CFP Board names new managing director for program development

CFP Board has tapped an industry executive for a key leadership role, putting him in charge of expanding the credential-granting organization's slate of education programs for current and aspiring CFP professionals.

Ben Roberts, who joined CFP Board on Jan. 30, is stepping in as the organization's new managing director of program development based in Washington, D.C.

Roberts will oversee the design and rollout of programs, products and services aimed at advancing the financial planning profession and boosting the value of CFP certification. His team will be tasked with helping CFPs deliver competent advice, stay on top of laws and regulations, meet certification standards, and prepare candidates to pass the CFP exam.

The move comes days after CFP Board’s directors approved updated competency standards, billed as the first holistic review of the certification’s requirements since the current framework was put in place. The organization has spent the past two years reviewing proposals from its Competency Standards Commission, vetting thousands of public comments and gathering expert input as it looks to keep the mark aligned with how financial planning is practiced today.

“This review was guided by a clear responsibility to ensure CFP certification reflects both the realities of today’s financial planning profession and the trust placed in it,” board chair Terri Kallsen said last week as the new standards were revealed. “As the profession evolves, the standards that support it must evolve as well, reinforcing the connection between CFP professionals and the families they serve.”

For planning-based advisors, the new role suggests CFP Board is preparing to scale up its training and guidance infrastructure as expectations around advice, disclosure, and client outcomes continue to climb.

In announcing the hire on Tuesday, CEO Kevin R. Keller said Roberts’ experience developing programs will help the organization “serve CFP professionals” as it navigates a rapidly changing economic, regulatory, and technology environment.

Roberts brings more than 20 years of corporate experience in workplace learning and development. He most recently served as vice president of global human resources and people operations at Silverchair, where he built executive leadership development programs.

Before that, he led learning and development at Deloitte, managing leadership curricula for more than 180,000 professionals and directing a social impact portfolio that included initiatives for veterans, transitioning service members and school leaders worldwide. He has also held program and leadership development roles at Disney, Coca-Cola, and Strategic Education.

Roberts, who reports to chief program officer Lisa Davis, said he joined CFP Board because “this work matters,” noting how strengthening education and professional development for CFP professionals and candidates – with just over 107,000 CFP holders across the US as of the latest December check – is intended to serve the public interest.