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About the Role

The CFA Institute is seeking a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to shape the future of the investment industry and profession. This role involves balancing the stewardship of the CFA charter with expansion into adjacent offerings, driving measurable impact, and preserving the charter's distinctiveness in a competitive, technology-disrupted landscape. The CEO will diversify learning products, grow membership, and bolster the Institute's global authority.

Responsibilities

Establish clarity and alignment with the Board of Governors and staff around the CFA Institute's strategic plan and vision, ensuring financial sustainability and advancing the organization’s distinction.
Steward and champion public awareness and other initiatives that promote the CFA accreditation globally.
Strengthen the core CFA program and diversify the Institute's portfolio of learning products, focusing on job-relevant, skills-based learning.
Oversee the development of an onboarding and upskilling B2B offering.
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 and offerings to be customer-centric, ensuring they reach their intended customer base and can be translated and tailored to local markets.
Evolve and grow the CFA program, ensuring its relevance and extending its reach to increase market penetration and membership globally.
Protect the competitiveness of the CFA charter relative to other credentials and providers.
Improve global member retention and satisfaction by delivering improved value to members.
Increase the Institute's brand awareness and membership support from top global asset management firms.
Strengthen the certification pipeline through market-attuned products and employer relevance.
Play a visible role in addressing industry-wide workforce challenges.
Uphold and enforce the highest competency and ethical standards for CFA certification.
Lead the CFA Institute's advocacy efforts, representing the profession’s interests in public policy matters.
Strengthen compliance with regulatory, tax, and relevant public-company standards.
Steward and champion public awareness, articulating the continuing relevance of the CFA in a changing market.
Partner with the Board of Governors, ensuring strong communication and alignment.
Strengthen the relationships between global leadership and local societies, maintaining consistent worldwide standards while enabling locally relevant offerings and community engagement.
Engage effectively with all global stakeholders including certificants, the public, large financial firms, regulators, standards-setters, and policymakers, to build trust, foster collaboration and raise the CFA Institute's visibility and stature.
Ensure key skill sets, expertise, and ways of working are in place.
Cultivate an internal culture of communication, collaboration, and transparency, uniting a globally distributed team.
Promote staff stability, career development, and an environment that attracts and retains top talent.
Preserve, recognize, and enhance the Institute’s unique culture of volunteerism, engaging and cultivating its base of volunteers.
Evaluate and overhaul internal processes, systems, and technological infrastructure to enable the delivery of the Institute's evolving suite of products and programs, and to support the Institute's ongoing growth and development.
Be alert to strategic disruptors of the profession, particularly related to technology and AI, and ensure the Institute remains ahead of competitive and technological shifts.
Develop and effectively communicate business plans to achieve organizational objectives, identifying resources, anticipating obstacles, assessing risks and making adjustments as appropriate.
Collaborate with the Board of Governors to define and execute a long-range strategy that enhances the CFA Institute’s value proposition and competitive position.
Remain alert and proactively responsive to shifts in the external landscape, particularly with regard to technology and AI, that may prompt the Institute to adjust its offerings or plans.
Enhance the Institute’s reputation and profile and serve as its emissary through a matrix of thoughtfully curated and meticulously cultivated relationships across sectors and geographies.
Articulate the CFA Institute’s vision and value proposition to key stakeholder groups and the public and serve as the consistent and credible face and voice of the CFA Institute.
Drive the CFA Institute's overall communications strategy, using all available tools and resources to effectively represent and advance the Institute’s messages and appropriately position its mission and goals.
Leverage an effective, adaptable communication style, rooted in trust and tailored to different interests, objectives, and concerns, demonstrating an inclusive and collaborative manner.
Defend and advocate for the CFA accreditation and serve as the consummate educator on the CFA Institute's role and services.
Assess the CFA Institute’s programs and services and identify areas for growth, improvement and change.
Champion a philosophy and agility to identify and resolve problems and issues likely to impact organizational priorities.
Recruit, retain, enable and empower top-notch talent to implement the CFA Institute's strategic objectives, fostering a culture of excellence, service and teamwork.
Maintain strong controls and risk awareness across the organization.
Leverage technology and operations practices throughout the organization to enhance efficiencies and create a culture that demands excellence, accountability, and performance measurement.

