Executive Coaching
One-on-one coaching for association CEOs and executive directors, from first-year transitions to seasoned leaders facing a new challenge.
For CEOs, executive directors, new chief staff executives
Leadership & coaching for nonprofit associations
Coaching for association leaders, from a CEO who led one for 27 years.
Jim Kaitz served as President & CEO of the Association for Financial Professionals from 1998 to 2025 and grew it into a global professional society. Kaitz Advisory Group helps association CEOs, senior staff, and boards build the leaders their mission depends on.
Experience at
- Association for Financial Professionals
- Financial Executives International
- SHRM Board of Directors
- CFP Board of Directors
- Baxter Healthcare
- U.S. House of Representatives
- Georgetown University
About Jim
Four decades inside the association world.
Jim Kaitz knows the chief staff executive's job because he did it for 27 years. As President & CEO of the Association for Financial Professionals, he led a U.S. organization of treasury professionals through a rebrand, a global expansion, and three national crises.
Months into the role in 1998, Jim led the transformation of the Treasury Management Association into AFP, broadening its mission to the full finance profession. He opened an office in Singapore, launched the Certified Corporate FP&A Professional (FPAC) credential, and grew the Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) program to its largest class in history. He guided the association through 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before AFP, Jim spent ten years at Financial Executives International, rising to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. His career began on Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant on the House Ways and Means Committee. He is a graduate of Georgetown University.
Jim has also served on two national boards of directors: SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) and the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board). He knows the CEO–board relationship from both sides of the table.
He retired from AFP in 2025 after handing leadership to a successor he developed from within. Kaitz Advisory Group carries that work forward for other associations.
- People-first leadership. Strong associations are built by staff who are trusted, developed, and given room to lead.
- Grow successors from within. Every CEO has a duty to prepare the next generation of senior leadership.
- Embrace change early. The associations that thrive adapt before their members ask them to.
Services
Leadership development built for how associations actually run.
Associations answer to members, volunteer boards, and a mission. Every engagement is shaped around that reality.
Leadership Team Development
Coaching and facilitation that turns a senior staff into a leadership team, with shared priorities, clear roles, and honest communication.
For Senior staff, department heads, VPs
CEO Succession Planning
A deliberate plan to identify and develop internal successors, so a leadership change strengthens the association instead of stalling it.
For Boards, search committees, sitting CEOs
Board & CEO Partnership
Advice for the relationship that sets the tone for everything else: the CEO and the volunteer board, the chair, and the executive committee.
For Board chairs, executive committees, CEOs
Change & Crisis Leadership
Steady counsel through a rebrand, a restructuring, a revenue shock, or an event no plan anticipated, from someone who has led through all of them.
For CEOs and leadership teams in transition
Growth & Credentialing Strategy
Guidance on broadening a membership base, building certification programs, and taking an association into international markets.
For CEOs, boards, strategy and education teams
How an engagement works
A clear path from first conversation to lasting results.
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Consultation
A no-obligation conversation about your association, your leadership team, and what success should look like.
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Assessment
Confidential interviews with the CEO, staff leaders, and board members to see where things stand.
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Development Plan
A focused plan with priorities, milestones, and the coaching cadence that fits your calendar and budget.
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Coaching & Follow-through
Regular coaching sessions and check-ins to keep progress measurable and momentum steady.
Track record
A career spent building associations that last.
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Capitol Hill
Graduated from Georgetown University. Legislative assistant to a member of the House Ways and Means Committee through 1982.
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Association & government relations
Joined Financial Executives Institute's Washington office, then led government relations for the Scientific Apparatus Makers Association and Baxter Healthcare's Washington office.
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Financial Executives International
Returned as VP of Government Relations and rose to EVP & Chief Operating Officer of an association of 14,000 senior finance executives.
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President & CEO, AFP
Took the helm of the Treasury Management Association and led its expansion and renaming as the Association for Financial Professionals.
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Record certification growth
AFP welcomed 974 new Certified Treasury Professionals, the largest class in the credential's history.
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Planned succession
Retired from AFP after 27 years, handing leadership to an executive he developed internally.
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Kaitz Advisory Group
Coaching and leadership development for nonprofit associations.
Took a U.S. association global
Broadened AFP's mission, opened a regional office in Singapore, and built partnerships across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Created a new professional credential
Launched the FPAC, the first certification built specifically for financial planning and analysis professionals.
Led through three national crises
Kept AFP resilient and mission-focused through 9/11, the global financial crisis, and COVID-19.
Served on two national boards
Board member at SHRM and the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, bringing a director's view to every CEO engagement.
Grew the next CEO from within
Prepared an internal successor over several years for a smooth leadership transition in 2025.
Jim is a passionate advocate for the profession and a champion of people-first leadership.
Chair, AFP Board of Directors, 2024
Who we serve
- Professional societies
- Trade associations
- Credentialing & certification bodies
- Membership nonprofits
- Association foundations
- Federations & chapter networks
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Don't see your question? Reach out and Jim will answer it directly.
Who does Kaitz Advisory Group work with?
Nonprofit associations: professional societies, trade associations, credentialing bodies, and membership organizations. Clients include association CEOs and executive directors, senior staff leaders, and volunteer boards.
What qualifies Jim Kaitz to coach association executives?
Jim served 27 years as President & CEO of the Association for Financial Professionals (1998–2025) and ten years at Financial Executives International, where he rose to EVP and COO. He has led an association through global expansion, new credential launches, three national crises, and a planned CEO succession. He has also served on the boards of SHRM and the CFP Board.
Do you help with CEO succession planning?
Yes. Succession planning is a core service. Jim developed his own successor at AFP from within the organization over several years and helps boards and CEOs build the same kind of deliberate plan.
How does an engagement start?
With a no-obligation consultation. Book a time on the calendar or send a message through the form, and Jim will follow up to learn about your association and goals.
Contact
Start with a conversation.
Tell Jim about your association and the leadership challenge in front of you. Every inquiry gets a personal reply.
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LinkedInConnect with Jim Kaitz
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Based inWashington, D.C. area, serving associations nationwide
Book a 30-minute consultation
Pick a time that works for you. You'll get a calendar invite with a video link.
See available times