Douglas King Begins 2021 Term As CFP Board Chair

Douglas S. King, elected in 2019 as the 2020 Chair-elect of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Board of Directors, has assumed his new role of 2021 Chair, effective January 1, the organization recently announced in a news release.

In this leadership position, King takes the helm of the professional body that certifies more than 88,000 financial planning professionals across the United States.

King said in the news release that he looked forward to working with his CFP Board colleagues to address issues that benefit members of the public that the CFP Board and its members serve.

“We have a clear agenda for the coming year, including completing an organizational strategic refresh, expanding the number and diversity of CFP professionals and clients, and developing an effective, efficient and credible enforcement plan for the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct,” King said in the news release.

King has an extensive 35-year career as a CFP professional and as an executive at several firms. As president and CEO of Oakwood Capital Advisors LLC, King leads a team of financial advisors who work with high-net-worth individuals and small business owners offering financial planning services focused on retirement planning, investment portfolio management, insurance and risk management, social security optimization strategies, tax management and business consulting services. 

King is also the owner of Gardner Advisors Inc., a registered investment advisor firm, and Gardner Financial Services Inc., an independent broker-dealer. 

Prior to founding Oakwood Capital Advisors LLC, King held senior-level executive positions at Merrill Lynch, Bank of America and Cetera Financial Group. He has also led RIA firms, as well as an insurance marketing organization.

King earned two bachelor’s degrees, one in finance and one in management, from Virginia Tech, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. He earned his certified financial planner certification in 1989, and holds Series 7, 8, 24, 52, 63, 65, 99, and SEI securities registrations.

Based in Washington, D.C., the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 1985 that fosters professional standards in personal financial planning.