In this all-new episode of Focused on the Future, Suzanne Siracuse speaks with Kevin Keller, CEO of the CFP Board, about the evolving landscape of financial advice and the growing importance of holistic financial planning. Kevin highlights the industry’s shift from a focus on investment management to comprehensive financial advice, a change embraced by firms large and small, benefiting both advisors and consumers navigating increasingly complex financial lives. 

Their conversation also delves into the persistent challenges of improving diversity and increasing female representation within the financial planning profession. Kevin highlights the CFP Board’s efforts to address these issues through initiatives like the Women’s Initiative, which aims to attract, develop, and retain more women in the field. He also points to the organization’s record-setting growth in the number of newly certified women CFP professionals, as well as strategic partnerships that are designed to engage and support a more diverse pipeline of future advisors. 

Valuable highlights include:

• The significant shift from investment-focused advisory to holistic financial planning.
• The ongoing drive to increase diversity in the financial planning profession, especially the recruitment of women advisors. 
• How advisors can better serve the next generation by tailoring services, emphasizing values-based investing, and creating inclusive spaces for underrepresented communities. 
• The exciting implications of artificial intelligence on the financial services industry, balancing efficiency with human interaction. 

Resources:

• Listen to Focused on the Future on WealthManagement.com
• Subscribe and listen to Focused on the Future on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe and listen to Focused on the Future on Spotify
• Connections Conference (CNX 2025) 

Connect With Suzanne Siracuse:

• LinkedIn: Suzanne Siracuse
• Twitter: Suzanne Siracuse
• Email: Suzanne@suzannesiracuse.com

Connect With Kevin Keller:

• CFP Board
• LinkedIn: CFP Board
• LinkedIn: Kevin Keller
• Email: kkeller@cfpboard.org 

About Our Guest:

Kevin R. Keller, CAE, is a leading voice in the financial advice ecosystem and CEO of CFP Board, the credentialing organization for more than 104,000 CFP® professionals in the United States. During his 18 years as CEO, the number of CFP® professionals in the U.S. has nearly doubled. And the 2024 class of certificants was the most diverse in CFP Board’s history, with all-time-high numbers of women and racially and ethnically diverse new CFP® professionals.