Today marks the six-year anniversary of Financial Writers Society, a tax-exempt trade association originally created to give industry participants greater opportunities to network, collaborate and support each other.
Six years ago today, Financial Writers Society was incorporated in the state of Massachusetts, after I spent several months laying the foundation of the organization, communicating my vision and gauging support. When I first started planning FWS, there was no group specifically designed for financial writers that I was eligible to join. The New York Financial Writers Association was certainly in existence, but they seemed like a local group, designed for people in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Amid these circumstances, I struck out to create an organization of my own, one that would be open to people around the world, instead of limiting its membership to a specific, geographic area. Fortunately, there was plenty of interest, and after fleshing out the details, I decided to incorporate. In the time since then, FWS has helped its members get jobs, provided mentorship to members and distributed a quarterly newsletter. More recently, we have started having virtual networking events, which we have found quite productive, especially during government-mandated lockdowns. Further, our membership has grown, approaching a total roster of 200 as we speak. Going forward, we look forward to establishing FWS as the go-to resource for financial writers everywhere. Charles Bovaird President Financial Writers Society
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Victoria Carrigan recently became FWS’ new Secretary. In this role, she will work with the other members of the Board to manage the organization’s administrative affairs and help FWS fulfill its objectives.
Having worked for more than 20 years as a financial writer and editor, Victoria has held stints at big-name companies like BlackRock, Citi, UBS and Morgan Stanley. Currently, she serves as an Associate Vice President and Senior Investment Writer for investment manager Nuveen. She holds a B.A. in English from Hollins University, and has also attained certificates from both Babson College and New York University. Victoria lives in Summit, NJ with her husband, son, daughter and hound dog rescued from Texas. Please welcome Victoria to the Board! Garrett Baldwin recently became FWS' new Vice President. In this position, he will work with the other Board members to help the organization achieve its objectives.
Further, he will assume the responsibilities of the President in the absence of the President and as authorized by the Board. An economist, financial writer, and mathematician, Baldwin is the executive editor of DailyAlts.com, a site dedicated to the universe of alternative investments. He has an extended history of financial analysis, journalism, public relations, and consulting experience in hedge funds, private equity, blockchain, housing policy, supply chains, and public equity coverage. In finance, he specializes in value and momentum strategies. In addition, he has 15 years of senior leadership experience in editorial operations; economic research; financial, energy, and political copywriting; thought leadership; competitive intelligence; political risk consulting, business development, and global trade and agribusiness analysis. He previously worked for competitive intelligence firm Proactive Worldwide, consulting firm Winterberry Group, and market consulting firm Denali Intelligence. Prior to his professional career, Garrett earned a BS in Journalism and U.S. History from Northwestern University. He later received an MA in Global Security Studies from Johns Hopkins University, an MS in Trade Economics from Purdue University, and an MBA Finance from Indiana’s Kelley Business School. He also received a certificate in Global Business from Harvard Business School in 2019. His market insights have been featured in publications including Forbes, Business Insider, and Investopedia. Garrett lives in Naples, Florida with his wife, daughter, and Corgi-Daschund. Please welcome Garrett to the Board! President Charles Bovaird David Rodeck recently became FWS’ new Treasurer. In this role, David will work with the other Board members to help the organization manage its finances going forward.
Having spent the last seven years writing for clients like American Express, Anthem Blue Cross, LendingTree, Prudential and US News, David specializes in writing about insurance, investing and taxation. Before writing full-time, he was a life insurance salesman and registered rep for New York Life. During that time, he passed the CFP exam. David is a graduate of McGill University with degrees in Economics and Finance. David is an active Toastmaster and serves as the Treasurer of his local chapter. He also volunteers at the Delaware food bank and helps organize local events for the McGill alumni association. Please welcome David to the Board! President Charles Bovaird Hello all,
I would like to take a minute to thank everyone who voted in the recent elections. We had record turnout this year, and I appreciate everyone who took part. Currently, we are finalizing our 2020 Board of Directors, and it looks like we are going to have our largest Board yet. President Charles Bovaird Hello all,
Financial Writers Society is celebrating its fifth anniversary today. The tax-exempt trade association, which was created to help industry participants network, collaborate and support each other, was incorporated in Boston, Massachusetts on August 15th, 2014. Many thanks to everyone who made this organization's success a possibility! Financial Writers Society has created an award designed to recognize rising stars in the field.
We are calling on members for nominations. Do you know anyone who fits the bill? When considering potential nominees, I suggest looking at criteria like these: 1)Where have they published 2)How many times have they published 3)What visibility has their work generated 4)Relevant college education (undergrad and any grad school) 5)Relevant certifications (CFA, CFP, AFC, etc.) Important Details Current Awards Committee members (at this point, the Board) will not be eligible for the award. Any FWS member can nominate someone for this award by submitting their name - and an explanation of why they should receive the award - to the Awards Committee. A person does not need to be a member of FWS to be nominated. For the award to be truly based on merit, it should be open to financial writers regardless of whether they are members. If you ever have doubts about the importance of what you do, I want you to read this.
We, the Financial Writers of the world, matter. The articles we produce matter. We inform the public. We help ensure that investors have accurate, unbiased information. Without us, investors would lack a major source of information they need to make well-informed decisions. With that in mind, we must act in a responsible, ethical manner to provide our readers with information that is accurate, unbiased and discloses any material information. Take pride in what you do, and be sure to do the right thing. The investors of the world will thank you. Hello,
Welcome to the FWS Blog! This resource exists so our members have one more way to get their thoughts out there and showcase their work. If you are a member and interested in submitting a blog post for consideration, please email Charles Bovaird, President of FWS. |
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August 2020
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