Izhar Zakaria, CFA
Founder & Academic Director, FinLeap Academy. CFA charterholder. CTA certified. ICF, Agile and Scrum certified coach.
An educator first.
After a 20-year career with Singapore Airlines, I transitioned into the financial industry in 2018 by pursuing the CFA Programme and the CTA qualification, driven by a passion for understanding the markets at a professional level.
Having mentored aspiring traders since 2023, I recognised the need for a different approach to financial education — one built on discipline, structured learning and independent thinking rather than shortcuts and speculation.
That vision led to the creation of FinLeap Academy, where our mission is to develop competent market participants through executive mentorship, professional education and a lifelong commitment to continuous improvement.
Because successful trading isn’t about finding the next opportunity — it’s about becoming the person capable of making consistently disciplined decisions.
Twenty years, then a deliberate change.
Singapore Airlines
A 20-year career in one of the world’s most process-driven industries — where procedure, checklists and disciplined execution are not optional extras but the basis of safe operation.
Transition to Finance
2018. Began the CFA Programme and CTA qualification, pursuing markets education at a professional standard rather than a retail one.
Mentoring Begins
2023. Started mentoring aspiring traders individually, and identified the gap that would become FinLeap: education built on structure rather than speculation.
FinLeap Academy
Founded to deliver executive financial education through published curriculum and one-to-one mentorship. 172+ students mentored to date.
Teach the person, not the setup.
A setup can be copied. Judgement has to be built. The programme is sequenced so that understanding always precedes execution — because a student who cannot explain why a market moves has no business attempting to trade it.
Aviation taught me that competence is demonstrated, not asserted. That principle governs how every FinLeap student is assessed.
A different approach was needed.
Financial education in this region is dominated by signal services, lifestyle marketing and promises no honest educator can make.
FinLeap exists as the alternative: published curriculum, competency-based assessment, transparent fees, and an explicit commitment never to guarantee returns.
Chartered Financial Analyst
The global standard in investment analysis and professional ethics.
Certified Technical Analyst
Professional certification in technical market analysis.
ICF | Agile | Scrum Certified Coach
Professional coaching credentials underpinning the mentorship method.
Begin with a consultation.
A 30-minute conversation to understand your objectives and determine whether the programme is the right fit. No obligation.