Portfolio Construction Forum

What Portfolio Construction Forum does

Portfolio Construction Forum is a specialist, independent provider of investment continuing education, accreditation, and certification services for portfolio construction practitioners, headquartered in Sydney, Australia and operating as the legal entity Brillient Investment Publishing Pty Ltd (ABN 19 122 531 337). Founded in 2002 by Graham Rich and built on the academic heritage of the Investment Management Analyst Certificate (IMAC) course established by Professor Ron Bird at UTS in 2000, the company delivers a multi-product ecosystem centered on two annual hybrid summits (Markets Summit in February and Strategies Summit in August), the 26-week IMAC post-graduate certificate program, on-demand continuing education libraries accredited by 20+ governing bodies, and subscription content series including Viewpoint, Market Signals, Rich Pickings, and Research Review. Underlying technology comprises an online learning management system with on-demand video lectures, live Zoom tutorials, attendance and CE credit tracking via MyCE and MyStudyPlan, and the Frankie program App for live event engagement.

Name

Portfolio Construction Forum

Legal name

Brillient Investment Publishing Pty Ltd

Website

https://portfolioconstructionforum.edu.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Portfolio Construction Forum is a Sydney-based independent education and certification provider serving investment portfolio construction practitioners in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia Pacific via live summits, on-demand CE libraries, and the IMAC post-graduate certificate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Education & Certification

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Portfolio Construction & Asset Allocation Advisory (FSAEAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mentorship & Coaching (Career, Academic, Industry-Specific) (EDAMAKAA), Research, Innovation & Fellowship Prep (Labs, Competitions, Publications) (EDAMAKAI), Portfolio, Performance & Rubric-Based Assessment Platforms (EDAFADAL)

Keywords

• Investment continuing education
• Portfolio construction certification
• Wealth management training
• CIMA certification education
• CPD accredited programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Free membership for basic access to content and community. Premium subscriptions include Thinking Differently About Markets and Portfolio Compass tools available on-demand.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from Markets Summit and Strategies Summit programs, available in-person (Live Studio/Sites) or via Live Stream. Includes registration fees for senior institutional and investment professionals.
3. IMAC Course Enrollment: Investment Management Analyst Certificate course - a 26-week post-graduate blended learning program with enrollment fees
4. CIMA Society Membership Fees: Annual membership tiers: CIMA Certificant Member (A$850+GST), Associate Member (A$425+GST), Affiliate Member (A$425+GST). Includes member discounts on Forum programs.
5. Short Courses: On-demand courses including Behavioural Finance - Investment Decision-Making and Mastering Australian Private Debt Investing

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Portfolio Construction Forum provides specialist, independent investment continuing education, accreditation, and certification services for wealth management practitioners. Its core offerings include annual hybrid summits (Markets Summit and Strategies Summit), a 26-week post-graduate Investment Management Analyst Certificate (IMAC) course, on-demand short courses, CE/CPD libraries accredited by 20+ governing bodies, and CIMA Society Asia Pacific membership services.

Product overview

Portfolio Construction Forum is a specialist, independent provider of investment continuing education, accreditation and certification services for wealth management professionals in Australia and New Zealand. The platform offers a multi-product ecosystem centered on live hybrid summits (Markets Summit and Strategies Summit), post-graduate certificate programs (IMAC), short courses (Behavioural Finance), subscription content series (Viewpoint, Market Signals, Rich Pickings, Research Review), and professional tools (MyCE, MyStudyPlan, Portfolio Compass). CIMA Society Asia Pacific, managed by the Forum, provides membership, certification pathways, and exclusive CE libraries for investment professionals. The platform is complemented by a calendar, member communications (Forum Fodder), and accreditation services for 20+ governing bodies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Markets Summit: Annual investment markets scene setter program debating the drivers of and outlook for investment markets
• Strategies Summit
• Investment Management Analyst Certificate (IMAC)
• CE Library
• MyCE
• Investment Management Research Program
• Forum Fodder

