AI Magazine Issue 7 2018

52 Acquisition International - Issue 7 2018 CFAL is a leading independent investment and advisory firm based in Nassau, The Bahamas, with a long and proven record of financial stability and integrity in all economic climates. We profiled the innovative firm to discover more about the secrets behind their success following their recent win in Acquisition Intl’s 2018 Global Excellence Awards, where they were awarded the title Best Investment Management & Advisory Firm 2018 – Caribbean. ounded in 1997, CFAL is the investment arm of AF holdings Ltd. that was established to provide investment and financial advisory services to the investing public. The company was purchased by Colina Holdings Limited in 2010, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Colina. In addition to this, the team at CFAL have been entrusted with the management and administration of more than $1.8 billion in assets and advises individual and institutional clients both domestically and internationally on a range of services, including pension management, brokerage and investment management accounts. CFAL’s overriding strategy is focused on value creation, which involves building long-lasting relationships with their clients based on integrity, expertise and quality service. CFAL has over the last 20 years, developed the financial strength and capital resources to boost and implement its strategic goals, while executive management simultaneously remains focused on growing the company’s asset base and developing its core business. CFAL has seen its Assets Under Management grow from $2.6 million in 1997 to over $1.8 billion in 2017. As a company, CFAL continues to set targets and to monitor their key performance indicators. The firm is dedicated to helping their clients achieve financial security. The guiding philosophy of CFAL is that, as stewards of capital, their clients’ interests Contact: Pamela Q. Musgrove, CFA / Sophia P. Thurston, CPA Company: CFAL 308 East Bay St., 3rd Floor P.O. Box CB-12407 Nassau, New Providence Bahamas Phone: 001 242 502 7010 Website: www.cfal.com Providing Stability, Security and Integrity for Investors F 1807AI05 are paramount. The team builds long-lasting relationships based on integrity, expertise and a high level of service. Also, they believe that investment success comes from the disciplined application of a sound process guided by a proven philosophy. One of their goals is to deliver a consistent return for the risk assumed. CFAL’s core values have always included diligence, discipline and integrity, which have helped to guide their investment practices. There are three main target markets for CFAL: • Institutional investors such as sponsored pensions and mutual funds • Retail investors • Corporate investors CFAL seeks to develop the financial services business on several fronts, with the pension, other institutional asset management and administration businesses being the engine of growth. While institutional pension plans are very bureaucratic, when it comes to changing managers, they believe that there is an opportunity for them to reach the retail investors and access some of the institutional money via mutual funds, which allow individual investors to access professional money managers while planning for their future. Also, as institutions such as the National Insurance Board and large pension funds seek to increase investment returns, it is more efficient to secure investments via mutual funds due to the absence of the bureaucratic board approval process. To effectively administer a diversified group of pension clients, CFAL invested in a hybrid, proprietary pension fund administration system, which allows the company to administer pension plans with varying complexities. CFAL has also invested in a leading international portfolio management solution, which allows the firm to invest client assets, implement and monitor strategies and manage day-to-day trading. CFAL’s investment process is the result of over 50 years of combined security analysis and research experience. They base their decisions on strong The firm is dedicated to helping their clients achieve financial security. The guiding philosophy of CFAL is that, as stewards of capital, their clients’ interests are paramount.