Requirements

15+ years of C-suite or executive-level management
Strong business acumen and experience leading and managing a complex organization, preferably on a global basis or in a global context.
Deep leadership experience in investment management / financial services, in the association space, or in the education / educational technology / certification area.
Internal and external stakeholder management and relationship-building skills are essential.
Experience as a spokesperson, representing an organization or industry before a variety of audiences is preferred.
Has developed and implemented innovative strategies and programs that further the mission of and/or grow an organization.
Unquestionable integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness.
Passionate about the mission of the CFA Institute.
Global mindset.
Balances collegiality with performance.

Skills

Strategic Leadership
Vision
Growth
Retention
Standards
Public Advocacy
Stakeholder Engagement
Organizational Culture
Talent Management
Innovation
Future-Proofing
Relationship-building
Communication
Collaboration
Transparency
Technology
AI

Location

Charlottesville
New York City
London

Work Type

Full-time

Experience Level

Executive-level

Education Level

Bachelor’s degree required
Advanced degree strongly preferred
CFA charter strongly preferred

Salary/Compensations

$500,000 to $700,000

Benefits

Health coverage
Generous time off
Competitive retirement plans
Flexible work options
Wellbeing and development programs

About the Company

The CFA Institute's mission is to lead the investment profession globally by promoting the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence for the ultimate benefit of society.
For more than 75 years, employees and volunteers at CFA Institute have pursued this mission with diligence.
The organization’s commitment to this purpose, supported by advocacy and professional standards, has positioned the CFA Institute as a trusted global entity and the CFA Program as the gold standard credential in the investment industry.
The CFA Institute has a global presence in 160+ markets, with 200,000+ members, 155+ local societies, and GIPS Standards adopted by more than 80 of the top 100 asset managers.
The CFA Institute understands that the flow of financial capital underpins the global economy and the long-term health of society, and the returns from invested capital fuel economic growth and prosperity for billions around the world.
Investment professionals understand that finance is both a force for good and profit.
The Institute carries out work in four areas: Learning, Standards, Membership, and Research.
Key Facts: 200,000+ charter holders, 155+ active CFA societies, 850+ affiliated universities, $416 million in revenue (FY25), 600 staff.
CFA Institute is the global leader in investment excellence and ethics.
With nearly 200,000 charterholders across 160 markets, we promote professional growth, uphold ethical standards, and help advance better financial markets.
Join a global organization committed to putting investors first.

Equal Opportunity

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.
CFA Institute prohibits both discrimination and harassment with regard to all identifying characteristics: any individual employee, group of employees, or prospective employee on the basis of race, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, religion, creed or belief, age, marital or partnership status, marital or family status, care giver status, pregnancy and maternity, sexual and other reproductive health decisions, physical abilities/qualities, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, predisposing genetic characteristic, military or veteran status, status as a victim or witness of domestic violence or sex offense or stalking, unemployment status, infectious disease carrier status, migrant worker status, educational background, socio-economic status, geographic location and culture or any other basis protected by applicable law.
This policy impacts all aspects of employment, including but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, compensation, training, development, promotion, demotion, layoff, recall, furlough, transfer, leave of absence, and dismissal.
This is a global policy that applies to all CFA Institute employees, regardless of location.
If, due to a disability or current medical condition, you need an accommodation or assistance to complete a job application, you can request one at any stage of the recruitment process.
Join a talented and diverse team supporting our mission to lead the global investment profession.
When you work at CFA Institute, you become part of something bigger.
We are a globally recognized organization committed to promoting the highest standards of ethics and professional excellence in the investment industry.
The skills and experience you develop throughout your career directly support that mission.
By investing in our people, we enable both our employees and our organization to succeed.