By John L. Bowman, CFA, Chief Executive Officer, CAIA Association
At the start of 2025, we invited our global Member community to help shape Vision 2035, CAIA’s long-term strategic direction. The response went far beyond expectations. The feedback was rich, thoughtful, and rooted in real-world experience—exactly what you’d hope for from a community deeply invested in the future of the profession.
What follows is the full letter to CAIA Members that accompanied the release of our member survey findings. It captures the key themes shared, the indicators we’re paying close attention to, and how their input is already influencing the road ahead.
Dear CAIA Member:
Earlier this year, I shared a promise with you that CAIA’s future strategy, Vision 2035, would be shaped not behind closed doors, but through the wisdom and lived experience of the people who are CAIA: you, our Members.
You responded. And not just with participation, but with purpose. Your survey feedback was both wide-ranging and deeply thoughtful, reflecting a global community that is passionate about this profession and serious about where it’s going.
So, what did we hear?
Your responses surfaced a rich mix of insights, priorities, and bold ideas. It affirmed where we’re on the right track, and where there’s opportunity to stretch and evolve more effectively. In particular, you emphasized:
Consolidation will rationalize the asset management value chain and blur the separation of alpha and beta strategies
Blockchain could unlock new asset classes, investors, and efficiency
AI will accelerate its disruption of the back office and investment strategies
Private market growth will continue reshaping portfolios, product innovation and distribution
Lean, adaptive, multi-disciplinary teams are the future
Regulation needs a reckoning and cross border consistency
I encourage you to spend a few minutes with the full report where you’ll find themes that reflect both challenges and the tremendous potential our community faces throughout the next 10 years.
This feedback is already guiding our Vision 2035 strategy which we will formally reveal later this year, but that’s just the beginning. It’s also helping surface the ideas and emerging topics that will shape what we write, present, and discuss going forward. You may see your input show up in long-form reports, at event panel discussions, or within the evolution of our curriculum.
In short: what matters to you is what we’ll be exploring more deeply together.
But strategy is only the beginning. A strategy doesn’t build community. People do.
That’s why I want to personally invite you to stay engaged. We want to hear more. If you have questions, reflections, or simply want to be a part of this ongoing dialogue, you can reach out to me at jlbowman@caia.org.
At CAIA, we believe that we are building a movement, one that elevates professionals and transforms the capital markets from the inside out. The future is collaborative. And it starts now.
About the Contributor
John L. Bowman, CFA was appointed CEO for the CAIA Association in January 2025. He has devoted over 25 years to the asset management industry to recover the narrative of the value that the investment profession brings to society. He is a staunch public advocate for market integrity, long-termism, investor outcomes, diversity, human dignity and educational standards, as necessary ingredients to building a sustainable and healthy profession. John previously served as Managing Director for the Americas for CFA Institute, a region comprised of 40+ countries from Canada, the U.S., Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Before that, John was a portfolio manager for non-US equity strategies at both Boston Company and SSgA for several years. John is a prolific, speaker, writer and commentator, frequently keynoting industry conferences and appearing in investment and business publications such as the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Pension and Investments, Financial Advisor, The Independent, Wealthmanagement.com and CNBC. Bowman earned a BS in Business Administration from Mary Washington College and is a CFA charterholder.
Learn more about CAIA Association and how to become part of a professional network that is shaping the future of investing, by visiting https://caia.org/