John L. Bowman Named Senior Managing Director of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association

The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association, the global leader in alternative investment education, today announced that John L. Bowman has joined the CAIA Association and been named Senior Managing Director. Mr. Bowman is an industry veteran and previously held a number of senior roles with CFA Institute, most recently Managing Director, Americas.

In this newly created role, Mr. Bowman will oversee curriculum and exams and co-lead the global business development team.

“I’ve long admired the work done by CAIA. With the credibility of the investment industry under scrutiny and long-term investor outcomes at risk, there has never been a more opportunistic time for alternative asset classes to play a greater role in recovering the narrative of the noble purpose of the investment profession,” said, Mr. Bowman. “I could not be more excited to be joining CAIA at a very interesting point in the market cycle. Investors need to think about diversification of risk and the role that alternative investments can play and doing so must begin with the essentials of education and industry partnership.“

CAIA’s membership currently totals more than 11,000 from over 97 countries. In just the past year, the organization saw further penetration in current markets and expansion in many of the emerging market countries across Africa, South America, and the Middle East.

“Our curriculum is at the heart of our mission and John’s partnership, on the business side of the curriculum, is an enormously important strategic development,” said, Keith Black, Ph.D., CAIA, CFA. “I look forward to working with John as we expand our expertise through global markets and continue to further integrate our most senior allocators into all that we do.“

CAIA’s curriculum is overseen by an experienced team with a unique mix of backgrounds both as practitioners and in academia. Thousands of candidates take the first level of the two-part CAIA exam each year as the first step in earning the prestigious CAIA Charter.

“The alternatives industry is entering a period where products and wrappers have gotten more complex and access has become more democratized,” said, William J. Kelly, CEO of the CAIA Association. “CAIA must respond to this with more resources and recognize (and reconcile) the pureness of our educational mission with the complexities of building and running a global business. I am eager to have John join us and bring complementary skills to our existing curriculum and business development teams.“

Mr. Bowman, CFA, brings more than 20 years of global experience in investment management and product development. His executive roles at CFA Institute included overseeing the Americas, consisting of 40+ countries, 89 local societies, and 90K Members, where he was responsible for strategy, risk management, compliance, and operational execution. Mr. Bowman also served as Managing Director and Co-Lead, Education at CFA Institute, managing a global team that generated $180M in revenue annually from a portfolio of educational programs including the CFA Program, Investment Foundations, and the CIPM program. He spearheaded product strategy and positioning, curriculum and test development, exam administration, and grading. Prior to his time at CFA Institute, Mr. Bowman was an international portfolio manager at State Street Global Advisors and Mellon Growth Advisors. He has worked across the globe in London, Hong Kong, and New York and is a graduate of University of Mary Washington.

Today’s announcement comes just a few weeks after CAIA officially launched the FDP Institute and Financial Data Professional credential. This is the first credential designed for financial analysts working alongside data scientists.

“The hallmark of any successful and growing franchise is a commitment to a core mission supported by a tight strategic, but complementary agenda,” added, Mr. Kelly. “Doubling down on our curriculum at a time when we are looking for greater penetration in Asia, as witnessed by the recent opening of an office in Mumbai, along with the recently announced FDP Institute as an educational answer to the ongoing digitization of the investment process, rounds out our strategic focus for the foreseeable future.”

About the CAIA Association

The CAIA Association is the world leader in alternative investment education, offering the only education program uniquely designed for individuals specializing in institutional-quality alternative investments. The Association is best known for the CAIA Charter, an internationally-recognized credential granted upon successful completion of a rigorous two-level exam series, combined with relevant work experience. Earning the CAIA Charter is the gateway to becoming a Member of the CAIA Association, a global network of more than 11,000 alternative investment professionals located in more than 97 countries. The Association supports 30 global Chapters in financial centers in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and North America, including a Virtual Chapter that brings together Members from far-flung locations around the world. CAIA also offers the Fundamentals of Alternative Investments certificate program (“Fundamentals“), an introductory -level online course, designed to provide a foundation in the core concepts in alternative investing. This program represents a natural extension of CAIA’s mission to provide solutions to specific market needs for alternative investment education.