As we move along into this new year, I’d like to take a moment to thank you for your ongoing support of each other, our industry, and Nicsa during the last twelve months.
2022 was a very special year for Nicsa as we celebrated our 60th anniversary. I’d like to highlight some of the ways we’ve been working to advance the industry and promote best practices. Please join me for a moment to look at how critical connections among our membership, including asset managers, wealth mangers, broker dealers and service providers, have shaped and powered the industry.
As all of you are aware, Nicsa is a volunteer organization, and we are dependent on our committees to produce the content and programming that you get to experience throughout the year. We’re very humbled to have over 500 volunteers working to bring the very best information and education to our members. It is very impressive.
Continuing Education at All Levels
Educational content has always been a focus for Nicsa, and in 2022 we launched a brand-new initiative, Nicsa Accelerator. Accelerator is a professional development program aimed at providing members with educational opportunities for the industry’s current and future leaders. I’m very excited about our course offerings for 2023 and encourage you to familiarize yourself with these opportunities, take advantage of them yourself, and/or recommend them to a colleague.
Engaging Next Gen Leaders
We’re keenly aware that engaging next gen leaders is a critical issue for our industry. We recognized our second cohort of Rising Stars this year, and continue to celebrate rising talent with Emerging Leaders, and NOVA Awards programs. I encourage you to get to know our most recent awardees. They are among the best and brightest in our industry and I look forward to their contributions in the years ahead.
Connecting Our Members
Nicsa is dedicated to working to accelerate DEI across our industry. As part of these efforts, Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America hosted the 2022 Fearless Leadership Symposium in October, an event focused completely on DEI content, training, and education. With events like the FLS, we aim to lift the voices and visibility of underrepresented groups, assuring that these perspectives are heard and seen by industry thought leaders. We also provide a platform for our members to incubate powerful ideas and champion for change in the years ahead. FLS 2023 planning is currently under way and is expected to take place in NYC later this year.
Personal connections are what Nicsa is all about. In a year that continued to limit and challenge in-person engagement, Nicsa offered several opportunities for our members to network with old and new acquaintances, including our Boston-based General Membership Meeting in November. In addition, our members were able to reconnect and give back via philanthropic events like our US Hunger Event and Blackwell Scholarship Golf Tournament at the SLF 2022, one of the first industry events to move back to an in-person format in the post-pandemic environment.
In the spirit of connecting members via personal stories, we recently launched a podcast called NicsaTalk: 1-on-1 discussions with industry leaders, hosted by Nicsa’s Justine Phoenix. I think you will find that these casual, unscripted conversations, provide unique perspectives into the people and businesses that inspire us.
We are now gearing up for our 2023 Strategic Leadership Forum! I am very proud of the program that has been prepared by our dedicated SLF Committee. I hope you join me in Fort Lauderdale this March in celebration of Nicsa’s six decades of industry service. Nicsa has been a long-time partner to our industry and I look forward to watching this organization continue to evolve for the next 60 years and beyond.
With gratitude,
Jim Fitzpatrick
President & CEO