On Investment Speakers

I’m on the program committee for the Baltimore CFA Society.? We hold around 10-12 programs per year, meeting for lunch at the Centre Club in Downtown Baltimore.? It’s probably the most visible aspect of the society.? Even when I wasn’t on the program committee, I still brought in some speakers: John Neff, Richard Bernstein, and a few others.

But now the new season approaches, and I have to come up with new names.? People in New York City or DC are easy, because they can just take the Metroliner.? A few other notes: the Baltimore society is equity-oriented.? That means that we can do one or two bond-oriented speakers, but not more.

Instead, we have to focus on:

  • strategists
  • well-known equity investors
  • institutional investors with good track records.
  • Clever niche investors/advisors/economists that are well-known.

Now, the Baltimore Society can pay, but it doesn’t have tons of dough.? We shepherd our resources carefully as the second-largest CFA society run internally. (The largest is Denver.)

So, who should I try to attract to speak to the Baltimore CFA Society?? I have some ideas:

  • Ed Meigs, notable and local high yield manager (The High Yield guy I learned from)
  • Joshua Brown, of The Reformed Broker
  • Eddy Elfinbein, of Crossing Wall Street
  • Barry Ritholtz, of The Big Picture
  • Ronald H. Muhlenkamp of the Muhlenkamp fund.
  • Charles Carlson of the Greenspring Fund
  • Robert J. Stevens, CEO of Lockheed Martin
  • James A.C. Kennedy, CEO of T. Rowe Price
  • David M. Zaslav, CEO of Discovery Communications
  • Arne M. Sorenson, CEO of Marriott International
  • W Edward Walter, CEO of Host Hotels and Resorts Inc.
  • Malon Wilkus, CEO of American Capital
  • Alan Wilson, CEO of McCormick & Co.
  • Don Wood, CEO of Federal Realty Investment Trust
  • Kevin?Plank, CEO of Under Armour
  • Tom Giannopoulos, CEO of MICROS Systems

But I am open to other ideas that would prove popular to an equity-oriented audience in Baltimore.? Any ideas for me in the comments? :)? Thanks.