K. Dane Snowden

K. Dane Snowden serves as Chief Executive Officer of CFP Board, the professional body for more than 107,000 CFP® professionals in the United States. He leads the organization at a pivotal moment for the profession, marked by unprecedented growth, rising public awareness and evolving expectations for financial planning.

Rooted in Values, Driven by Purpose

As CEO, Dane is committed to strengthening CFP Board’s role as the standard bearer for competent, ethical financial planning. He approaches that work with a belief in thoughtful evolution, building on trust and credibility while preparing CFP Board for what comes next for consumers and the profession.

Turning Vision Into Impact

Dane joined CFP Board in 2023 as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing core enterprise functions and several of the organization’s most visible and mission-critical portfolios, including certification, marketing, communications, public relations, public awareness, project management and human resources. In that role, he partnered closely with the Board of Directors and executive leadership team to translate strategy into action and drive increased momentum during a period of record organizational performance.

Advancing Policy That Improves Lives

From 2021 to 2022, Dane served as President and CEO of the Internet Association. Prior to that, he spent a decade as Chief Operating Officer of NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, where he executed organizational strategy and led management and business operations during a period of significant industry transformation.

Earlier in his career, Dane served as Vice President, External and State Affairs for CTIA — The Wireless Association from 2005 to 2011. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed him as Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission, where he led a major restructuring of the bureau and helped establish market- and consumer-focused public policies, including the National Do-Not-Call Registry.

Dane served as a public member of the Board of Directors of CFP Board from 2017 to 2020. His volunteer leadership also includes board service with the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications, The Cable Center, The William & Mary Business School Foundation and Kingsbury Day School, where he chaired the Finance Committee. He currently serves on the William & Mary Washington Center Board of Directors. From 2011 to 2020, he was Board Chair of SMYAL, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit providing transitional housing, leadership development and mental health services to LGBTQ youth. He also served on the advisory board of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Mobile Wireless Technology for Persons with Disabilities from 2001 to 2011.

Dane holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from William & Mary. He is married and the proud father of a young daughter.

Select Achievements

• Modernizing Competency Standards
  Advanced and completed CFP Board’s first-ever holistic review of the Competency Standards for CFP® certification, incorporating public input, research and expert analysis to position the profession for future practice demands.
• Positioning CFP Board on emerging issues
  Launched and partnered with the Artificial Intelligence Working Group to deliver its landmark report Leading the Future: Harnessing AI in the Financial Planning Profession.
• Expanding public awareness of CFP® certification
  Led strategic growth of the “It’s Gotta Be a CFP®” Public Awareness Campaign, contributing to increased year-round visibility and continued gains in public recognition and consumer engagement.
• Strengthening academic engagement
  Deepened collaboration with CFP Board Registration Programs and enhanced engagement with program leaders to support quality education pathways toward CFP® certification.
• Fostering organizational resilience
  Helped guide CFP Board through record growth in CFP® professionals, building the organization’s capacity and capabilities to support the profession’s future.