The CFP Board Center for Financial Planning will hold its fourth annual Diversity Summit and career fair virtually Nov. 17 to Nov. 19, the board announced.

Registration for the summit is free.

The summit is designed to bring together firms, academic institutions, partner organizations and CFP professionals to promote a more diverse financial planning profession through research, case studies, best practices and actionable initiatives, the center said.

The theme for this year’s summit is “Metrics that Matter,” which will highlight qualitative and quantitative metrics financial services firms can use to evaluate and improve diversity equity and inclusion in their workforce and culture, the center said.

“To create a more diverse and sustainable financial planning profession, we need a financial planning workforce that more accurately reflects the diverse communities they serve,” CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller said in a statement. “The fourth annual Diversity Summit & Career Fair provides the professions’ leaders a platform to discuss initiatives to make this possible.”

The Diversity Summit’s featured keynote speaker will be Ibram X. Kendi, founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. He was recently named a 2021 MacArthur Fellow and is the author of several bestselling books, including “How to Be an Antiracist.”

Others speakers include:

  • Ron Adams, vice president of field diversity and inclusion at Northwestern Mutual
  • Kamila Elliott, president of GRID 202 Partners
  • Crystal Hardie-Langston, chief diversity officer at Vanguard
  • Raymone Jackson, global head of diversity and inclusion at T. Rowe Price
  • Esu Ma'at, chief diversity officer of Orlando Magic
  • Andy Sieg, president of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
  • Leslie Tabor, director of advisor services business consulting and education at Schwab
  • Andrés Tapia, global diversity and inclusion strategist at Korn Ferry

“This year, our featured speakers will focus on the metrics financial services organizations should monitor to hold themselves accountable to meet their diversity, equity and inclusion goals,” Center Managing Director D.A. Abrams said in a statement. “Progress, big or small, is important to track year over year and, ultimately, defines the success of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the financial planning profession.”

This year’s event will feature a series of thought leadership articles addressing specific diversity, equity and inclusion related metrics, tactics and best practices that firms have implemented in increasing diversity and creating an inclusive workplace, the center said.

The Virtual Career Fair will focus on candidates for CFP certification who are women and people of color, connecting CFP professionals, students and other qualified candidates with employers through one-on-one video chats.

More information on the Diversity Summit and Career Fair, including the agenda and registration, can be found here.