Kevin Keller

Speaker Bio

Kevin Keller's picture
Kevin Keller

Kevin R. Keller is Chief Executive Officer of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board). As CEO, Mr. Keller has established CFP Board as a leader within the financial advisory profession through its mission of benefiting the public by granting and upholding CFP® certification as the standard of excellence in financial planning.

Since joining CFP Board in May 2007, he has led the organization in multiple ways in support of its mission. Under his leadership, the number of CFP® professionals in the U.S. has increased by more than 40% to nearly 77,000 while a fiduciary standard requirement for CFP® professionals when providing financial planning services was implemented; thus, ensuring strong consumer protections. Program improvements were also realized with the addition of new capstone course requirements and apprenticeship experience options which strengthened the CFP® certification requirements. In addition, Mr. Keller led the organization in transitioning the comprehensive examination from a paper-based to a computer-based testing format.

In 2011, and with the overwhelming support of CFP® professionals, Mr. Keller instituted an annual public awareness advertising campaign to raise awareness and recognition of CFP® certification among the advertising campaign’s target audience. In the public policy arena, he reinforced the leadership role of CFP Board by advancing policy positions related to financial planning that benefit the public, working in collaboration with industry and investor protection organizations. 

Anticipating the future for CFP Board and CFP® professionals, Mr. Keller recently launched the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning. The Center for Financial Planning focuses on creating a more diverse and sustainable financial planner workforce and the establishment of an academic home and body of knowledge for this important, emerging profession.

Mr. Keller joined CFP Board after serving for 16 years with the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP), a membership organization which provides products, education and training for corporate finance and treasury.

Mr. Keller has held executive positions at several associations and earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential in 2000. He holds a B.S. in agriculture and an M.S., both from the Ohio State University.