Sydney, 30 May 2025

FINSIA Member Consultation

The FINSIA Board is pleased to announce a proposed strategic alliance that would lead to FINSIA and all current members joining the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) later in 2025.

This initiative represents a unique opportunity for FINSIA members to expand their global recognition and networks, and to access world-class thought leadership and professional development opportunities. Over the past three years, the FINSIA Board has been reviewing feedback from members about our current member value proposition, and how that relates to FINSIA’s long-term strategic plan.

The Board has now identified a pathway that it believes will meet our members’ needs for professional recognition, high-quality education and learning opportunities, and networking forums to build and nurture connections across the global financial services sector.

This new strategic alliance with CISI will allow all FINSIA members to access a unique opportunity to become part of a global professional body with a well-respected and highly-regarded track record of work in the financial services sector. Additionally, all FINSIA members joining CISI will have access to exclusive professional designations, and for some of our highly experienced members the opportunity to become a “chartered member” after a short period of time.

FINSIA has had a long-standing partnership with CISI, whose members span the breadth of the financial services sector across banking, funds and wealth management, financial planning, securities dealing, corporate finance, fintech, and many other disciplines.

The FINSIA Board has recently signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with CISI to set out a pathway which will be exclusively available to FINSIA members whose membership is current and paid in full at the integration date.

While no specific date for FINSIA members to join CISI has been confirmed at this point, it is anticipated that this would occur in November 2025. This will allow time for a member consultation process to take place, and for the FINSIA Board to review feedback from members and commence the process of entering into a separate agreement with CISI to give effect to the alliance.

We understand this is a significant change for our organisation and our members.

Since FINSIA’s inception in 2005 – and previously through the Australasian Institute of Banking and Finance and the Securities Institute of Australia, and previous antecedent organisations – it has played a key role in developing and supporting professionalism in financial services in Australia and New Zealand for more than 135 years.

But as the market for financial services shifts, with an increasing focus on globalisation and specialisation, our members’ needs are changing. Evolving member expectations come at a time of rapid change in the professional development and learning marketplace, and those shifts have had a structural impact on FINSIA in a variety of different ways.

To continue delivering value to our members, it is critical that we look to the future. It is also essential that we preserve and respect your professional standing in the financial services community. The FINSIA Board is confident that a strategic alliance that would lead to FINSIA and all current members joining CISI is the right pathway forward, having considered a wide range of alternative options.

Yours sincerely,

David R Cox F FIN
President

Sydney, 02 July 2025

Proposed Strategic Alliance with CISI: Thank You for Your Feedback

Over the past few weeks, the FINSIA Board has been seeking feedback from members as part of its consultation process in relation to the proposed strategic alliance with the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI). The consultation period recently closed on Friday, 27 June 2025.

On behalf of the FINSIA Board, we want to express our sincere appreciation for the thoughtful feedback shared by members throughout this process. Your insights and views will play an instrumental role in guiding the Board’s next steps.

FINSIA’s annual end of financial year renewal campaign is also continuing to progress strongly – over 75% of our members completed their renewal by 30 June, which is indicative of the support that many of you have for the proposed strategic alliance with CISI.

Your ongoing active engagement with FINSIA means a great deal to us, and we are very grateful for the commitment you all have to strengthening our professional community across Australia, New Zealand, and globally. 

Over the coming weeks, the Board will carefully review all feedback shared with us over recent weeks to help inform and guide the Board’s decision-making in the period ahead.

We have also received many specific questions regarding how the proposed alliance would impact individual circumstances for members, and we are continuing to work through answers to those questions with assistance from CISI.

We are committed to keeping you updated and informed throughout this important process. In the coming weeks more information will be shared with you about the Board’s planned next steps, along with answers to the questions raised during the consultation process.

Thank you once again for your continued support and commitment to FINSIA. Your voice is helping shape the future of our professional community. 

Kind regards,

Yasser El-Ansary F FIN
FINSIA CEO/MD

Sydney, 25 July 2025

CISI Strategic Alliance Update

Building on previous member communication shared on 2 July, I wish to share an update on the proposed strategic alliance between FINSIA and the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).

We’ve had active and thoughtful engagement from members throughout the consultation process, and we’re grateful for the significant amount of feedback received. This input has been invaluable in guiding the FINSIA Board’s deliberations.

Following a detailed assessment of the feedback, the Board has concluded that there is strong support and endorsement of the strategic alliance with CISI. This is a positive and encouraging outcome that reflects our shared commitment to advancing professional standards and opportunities for members.

At the same time, several important themes have emerged from member feedback that we are now working through in detail with CISI. These include:

• Local resourcing and support services for members in Australia and New Zealand

• Confirmation of the membership fee credit period

• Full details on the proposed mapping of membership categories, including pathways to achieving Chartered status with CISI

• Consideration of fees for retired/concessional members, those with prior ‘paid in full’ arrangements, and members with existing dual memberships

• Further information on Continuing Professional Development obligations

• Further details regarding the formation and mandate of the National Advisory Council

In addition to these themes, many members have asked specific questions about their individual membership. We are working to respond to these as promptly as possible.

You can access current information and answers to frequently asked questions via the dedicated strategic alliance page on the FINSIA website.

We’re also pleased to report that membership renewals are tracking strongly and exceeding levels seen in previous years. This continued momentum reflects the high level of member engagement and serves as a clear endorsement of the strategic direction we’re pursuing with CISI.

Looking ahead, we anticipate sharing further updates on the feedback themes and next steps in early to mid-August. We remain committed to open communication and welcome your continued input as we shape the future of our professional community.

If you have any questions or additional feedback, please contact us at [email protected].

