning model confidently predicts something utterly impossible. Investment isn’t a solo sport — even if we all imagine our Excel models are works of solitary genius. 

When did you start volunteering for the Society, and in what capacity? 

More than 20 years ago — feels impossible until I’m occasionally mortified by old photos and see the hairstyles!  If you benefit from high standards, how could you not but help strengthen them? CFA UK encouraged me to participate immediately, and the invitation to actively contribute resonated with my personal philosophy, “facta non verba—actions not words.”  

CFA UK welcomed me into education panels, curriculum work, advocacy consultations, and later, qualification design. Additional past volunteer engagements included working to enhance member value and the overall volunteering experience, which I hope to further elevate in my newly appointed role.  

Volunteering remains a rewarding part of my professional life. The people I’ve met along the way — champions, mentors, co-conspirators in the best sense — are a big reason I’ve stayed involved all these years. 

What is your strategic focus or goal as Chair? 

Three interconnected ambitions guide me:  

• Elevating standards through education: Keeping our qualifications and professional learning programmes world-class, relevant and accessible — especially to talented people from underrepresented backgrounds. The next generation of leaders needs a long runway that we can help build. 
• Embedding sustainability and ethics into our profession’s DNA: I’m inspired by the real progress we’ve already made. Sound judgement, stewardship and purpose-led investing shouldn’t be afterthoughts, they should be instincts. 
• Expanding inclusion and global connectivity: A trusted voice and partner, fostering more diverse leadership and stronger cross-border collaboration — a broader, more vibrant community shaping the future of finance. 

Ultimately, I want CFA UK to be known not only for technical excellence, but for leadership with heart — where knowledge, character and community come together to create real, lasting impact.  

And if we can share some laughter along the way? All the better!