The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment Announces Partnership With ICMA Centre and FINRA on Diploma in Investment Compliance

The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), the ICMA Centre at the Henley Business School and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) of the US announce that they have joined forces to support and enhance education, training and certification in financial compliance.

The CISI is the largest and most widely respected professional body for those who work in the securities and investment industry in the UK and abroad and has developed a suite of well recognized and supported programs centered around product knowledge and regulation to support practitioners in the financial services industry. Since 2006, the ICMA Centre and FINRA have developed and offered a highly regarded Diploma in Capital Markets Regulation and Compliance aimed at mid-level securities professionals. With the development of the CISI 's Diploma in Investment Compliance, the industry was faced with two separately recognized routes to certification,and it was agreed that, by joining forces, the parties can work together to better enhance the professional credentials of capital markets practitioners in the UK.

The agreement will mean that those who have already achieved the Diploma in Capital Markets Regulation and Compliance will become members of the CISI and those with a partially completed qualification will receive appropriate exemptions from the jointly supported Diploma in Investment Compliance. In addition, the ICMA Centre will work with the CISI to deliver advanced certification for those who have completed the Diploma in Investment Compliance and whose needs are for expanded coverage of topics required by senior compliance staff in financial institutions. Additional details will be published on the CISI Web site (www.cisi.org) in the coming days.

In announcing this new collaboration, Simon Culhane, Chartered FCSI, CEO of CISI, said: "We are very pleased to be working with the ICMA Centre and FINRA - two highly respected institutions that have a long history in capital markets education and training."

Professor John Board, Director of the ICMA Centre, added, "Merging of these qualifications will lead to a cleaner and better defined route to the professional certification and demonstration of competence that is so much in demand following the financial crisis."

Paul Andrews, Vice President and Managing Director of FINRA, noted that "this combination is the next logical step in our four-year partnership with the ICMA Centre. By joining forces, we are able to create an even more robust program."

Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment
The CISI's mission is to help members attain, maintain and develop their knowledge and skills and to promote the highest standards of ethics and integrity in the securities and investment industry.

Formed in 1992 from the Stock Exchange, the CISI is now the leading examining, training and membership body for the securities and investment industry in the UK, with over 40,000 members who benefit from its program of professional and social events. As the main examining body for the industry, the Institute provides a range of relevant vocational qualifications attracting over 35,000 candidates a year. The CISI has developed Centres of Excellence within several Universities to offer our qualifications and has made its Introduction to Securities and Investments available to schools and colleges around the UK. In addition, the Institute produces publications and workbooks and runs a series of widely respected and well attended conferences and seminars in the UK and overseas.

Based in the City of London, CISI is a global organization with representative offices in financial centers such as Dublin, Singapore, Dubai, Mumbai and Shanghai. It works in close cooperation with regulators, firms and other professional bodies worldwide. The Institute is currently a member of the FSA workstream on professionalism as part of the Retail Distribution Review and became a Chartered body in November 2009.

FINRA
FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, is the largest independent regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States. FINRA is dedicated to investor protection and market integrity through comprehensive regulation. FINRA touches virtually every aspect of the securities business - from registering and educating all industry participants to examining securities firms; writing and enforcing rules and the federal securities laws; informing and educating the investing public; providing trade reporting and other industry utilities; and administering the largest dispute resolution forum for investors and firms.

ICMA Centre
The ICMA Centre at Henley Business School, University of Reading has an international reputation for being the premier institution in Europe for academic and executive education for financial markets. Established in 1991 with funding provided by the International Capital Markets Association (ICMA), the Centre is housed in a purpose-built modernist building with state-of-the-art facilities including three dealing rooms. The Centre recently opened its new extended facilities including an additional flagship 40-seat dealing room equipped by Thomson Reuters.