President and Chief Executive Officer

Position Summary

CFA Institute shapes the future of the investment industry and profession by providing a clear, unbiased, and authoritative voice on investment practices and outcomes. In order to continue to evolve and grow the CFA Program globally, the next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will balance stewardship of the CFA charter with expansion into adjacent offerings, translating strategy into measurable impact while preserving the distinctiveness of the CFA charter in an increasingly competitive and technology- and AI-disrupted landscape.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Vision - Establish clarity and alignment with the Board of Governors and staff around CFA Institute's strategic plan and vision, ensuring financial sustainability and advancing the organization’s distinction.

• Effectively Steward and Promote Public Awareness - Continue to strengthen the core CFA Program, but also diversify CFA Institute's portfolio of learning products, focusing on job-relevant, skills-based learning.

• Oversee Development of Onboarding and Upskilling B2B Offerings - Develop and align CFA Institute’s financial, operational, technological, and human resources, and engage stakeholders globally to secure its continued impact.

• Anticipate Industry Changes - Anticipate how industry changes in technology and AI affect the profession and translate that into product and service strategies.

• Enhance, Refine, and Rebuild Existing Products - Enhance, refine, and rebuild existing products and offerings to be customer-centric, ensuring they reach their intended customer base and can be translated and tailored to local markets.

• Growth and Retention - Evolve and grow the CFA Program, ensuring its relevance and extending its reach to increase market penetration and membership across the globe.

• Protect Competitiveness - Protect the competitiveness of the CFA charter relative to other credentials and providers.

• Improve Global Member Retention - Improve global member retention and satisfaction by delivering improved value to members.

• Increase Brand Awareness - Increase brand awareness of CFA Institute and membership support from top global asset management firms.

• Strengthen Certification Pipeline - Strengthen the certification pipeline through market-attuned products and employer relevance.

• Play Visible Role - Play a visible role in addressing industry-wide workforce challenges.

• Standards and Public Advocacy - Uphold and enforce the highest competency and ethical standards of CFA Institute credentials and certificates.

• Lead Advocacy Efforts - Lead CFA Institute's advocacy efforts, representing the profession’s interests in public policy matters.

• Compliance - Strengthen compliance with regulatory and other relevant public-company standards.

• Effectively Articulate Relevance - Effectively articulate the continuing relevance of CFA Institute and the CFA Program in a changing market.

• Stakeholder Engagement - Effectively partner with the Board of Governors, ensuring strong communication and alignment.

• Engage Stakeholders - Engage effectively with all global stakeholders including CFA charterholders, CIPM and other certificants, investors, large financial firms, regulators, standards-setters, and policymakers, to build trust, foster collaboration and raise CFA Institute's visibility and stature.

• Organizational Culture and Talent - Ensure key skill sets, expertise, and ways of working are in place.

• Cultivate Culture - Cultivate an internal culture of communication, collaboration, and transparency, uniting a globally distributed team.

• Promote Staff Stability - Promote staff stability, career development, and an environment that attracts and retains top talent.

• Preserve Volunteerism - Preserve, recognize, and enhance CFA Institute’s unique culture of volunteerism, engaging and cultivating its base of volunteers.

• Innovation and Future-Proofing - Evaluate and overhaul internal processes, systems, and technological infrastructure to enable the delivery of CFA Institute's evolving suite of products and programs, and to support its ongoing growth and development.

• Be Alert to Strategic Disruptors - Be alert to strategic disruptors of the profession, particularly related to technology and AI, and ensure CFA Institute remains ahead of competitive and technological shifts.

Candidate Profile

• The CEO will be a bold, entrepreneurial executive with a demonstrated ability to lead complex organizations and cultivate high-impact relationships at scale.

• This individual will bring clarity and cohesion to global contexts, combining intellectual agility with sound judgment and demonstrating the ability to synthesize diverse perspectives.

• A builder and executor, the CEO will unify teams, leading with gravitas and energy as they amplify CFA Institute’s global brand.

• This leader will be an expert relationship-builder, exercising influence through credibility and trust.

• The CEO will be passionate about the mission of CFA Institute.

• The CEO will have 15+ years of C-suite or executive-level management experience.

• The CEO will have relevant sector exposure, deep leadership experience in investment management / financial services, in the association space, or in the education / educational technology / certification area.

• The CEO will have proven relational expertise, including internal and external stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.

• The CEO will have a track record of growth and impact, developing and implementing innovative strategies and programs that further the mission of and/or grow an organization.

• The CEO will have a bachelor’s degree required; an advanced degree and CFA charter strongly preferred.

• The CEO will possess critical leadership capabilities such as strategic leadership and vision, connecting and convening, operationalizing strategy, and driving results.