Thank you once again for your ongoing support and commitment to FINSIA.

Kind regards,

David R Cox F FIN
FINSIA President

Sydney, 10 Sep 2025

A message to FINSIA members from FINSIA President, David R. Cox F FIN

I recently provided you with an update on the proposed Strategic Alliance between FINSIA and the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).

In this update, I outlined that while the FINSIA Board had determined that there was strong member support for the proposed Strategic Alliance with CISI, there were a number of key ‘feedback themes’ raised during the member consultation process which required further consideration.

These feedback themes have been carefully considered, and based on discussions between FINSIA and CISI, we have been able to agree on appropriate strategies to address each of the feedback themes that were identified.

As a result, I am very pleased to share with you that the Boards of FINSIA and CISI have entered into a Transition Agreement, which will result in all current FINSIA members being invited to join CISI by the end of November 2025.

The FINSIA Board is delighted that the broad support of the Strategic Alliance from members will enable important long-term change for the benefit of our members in Australia, New Zealand and around the world.

As outlined above, this exciting new chapter for FINSIA’s members follows the agreement with CISI on how several important feedback themes that arose from our June 2025 member consultation process can be addressed. The way in which each of these feedback themes has been addressed is set out below:

Local resourcing and support services for members in Australia and New Zealand

By the time of member transition in November 2025, CISI will have several local staff to support members in Australia and New Zealand. These resources will have the capability to:

• organise and host in-person and online events

• support the development of local knowledge building and learning programs

• manage member services including queries in relation to membership levels, CPD, and renewals, and

• grow CISI’s local profile and membership community through sector-wide engagement.
  
  

The membership fee credit period for FINSIA members

All FINSIA members who have current fully-paid membership at 30 September 2025 will be invited to transition into CISI in late 2025 and will have the benefit of not needing to renew membership with CISI until 1 December 2026.

For most FINSIA members, the ongoing annual fees payable to CISI are significantly lower than the fee levels currently in place.

Mapping of membership categories, CPD obligations, and pathways to becoming a Chartered CISI Member

CISI and FINSIA have successfully reached agreement on details relating to the recognition of current membership levels and standing for all FINSIA members.

All current FINSIA members at 30 September 2025 will be invited to join CISI at an equivalent membership standing, including members who are currently recognised as Life members with FINSIA.

The table below summarises the mapping of each of FINSIA’s current membership levels against CISI:

Based on a comparison of the specific Continuing Professional Development (CPD) obligations associated with membership of each organisation, it has been concluded that the CPD policies of CISI and FINSIA are very closely aligned in all material respects. All FINSIA members transitioning to CISI will be required to comply with a comparable CPD framework that incorporates both structured and unstructured elements.

For FINSIA members who wish to become Chartered CISI members in the future, there will be a requirement to undertake a total of 35 hours of CPD each year, including specific requirements in relation to ethics and integrity.

More specific information relating to the CISI’s membership levels and ongoing CPD obligations will be provided to FINSIA members in the next few days.

Fees for concessional rate members and FINSIA ‘paid in full’ and Life Members

CISI has agreed to provide an additional 50 percent discount on the annual concessional membership fee for current FINSIA concessional rate members, applicable in the first year of paid membership commencing 1 December 2026. This transitional arrangement will be applied on top of the concessional pricing framework tabled on page 6 of the Member Consultation Paper and will help to smooth the difference in fees currently payable under FINSIA’s concessional rate arrangements.

FINSIA members who participated in the historical ‘paid-in-full’ program will enjoy a discounted ongoing annual fee level with CISI. In year one this will be GBP100.

FINSIA Life Members will be granted free CISI membership on an ongoing basis.

Formation of a new Australia and New Zealand Advisory Council

CISI and FINSIA have agreed to establish a new Australia and New Zealand Advisory Council, which will be comprised of a diverse group of between eight to twelve members from across the financial services sector. This Council will play an active role in representing members in the region through advice and feedback to the CISI CEO and Management Team, as well as the CISI Board.

In addition, CISI will maintain a comprehensive member engagement framework that leverages FINSIA’s existing Regional and Industry-based Councils across Australia and New Zealand.

More details about each of the feedback themes above is included on our Frequently Asked Questions webpage, and over coming weeks further information on specific topic areas such as: CISI membership mapping for current FINSIA Senior Associates, ongoing CPD obligations for all members; membership pathways to Chartered Member status; accessing CISI’s online membership portal, and others, will be shared with you by the FINSIA Team.

View our FAQs

Next Steps

I would like to thank the many FINSIA members who have completed their membership renewal with us since the proposed Alliance with CISI was announced in late May 2025.

If you are yet to complete your renewal for 2025, I encourage you to reach out to the FINSIA Team as soon as possible to complete your renewal process – only members who have a fully paid membership in place by 30 September 2025 will have the opportunity to transition into CISI as part of this Strategic Alliance.

In the coming weeks the FINSIA Team will be sharing more details and information with you about the Strategic Alliance and the steps involved in delivering a successful transition in late 2025.

Importantly, the FINSIA Team will be asking each of you to spend a few moments updating your personal information, including your compliance with FINSIA’s CPD policy, to ensure that accurate details can be shared with CISI in the lead-up to the transition taking place. We want to ensure that the transition process is as seamless as possible, and we’ll need your help to make sure we can do that.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support and advice to us over the last few months as we’ve worked our way through this important and exciting change for our community of professionals in Australia, New Zealand and around the world.

I am thrilled that we can now proceed with bringing this Strategic Alliance to life, and in doing so, integrate FINSIA’s community of members into the global financial services profession through CISI.

If you have any questions about the Strategic Alliance or the transition process, please contact us at [email protected].