Empowering the Nextgen: Supporting CISI’s Emerging Leaders Forum
It is an honour to be nominated as one of the industry leaders for the upcoming Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (‘CISI’) Victoria Emerging Leaders Forum, taking place on Thursday 1 October 2026 in Melbourne, and generously hosted by NAB.
Introduction
As Deputy Chair of the CISI in Australia and New Zealand, I echo the welcome of the CISI Victoria team in launching the CISI Emerging Leaders Forum, a unique face-to-face event designed to connect young professionals with experienced industry leaders through a structured ‘speed networking’ format. The event will bring together emerging talent and senior professionals for meaningful conversations, practical career insights, and valuable industry connections.
While this event is specifically designed for young and early-career professionals, and emerging leaders, CISI is reaching out to the broader Victorian membership because member’s support and experience can make a real difference to an emerging financial services professional’s career.
What Participants will experience at the Forum
Through a series of facilitated roundtable conversations, attendees will:
Connect directly with experienced industry leaders;
Gain practical insights into leadership and career development;
Learn from diverse professional journeys and experiences (it’s not linear!);
Build valuable relationships across the industry; and
Explore future career opportunities and pathways.
Registration for this event is essential
Places are limited to ensure a high-quality and interactive experience for all participants.
If readers of the blog know one, two or even three emerging professionals in Victoria who would benefit from this opportunity, please encourage them to register as soon as possible.
Refer your young professionals here: https://www.cisi.org/cisiweb2/shop/event-details?eventid=86857487
Together as the CISI and existing leaders in our industry, we can help foster the connections, confidence and capability that will support the future of our financial services profession.
Why now?
As the financial services landscape undergoes ongoing transformation, the responsibility of contemporary leadership extends far beyond navigating current market complexities. Our most critical mandate is to actively cultivate, mentor, and champion the emerging individuals who will steer our industry into the future.
The forum, organised by the internationally prestigious CISI, represents a unique opportunity designed specifically to bring together bright, emerging talent with seasoned senior professionals. By fostering an environment of meaningful honest conversations, practical career insights, and valuable industry connections, the forum seeks to serve as a launchpad for the next generation of financial services leaders.
For senior finance leaders, supporting this initiative is a strategic investment in the long-term resilience, ethics, and innovation of the Australian financial services industry. We need to encourage great people into our industry.
The changing guard: Leadership in a new financial era
The financial services sector in 2026 looks vastly different than it did even a decade ago. We are operating in an era defined by rapid technological acceleration, where artificial intelligence, decentralised finance, and complex data analytics are becoming standard operational tools. Simultaneously, the regulatory environment continues to evolve, demanding a vigilant approach to corporate governance, compliance, risk management, and consumer protection.
To thrive in this environment, tomorrow’s leaders cannot rely solely on the education and industry models of the past. Emerging leaders require a blend of technical skills, digital fluency, and definitely human emotional intelligence. They should be agile problem-solvers who can balance profitability with purpose, and innovation with ethics, be able to communicate and influence effectively, ‘face to face’.
The CISI Victoria Emerging Leaders Forum provides a welcoming place where modern leadership competencies can be discussed, dissected, and developed with emerging leaders. By bringing together the ambition and fresh perspectives of emerging professionals with the ‘battle-hardened’ wisdom of industry veterans, the event bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world ‘in the trenches’ experience.
Final thoughts: Looking ahead to 1 October 2026
The CISI Victoria Emerging Leaders Forum represents the very best of what our professional community can be: collaborative, forward-looking, and deeply invested in human capital. This event cannot take place without the dedicated team from the CISI, our industry veterans volunteering their time, and our generous hosts NAB.
To the emerging leaders who will be joining us in Melbourne in October: come with an open mind, a notebook full of questions, and the courage to introduce yourself to the people around you. This forum is built for you, and your voices are exactly what our industry wants to hear. The leaders are actually present for your personal development.
I am proud to lend my name (and battle scars!), my support, and my energy to this fantastic CISI initiative. I look forward to welcoming you all to Melbourne for an unforgettable experience of learning, connection and inspiration. Together, let us shape a bold, ethical, and prosperous future for the financial services industry!
Can we help your business?
If you are a private company board or a company holding an AFSL and would like to discuss how I can assist your company with enhancing your governance so that you can better manage your compliance risks and protect your investors, please contact me for an obligation-free discussion. I can assist your company with:
Responsible manager;
Compliance committee;
Company director;
Advisory board services;
International company resident director services;
Compliance reviews; and
Governance committee services.
I’d be excited to assist your company meet its ongoing governance and compliance obligations relating to your company, or your AFSL, and to give your customers and investors/shareholders comfort that you can manage your business with institutional grade corporate governance.
Governance + Strategy = High Performance
https://www.andrewsmcneil.com/