International Forum for Investor Education Elects New Officers

Chairman of the Korea Financial Investment Association Now Leads IFIE

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kun Ho Hwang is the new chair of the International Forum for Investor Education (IFIE), the international alliance of private and public sector organizations that work together to improve global standards for investor education.  

Roberta Wilton, the president and CEO of CSI Global Education Inc., will continue to serve as IFIE's vice chair. Takahiro Onojima, manager of the International Affairs Division at the Japan Securities Dealers Association (JSDA), will serve as IFIE secretary/treasurer.  

Hwang, who also serves as chairman of the Korea Financial Investment Association (KOFIA), Korea Council for Investor Education (KCIE), and the Asia Forum for Investor Education (AFIE), replaces Steve Joachim, executive vice president of Transparency Services at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in the U.S.   Joachim served as IFIE's top officer for more than three years.

Prior to his current role at KOFIA and KCIE, Hwang served two terms as the chairman of the Korea Securities Dealers Association from 2004 to 2009, where he worked closely with the Korean government and regulatory agencies to ensure the enactment of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act.  Hwang also served as president and CEO of Meritz Securities Co. Ltd. from 1999-2003.

Previously, Hwang spent over two decades at Daewoo Securities Co. Ltd. serving in a variety of positions including deputy president, and vice president of the Korea Fund Inc., where he played a key role in the fund's establishment and listing on the NYSE. Hwang has been the recipient of various honors and prizes, including the Prime Minister's Award in 2001 and the coveted Banker of the Year, awarded to him by the Minister of Finance and Economy in 1992.

Takahiro Onojima is the manager of the International Affairs Division at the Japan Securities Dealers Association (JSDA).  He started working at JSDA in 1995.  Onojima holds a B. A. in Law from Tokyo Metropolitan University.

Roberta Wilton is president and CEO of CSI Global Education Inc., Canada's leading provider of financial services education. Prior to joining CSI, she operated her own company specializing in capital markets education and investor relations. Between 1982 and 1990, Wilton was head of Marketing and Communications at the Toronto Stock Exchange, responsible for major domestic and international communication initiatives for stakeholders and customers as well as all educational programs. In 1992 she joined CSI and has guided the organization's development into a world-class, life-long education institution for financial professionals. Wilton also established and serves as CEO of the Canadian Securities Institute Research Foundation (previously the Investor Learning Centre of Canada).

ABOUT IFIE

Chartered in 2005, the International Forum for Investor Education (http://www.ifie.org) is a unique alliance that brings together private sector and public sector providers of investor education to improve the global standards for investor education. The Forum is accomplishing this objective by serving as a clearinghouse for the exchange of information between providers of investor education from different jurisdictions, including organizations that are just beginning to develop investor education programs. IFIE enables providers of investor education to learn about investment products and the investment process in the international financial market and about investor education programs globally. In addition, IFIE encourages providers of investor education to remain current with trends in investor education by disseminating relevant research and other materials in membership meetings and via a dedicated Web site and other channels.

CONTACT:   Ailis Aaron Wolf, +1 (703) 276-3265 or [email protected].

SOURCE International Forum for Investor Education