John L. Bowman to Succeed William J. Kelly as CAIA Association CEO on December 31, 2024.

May 01, 2024 at 07:00 AM EDT

CAIA Association Board Sets Final Timeline for Upcoming Leadership Transition

The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association, the global professional body for the alternative investment industry, today shared final steps in its leadership succession plan.

CAIA’s Board of Directors, in partnership with CAIA’s senior leadership, places a premium on continuity of mission, and organizational leadership is an important part of that responsibility. As previously announced in December 2023, John L. Bowman assumed the role of President to start the year and the Board has now finalized a plan that will see Mr. Bowman be appointed Chief Executive Officer following William J. Kelly’s retirement on December 31, 2024.

Valerie J. Sill, Chair of the CAIA Board of Directors, and CEO of Dupont Capital Management stated, “On behalf of the entire CAIA Board, I cannot say enough about Bill’s accomplishments over the last ten years. We owe him a debt of gratitude and thank him for all he has done to further the growth of CAIA. We also have a great deal of excitement for John’s vision for where CAIA is heading in the years to come. I’m confident the cooperation, care and deliberate nature of this succession process will serve our members, candidates, and the broader profession well.”

Mr. Kelly, who joined CAIA as President & CEO in January 2014, has led CAIA through a decade marked by tremendous change, including the launch of UniFi by CAIA™ to address further expansion of alternative investments into the wealth management and retail investor spaces and the challenges of a global pandemic.

During these past ten years, Mr. Kelly has helped raise the specter on the importance of professional education globally. He led the introduction of several new educational offerings, oversaw numerous enhancements and additions to the CAIA curriculum, and helped CAIA deliver a clear and unambiguous message that as the sophistication and availability of alternative investments grow, so too must the focus on education for the practitioner to best serve the end investor.

“I have been so fortunate to have learned so much from our global Members, Candidates, and, of course, my extraordinary colleagues as we have continued to bend the arc of transparency and informed consent to the advantage of the investor; for that I will forever remain grateful. Together, I am confident that we have placed an ever-higher premium on professionalism and have truly demonstrated, and delivered upon, the benefits of educational alpha,” said Mr. Kelly. “This next phase of our mission will be marked by greater access to an increasingly wider set of investment options for individual investors, and I am confident that John is exceedingly well positioned and prepared to continue the very important work that will always define our purpose.”

Added Mr. Bowman, “You never feel completely prepared for the weight of stewarding such an important mission as that which defines CAIA. That said, I have the great benefit of standing on a sturdy foundation that Bill and his predecessors have established, as well as being surrounded by a world class team. I am convinced CAIA’s relevance and voice has never been more important and I’m therefore excited to further differentiate our powerful brand and accelerate our globalization in the coming years.”

With this transition, thoughtfully planned and executed under the guidance of the Board, and with CAIA's strength and future prominence in the industry at the forefront, Mr. Bowman and Mr. Kelly will continue to work closely in the months leading up to the completion of this CEO succession.

For more information on CAIA, please visit caia.org.

About the CAIA Association

The CAIA Association, a global professional body, pioneers a new era in investment management. At the forefront of the shifting of alternative investment asset classes from 'alternative' to mainstream, CAIA embraces diverse expertise and interdisciplinary knowledge essential for responsible capital allocation and client stewardship. A Member-driven organization representing professionals in more than 100 countries, the organization seeks to prepare investors for a dynamic future, disrupting traditions, creating opportunities, and fostering long-term sustainability. To learn more about the CAIA Association and how to become part of a professional network that is shaping the future of investing, please visit https://caia.org/.