Center for the Macro Specialist Designation Announces Ambassador Class, Opens Inaugural Testing Window

Matthew Mark, with 20+ years of leadership experience, appointed to accelerate program growth

NEW YORK, July 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for the Macro Specialist Designation (CMSD), sponsor of the Macro Specialist Designation (M²SD) program, announced its M²SD Ambassador Class while opening its inaugural testing window. The Macro Specialist Designation, or M²SD, is a study program designed to help financial professionals understand how macro trends impact equity markets and gain valuable investment knowledge to outperform in evolving macro backdrops.

The program's candidates hail from the United States, Canada, the UK, EU, Australia, Switzerland, Singapore, and India. The Ambassadors come from professions including asset managers, hedge fund managers, financial advisors, asset allocators, research analysts, and academics. The testing window for Level 1 of the program opened on July 5, 2023, and will remain open until August 16. Enrollment for the program is available on an ongoing basis.

"Macro forces account for nearly 75% of the changes in stock returns, yet fundamental factors like earnings occupy more collective mindshare than macro drivers in market analysis," said Katherine Krantz, CEO of CMSD. "Our goal for the M²SD program is to become the premier macro education partner for investment professionals looking to accelerate their careers. From curating our own study materials, to using industry-leading technology, to offering a flexible exam window, we've built a state-of-the-art, instructive but practical program. Congratulations to our Ambassadors, your success is our mission."

The M²SD program was designed by Francois Trahan, the only Portfolio Strategist inducted into the Institutional Investor All-America Research Team Hall of Fame. The program fills the void in macro education left by academia and current industry certifications by training investment professionals in the global language of macro and economic-based investment analysis. Powered by Canvas™, the world's leading learning management system, the M²SD offers candidates a cutting-edge curriculum focused on a practical macro investing framework, a self-paced study model, and an adaptive support system for candidates.

To further accelerate its reach across the financial services industry, the Center for the Macro Specialist Designation has launched a global distribution effort and appointed Matthew Mark as its new Head of Sales and Marketing. Matt joins with 20+ years of leadership experience at firms including Blackrock, Russell Investments and DWS. "Matt's extensive industry network and deep understanding of the needs of financial professionals makes him a natural fit for the position. We look forward to helping him educate financial professionals on the importance of macro investing tools in their career growth," said Krantz.

"Matt joins us at a dynamic time in the trajectory of our organization and brings a wealth of industry experience that will help us move into our next phase of growth," said Francois Trahan, President of CMSD. "I have built my entire career around this body of work, and we're delighted to welcome the inaugural class into the macro community.  Their participation will reinforce the importance of macro to the industry and improve performance outcomes for all investors."

About the Macro Specialist Designation (M²SD)

The Macro Specialist Designation (M²SD) is a study program designed to help financial professionals understand the impact of macro trends on equity markets and how to successfully implement macro techniques in their investment analysis. The program content is complementary to fundamental research practices and has very little overlap with other popular industry certifications. The curriculum teaches candidates how to prepare for today's market realities and provides valuable knowledge about how to perform at a high level under all sorts of potential macro backdrops.

The Macro Specialist Designation program is a cost-effective and practical alternative to an MBA or other financial-industry degrees. The online program can be completed in as little as 18 months while maintaining a full-time career.

Learn more: M²SD

SOURCE Center for the Macro Specialist Designation