EFFAS Belgian Society announces it has officially rebranded to EFFAS Benelux, marking an important step in the association’s evolution.
19 August 2025 | Antwerp, Belgium
ABAF-BVFA is proud to announce that it has officially rebranded to EFFAS Benelux, marking an important step in the association’s evolution. At the EFFAS Annual General Meeting on 24 June 2025, members approved the proposal to extend our activities to the Netherlands and Luxembourg. This strategic extension enables EFFAS Benelux to serve the important community of investment professionals in these neighbouring countries where there are currently no local EFFAS member societies. This helps us to achieve our mission of supporting and connecting finance professionals across Europe.
ABAF-BVFA, formerly known as Assocation belge des Analystes Financiers – Belgische Vereniging voor Financiële Analisten, was established in 1958. For many years, ABAF-BVFA served as a reference and the centre of excellence for the financial analyst community in Belgium. Our mission was to improve the quality, adequacy and accuracy of financial information provided to investors. We also contributed to building a common knowledge base in financial analysis and supporting the development of professional expertise through certified trainings.
However, in recent years, we have observed a shift in the financial analyst landscape, prompting us to broaden our focus beyond financial analysts to include the wider group of investment professionals. As a result, we redefined our strategy and introduced a refreshed logo and website in September 2020.
Today, we are proud to announce another step in this strategic evolution: the expansion of our activities to the Netherlands and Luxembourg.This development also brings a new name: EFFAS Benelux. With the new name ‘EFFAS Benelux’, we not only reflect our broader regional presence but also reaffirm our proud membership of EFFAS, the European federation of investment professionals’ societies, and underlines the importance of our European network.
What does our new strategy entail?
First and foremost, EFFAS Benelux is the centre of expertise and think tank for the investment professional community in the broader Benelux region, including corporate finance professionals, financial analysts, fund managers, portfolio managers, asset managers, private bankers and investors, private equity firms, family offices…
Our mission remains to raise the professional standards and increase transparency in financial and non-financial communication, reporting, and valuation for investment professionals. Hans Buysse, Chairman of EFFAS Benelux, explains:
“We are a member of the European federation EFFAS. Additionally, we are in continuous dialogue with key financial stakeholders in Europe, such as EFRAG, ESMA, XBRL, ECMI, WICI… to stay ahead of emerging developments including CSRD, IFRS taxonomy, ESG and Integrated Reporting, and training updates. As a centre of expertise, we will continue to share new insights with our community through our website and social media channels.”
We also continue to promote our training programmes, offering students internationally recognised certifications and greater access to professional development. In recent years, we have expanded our training portfolio to better meet market needs.
Alongside established programmes such as the Certified European Financial Analyst (CEFA) and Certified ESG Analyst (CESGA), we have introduced ESG Essentials, Digital Assets and Markets in Crypto-Assets (DiAM), and four shorter specialist courses: European Certified Financial Manager (ECFM), European Certified Portfolio Manager (ECPM), European Financial Risk Analyst (EFRA), and European Certified Investment Manager (ECIM).
We are also pleased to announce the launch of the EFFAS Climate Risk Analyst (ECRA) certification. This programme has been developed in response to the growing demand for professionals who can identify, assess and manage climate-related financial risks. The ECRA certification is a joint initiative between EFFAS and Marsh McLennan, a global professional services firm. Registration will open in September 2025, with further details to be announced soon.
65th anniversary of the Awards ceremony
As part of our rebranding, we are expanding the geographical scope of our Annual Awards for Best Financial Communication to include the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Organised by EFFAS Benelux, this competition is a respected quality review conducted by and for experts of the international financial community.
For over 60 years – we are celebrating the 65th edition in 2025 – it has provided a balanced, quantified evaluation of the financial communication practices of leading Belgian listed companies, recognising excellence in this area. In the coming years, we will extend the reach of the competition to outstanding listed companies in our neighbouring countries. We look forward to celebrating corporate reporting excellence with an even broader European community.
On 20 November 2025, we will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Awards ceremony at the premises of WDP, our last year’s winner.
Looking ahead, we want EFFAS Benelux to develop into a dynamic and forward-looking community for investment professionals in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Annick Van Segbroeck, Secretary General of EFFAS Benelux explains:
“With this new step, our goal is to connect professionals across borders, share knowledge, and support each other in addressing the challenges and opportunities in today’s fast-moving financial world, whether they relate to ESG, digitalisation, or new regulations. We are excited about what lies ahead and look forward to building this next chapter together.”
About EFFAS Benelux
EFFAS Benelux, founded in 1958, is a professional non-profit organisation. We are the centre of expertise for the community of investment professionals in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. We build a common knowledge base on financial analysis, reporting, valuation and communication and thereby want to raise the professional standard for investment professionals in these domains. Through this, we aim to improve the quality, adequacy and correctness of financial and non-financial information provided to investors.
EFFAS Benelux is a member of EFFAS, a European group of national societies, that is in regular contact with the economic and financial authorities in order to facilitate the modernisation and best knowledge of capital markets. Thanks to our collaboration, we can keep our local companies informed about the latest standards for the finance industry.
About EFFAS
EFFAS is a Not-for-profit organisation set up in 1962 with 14 national member associations in Europe, representing more than 18,000 Financial analysts, Asset managers, pension fund managers, corporate finance specialists, risk managers, treasurers among many other professional profiles from the investment profession. EFFAS is a certification body for finance with over 27,000 certificate holders worldwide.
For information on EFFAS Benelux, please content:
Hans Buysse, Chairman
Annick Van Segbroeck, Secretary General
+32 2 669 17 32
info@effasbenelux.com www.effasbenelux.com
For any other further information, please contact:
Álvaro Wagener Díez | Marketing & Communications Manager
E-mail: a.wagener@effas.com | Phone Number: +49 69 98959519
