CFP Board Appoints Kathryn Berkenpas, CFP® as Managing Director of Corporate Growth

April 01, 2025 at 10:00 AM EDT

CFP Board today announced the appointment of Kathryn Berkenpas, CFP^® as its Managing Director of Corporate Growth. In this role, Berkenpas will develop and lead CFP Board’s strategic relationships with financial services firms. Berkenpas brings over two decades of experience working across business models, leading successful teams and programs, and driving change management in financial services.

As Managing Director, Berkenpas and her team are responsible for understanding the firms’ business objectives and challenges and for developing tailored strategic support using CFP Board data, programs and initiatives, including working with firms to get more of their advisors certified. Berkenpas will collaborate with the Director of Development to expand sponsorship opportunities for firms and with the managing directors of workforce and program development to build firm engagement and support for CFP Board programs.

“Kathryn’s deep experience and leadership in financial services will strengthen our ability to help firms grow the ranks of CFP^® professionals and deliver ethical, competent financial planning for Americans,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE.

Berkenpas joins CFP Board from Morgan Stanley, where she served as the Group Director for The Chesapeake Capitol Group, with $2 billion of assets under management. Before joining Morgan Stanley, she spent 16 years at MissionSquare Retirement, most recently as Vice President of Client Enablement, where she led strategic initiatives to expand retirement solutions and partnerships, driving growth and innovation in the public sector financial services space. Berkenpas oversaw multiple teams and was the business owner of the company’s new Financial Wellness Platform.

“I am honored to join the incredible team at CFP Board,” said Berkenpas. “I look forward to building strong, lasting relationships with corporate partners to advance the financial planning profession.”

Berkenpas earned her master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University and her bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech’s CFP Board Registered Program.

Based in CFP Board’s Washington, D.C., headquarters, Berkenpas will report to CFP Board Chief Program Officer Lisa Davis. She joins the organization on April 7. CFP Board’s recruiting partner, Caldwell, assisted in the search for this new role.

ABOUT CFP BOARD

CFP Board is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board consists of two affiliated organizations focused on advancing the financial planning profession for the public’s benefit. CFP Board of Standards sets and upholds standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® certification — widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planners — so that the public has access to the benefits of competent and ethical financial planning. CFP^® certification is held by more than 100,000 people in the U.S. CFP Board Center for Financial Planning addresses diversity and workforce development challenges and conducts and publishes research that adds to the financial planning profession’s body of knowledge.