Finance Career Accelerator at 

Valens Research: 

An Introduction to the Program

August 23 & 24, 2017

©Copyright 2017 Valens Research. All rights reserved

Advancing Your Career in Finance in Ways Never Before Available in the Philippines
with Joel Litman, President, CEO, and Chief Investment Strategist at Valens Research and Professor at Hult International Business School

A one-year, post-graduate program for career development for recent graduates and for those looking to change into a finance career.

The ONLY full-year career development program for finance graduates in the Philippines that provides hands-on experience with real-time analysis, real-time data, and real investment situations -- being immersed inside the data and analytics process of some of the best and biggest investment managers in the world. 

Professor Joel Litman

Register below to save your seat at this one-of-a-kind complimentary event and discover how Valens' FCA can jumpstart your career in finance. Seating capacity is limited so please register early to save yourself a seat. Only registered attendees will be able to enter the venue.

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COL Training Room

Unit 2404-A, East Tower, 

Philippine Stock Exchange Center

Exchange Road, Ortigas, Pasig City

Litman is a member of the Board of Directors of COL Financial Group (PSE:COL) and serves as Chairman/CEO of Valens Research.

Litman has appeared on CNBC Singapore, has been quoted in Barron’s and Institutional Investor, and published in Harvard Business Review. He co-authored the highly-acclaimed book, DRIVEN: Business Strategy, Human Actions, and the Creation of Wealth. Litman has taught and/or guest-lectured at Harvard Business School, Wharton, and LBS as well as for CalPERs, Fidelity, Credit Suisse, among others.

Litman is one of the most prolific speakers in CFA and CPA/CA Societies around the world. He has served as a judge in the Global CFA Institute’s Investment Research Challenge six times.

In 2009, just as the dust was settling from the last major equity and credit market crises, we launched a boutique research firm with the intention of breaking Wall Street’s biases and broken incentives:

• GAAP and IFRS have failed to provide rules for reliable financial statement reporting
• Stock analyst recommendations are not grounded in disciplined financial analysis
• Credit agencies have been set up to grossly fail in their responsibilities to investors and the public markets
• Utter lack of willingness of major research firms to employ the the most advanced forensic analysis available

We sought to provide investors and company analysts with a source of information that changed all that.
Many years later, our business model remains because little has changed on Wall Street.

• Corporate credit ratings remain years behind the fundamental underpinnings of company performance
• Stock analysts continue to make recommendations with deeply inherent biases
• Research firms have failed to break down the walls between credit, equity, and macroeconomic research
• The governing accounting bodies have created more leeway for mis-estimates and mis-classifications as financials have become unwieldy and overwhelming

The integrity of Valens Research is founded in our disciplined processes and analytics. No “star” analysts. No corporate advisory relationships. No-nonsense opinions and recommendations.

What Others Are Saying...

4 years of schooling taught the basic finance curriculum. Unfortunately, there are things not taught to you in school.

These skills are necessary and life-changing, to say the least. They didn’t teach you...

"How to actually have a successful career in finance."

Most finance majors graduate without knowing what direction to pursue. The finance industry has such a wide spectrum -- and each field is very different from the other (e.g., banking, investment management, equity research, credit research, insurance, treasuries, corporate finance). It’s virtually impossible for a fresh graduate to objectively decide early on which field to take.

A good number blindly just start with the biggest firm name they can get -- and then often end up getting stuck for several years working in unhappy positions that don't fit them.

So the question is, how do you know which direction is best for you and how do you ensure you start on the right path?

Valens Research founded the Finance Career Accelerator (FCA) career development program for this exact purpose.

Program alumni have left Valens to start successful careers at COL Financial, JG Summit Holdings Inc., Manulife, Wealth Securities, Mandarin Securities, Papa Securities, Union Bank of the Philippines, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and other reputable financial institutions in the Philippines.

This is NOT your typical entry level position or career development program. It will upend your understanding of corporate finance, valuation, and business value analysis as you’ve ever known it.

You'll digest knowledge directly from lectures taught at Harvard Business School, written in Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan, London Business School, Wharton, University of Chicago, Kellogg, and content and learnings directly from the top investment banks, the world’s top hedge funds, the top investment managers, and leading corporations.

Your one-year program is a job and a post-graduation education wrapped into one.

CFA societies around the world have requested this content for post-CFA education and training.

Various Valens programs have received 5-star reviews in executive MBA programs, master of finance programs, master in international business programs, and at top 25 post grad business school programs worldwide.

Extremely practical finance skills have been taught in advanced CFA continuing education programs around the world including New York, Chicago, Toronto, London, Paris, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Shanghai.

All of these... will just be part of your day-to-day while you're in the year-long program.

The FCA is the first, best major step you can take toward a successful career in finance.

The FCA is a year-long program that accelerates your career to light speed. There's also flexibility at the end of the program to balance your post-graduate education with your next career launch, wherever that may take you.

For those just graduating, or those interested in switching fields, no other program in the Philippines provides such training and education in finance along with career guidance to assist you.

We structure FCA work to support CFA exam Level One during the accelerator program. Those who pass receive reimbursement for the exam fees directly from Valens Research.

The FCA puts you to work! While we invest heavily in your education and training modules throughout the FCA, we really do put you to work, building your experience. So, there is no cost for those admitted to the FCA program, and participants still receive compensation for work performed. It's the best of both worlds of education and career advancement.

Download your complimentary copy of the precursor working paper here. 

Can I join the program if I am still a student?
The Finance Career Accelerator one-year program is designed for fresh graduates from any finance, accounting, or mathematics course. Those with prior work experience and who are looking for a way to get into the finance industry are also welcome. While undergrad students may attend the introduction to the FCA program for free, their application to the program itself will not be considered.

Is there a registration fee for this event and how much?
There is no registration fee for the introduction to the FCA Program.

Is there a tuition fee for this course and how much?
There is no tuition fee for this program. Participants will be considered full-time employees of the firm.

Would this be a good course for businessmen and entrepreneurs who want to pivot and expand their income streams and opportunities?
This year-long program is designed for those who want a career in finance. It would not be as helpful to entrepreneurs.

Is this program also open to accountancy graduates who are currently reviewing for the CPA board exam, or will take the CPA board exam during the 1-year program?
The FCA program requires participants to report to work on a regular basis since they are considered employees of the firm. Those preparing for the CPA board exam are welcome to attend and, if chosen, to participate in this program. However, the participants will still be held responsible for the work assigned to them, including the preparation for the CFA Level 1 exam.

Is it possible to participate in this postgraduate program even I am currently employed?
This program requires participants to report to work on a regular basis since they are considered employees of the firm. This should be your primary work. You are welcome to have part-time jobs or sidelines for as long as those do not interfere with your work in this program.

Are there any exams that we are required to take to be considered for this program?
There are no exams. However, just like for any employment, there will be interviews to see who is the right fit for the FCA program.

Do I have to prepare anything before attending a training course?
All you need before the introductory program, and then the actual FCA program, is a firm resolve to work in the finance industry, study for the CFA Level 1 exam, and pass the CFA Level 1 exam.

Will we be given certificates once we have completed this one-year program?
Upon completion of the program, you will be given a certificate of completion.