Products and services

• Markets Summit Annual full-day hybrid investment markets program featuring a faculty of 20+ global investment thinkers debating the drivers of and outlook for investment markets on a 3-5 year view. Delivered via Live Studio (Sydney), Live Sites (Australia/NZ), and Live Stream. Earns 7+ CE hours for attendees.
• Strategies Summit Annual program held in August debating portfolio construction strategies, companion to Markets Summit. Brings together investment factors and human factors in portfolio construction for senior institutional and investment professionals.
• Investment Management Analyst Certificate (IMAC) A post-graduate online blended learning certificate course with 26 weeks of coursework, 275+ hours of study, 26 on-demand lectures, 20+ live weekly Zoom tutorials, and a proctored 4-hour exam. Serves as the Australian-based Registered Education Program for CIMA certification.
• Behavioural Finance - Investment Decision-Making Course

Quantifiable outcome

• 7+ CE hours can be earned at Markets Summit live program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CIMA Society Asia PacificcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Markets Summit and Strategies Summit held annually in association with CIMA Society Asia Pacific. CIMA Society is the only international affiliate of Investments and Wealth Institute (IWI), providing exclusive Asia Pacific pathway for CIMA certification. Forum manages CIMA Society's Secretariat and delivers accredited CIMA continuing education services.
• Financial Advice NZminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation for Markets Summit Live Sites in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch alongside CIMA Society Asia Pacific
• Investments and Wealth Institute (IWI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIWI is the Denver, USA-based international professional association and certification board for private wealth advisers, investment consultants, and wealth managers. Portfolio Construction Forum's Investment Management Research Program is one of only three Registered Education Providers globally for CIMA certification, alongside University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Yale School of Management.
• Macquarie University Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal collaborative working relationship with Macquarie University Business School for the Investment Management Research Program. Academic partnership supporting the advancement of investment management research and education.
• University of Chicago Booth School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three globally recognized CIMA Registered Education Providers - alongside Portfolio Construction Forum's Investment Management Research Program and Yale School of Management
• Yale School of ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three globally recognized CIMA Registered Education Providers - alongside Portfolio Construction Forum's Investment Management Research Program and University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Morningstar: Global investment research and data provider. Connected to Forum through founder Graham Rich, who sold his FPG Research business to Morningstar. Overlaps with Forum's market research and portfolio construction content offerings at much greater scale across global markets.
• CFA Institute: Global leader in investment certification (Chartered Financial Analyst) and continuing education. Direct overlap with Forum's certification and CE offerings, but with vastly broader scale, global reach, and the CFA charter as the dominant credential for portfolio managers worldwide.

Direct peers

• Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI): UK-headquartered professional body offering investment and financial planning certifications and continuing education. Comparable to Forum in providing practitioner certifications and CE, with strong UK/EMEA footprint and growing Asia Pacific presence competing for similar professional development spend.
• Kaplan Professional: Australian financial education provider offering professional certifications and CE programs for financial advisers. Direct competitor for Australian practitioner CE/CPD hours and advisory certification training, including ASIC RG 146 compliance programs.
• University of Chicago Booth School of Business: One of only three globally recognized CIMA Registered Education Providers alongside the Forum. Comparable in offering the CIMA pathway through executive education, but with substantially larger academic brand, broader curriculum, and stronger US market positioning.
• Yale School of Management: One of only three globally recognized CIMA Registered Education Providers alongside the Forum and Chicago Booth. Comparable CIMA pathway offering with elite academic brand recognition and US-centric practitioner audience.
• CAIA Association: Provider of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and continuing education for investment professionals. Direct competitor in alternative investment certification and CE, targeting a similar practitioner audience with focus on alternatives rather than multi-manager portfolio construction.
• Investments and Wealth Institute (IWI): Denver-based international professional association that administers the CIMA certification. The Forum operates as IWI's exclusive Registered Education Provider for CIMA in Asia Pacific, and manages CIMA Society Asia Pacific as IWI's only international affiliate. Partner and quasi-parent relationship.

Others

• Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA): US-based association for investment consultants that previously administered CIMA certification in Australia through its IMCA Australia affiliate (which became CIMA Society Asia Pacific under Forum's management). Historical partner and predecessor organization, now operationally linked through Forum's leadership.

Regional players

• Deakin University Business School: Australian university offering postgraduate investment and financial planning programs including Master of Financial Planning and continuing professional education. Comparable academic provider competing for practitioner development spend in the Australian market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PortfolioForum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Portfolio Construction Forum