Richard Shaw, MBA, CFP® Elected 2027 CFP Board Chair-Elect

The Board of Directors of CFP Board announced today that it has elected Richard Shaw, MBA, CFP® as its 2027 Board Chair-Elect at its July 2026 meeting. Current Chair-Elect Martin Seay, Ph.D., CFP® will serve as Chair of the Board of Directors in 2027, and Shaw will become Chair of the Board in 2028.

Shaw is a Certified Financial Planner® professional, investor and experienced board leader who advised individuals and families on investment management, wealth planning and family office services for more than 25 years. Most recently, he served as Principal and Senior Client Advisor at Bessemer Trust, a multifamily office that has served individuals and families for more than 115 years.

"Richard has devoted his career to the kind of advice families count on for generations, and he brings that same wisdom and commitment to everything he does," said CFP Board Chair Terri Kallsen, CFP®. "I have every confidence that Martin's leadership in 2027, followed by Richard's as Chair, will continue to strengthen CFP Board's mission and inspire confidence in the CFP® certification."

Shaw currently serves on CFP Board's Board of Directors, the policy making and oversight body of CFP Board, which he joined in 2023. He is Treasurer of Teatown Lake Reservation, a nonprofit nature preserve and environmental education center in the Lower Hudson Valley, where he chairs the finance committee and serves on the investment committee. He is also Warden of Grace Episcopal Church in Ossining, where he helps manage and oversee church assets and investments. Previously, he served as Chair of Harlem Commonwealth Council, whose mission is to stimulate economic development in Harlem, Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

"It's an honor and privilege to be selected as the 2027 Board Chair-Elect by my colleagues on the Board of Directors," said Shaw. "I look forward to working with CFP Board's leadership, staff and stakeholders to champion CFP® certification, advance the profession and help more people benefit from access to competent and ethical financial planning."

Shaw is an Honor Graduate of the Cannon Trust School and a member of the Financial Planning Association of Metro NY. He earned an MBA in finance from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Boston University. He earned his CFP® certification in 2014.