Commonwealth Financial Network®, a national firm dedicated to providing financial advisors with holistic, integrated business solutions, announces that Michelle Kelley is joining the firm as senior vice president, deputy general counsel and chief privacy officer. In this newly created position, Kelley will lead Commonwealth’s Legal department and provide counsel on cybersecurity and privacy laws, partnering closely with Commonwealth’s Information Security team.
Kelley joins Commonwealth from LPL Financial and brings valuable regulatory counsel to support Commonwealth’s growing efforts on fee-based business. With the increasingly necessary focus on data security and cybersecurity, Kelley will enhance Commonwealth’s privacy and data security alongside the firm’s chief information security officer, Mukund Ravipaty. In this pivotal role, Kelley joins a multidisciplinary leadership team committed to developing innovative and nimble solutions to help advisors accelerate their growth. She will report to Peggy Ho, senior vice president, general counsel and chief risk officer.
Michelle is a thought leader who sees both the big picture and the details and can synthesize these into practicable strategies—a confluence that makes her ideal for this role.
“Michelle has an unmatched depth of advisory experience and proven experience as a chief privacy officer,” said Ho. “She’s a thought leader who sees both the big picture and the details and can synthesize these into practicable strategies—a confluence that makes her ideal for this role. I’m confident her expertise will be invaluable as we continue to position ourselves at the forefront in an evolving regulatory landscape and industry, and I’m delighted to welcome her to Commonwealth.”
Kelley will provide guiding counsel to the firm and Executive Management team on strategic initiatives and regulatory matters. She will oversee the team responsible for commercial agreements, customer complaints, litigation and arbitrations, regulatory enforcement matters, and contracts and vendor agreements.
“I’m genuinely honored to be joining such a talented team and vibrant community at Commonwealth to lead the firm’s Legal and Privacy teams,” said Kelley. “I have great respect for Commonwealth as an organization and Peggy as a leader. I’m eager to contribute my skills and experience to the mix as well as partner with colleagues across the firm on the critical work that will fuel Commonwealth’s continued growth and evolution.”
Kelley graduated magna cum laude from Colgate University. She received her law degree from Boston College Law School, with summa cum laude and Order of the Coif honors. Kelley began her career as an associate at Ropes & Gray LLP. For the past 16 years, she has held various roles with LPL Financial, most recently as senior vice president, government relations, chief privacy officer, and associate general counsel. She is a frequent guest speaker at industry events for groups and institutions, including the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association and the Money Management Institute.