CEO, CFA Society Emirates

William Tohme

William Tohmé, CFA, is Regional Head of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at CFA Institute and is based in the new CFA Institute office in Abu Dhabi.

In his role, William advocates for the highest standards of practice and ethics in the investment management industry through the promotion of financial market integrity and transparency among regional policy makers and regulators.

William brings a wealth of experience in building a presence in new markets, deep local knowledge, and a strong entrepreneurial spirit to develop the CFA Institute hub in MENA. He partners with local MENA society leaders to assist with the expansion of their networks, contributing to the further professionalisation of the investment management industry in this flourishing region.

Prior to joining CFA Institute, William was Director, Institutional Business Development at Lazard, where he developed the sovereign institutional client business in the Middle East, covering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain. Prior to this role, he was Director, Middle Eastern Institutions, Alliance Bernstein Middle East.

William graduated with a Masters of Advanced Studies (D.E.A.) in Finance, Monetary Sciences and Banking from the Université Paris II in 2001 (Honours) and earned his CFA charter in 2009. William is fluent in English and a native speaker of French and Arabic.