Joanna Flanagan is a noted expert in legal matters and taxation, drawing upon more than 35 years of experience in her industry. Since 2021, she has served as public policy counsel for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board, where she maintains responsibility for writing policy memos on laws and regulations that affect the board’s certifications as well as liaising with members of the United States Congress to advocate for the creation or reinstatement of laws that would benefit the public. Ms. Flanagan also corresponds with investment advisors, financial planners and brokers who are members of the CFP Board. She initially joined the CFP Board in 2020 as an enforcement attorney.
Previously, Ms. Flanagan served as a visiting professor of law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law from 2018 to 2020 and as the head of regulatory compliance policy and program standards at Western Union from 2014 to 2018. Likewise, she was the senior vice president of global AML compliance at TD Bank from 2011 to 2013, the senior vice president and head of global transaction banking compliance at HSBC from 2010 to 2011, and a regulatory risk manager at Wells Fargo from 2005 to 2010. Prior to these appointments, Ms. Flanagan was an associate attorney with Mayer Brown, a senior vice president at Bank of America and an associate at Kroll, having started her career in 1985.
Possessing an advanced educational acumen, Ms. Flanagan holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from the University of Chicago, a Master of Business Administration in finance and management from The University of Texas McCombs School of Business, where she was recognized as a Kay Bailey Hutchison Presidential Scholar, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence in taxation from The University of Texas School of Law. She is also a certified anti-money laundering specialist and maintains an active affiliation with the American Bar Association, the Mecklenburg County Bar Association, and the American Constitution Society. Civically engaged as well, Ms. Flanagan was a pro bono attorney for the Council for Children’s Rights for four years and the director of Open Endowment for five years.
Living by the mantra of “Truth, fairness and integrity,” Ms. Flanagan enjoys competitive rowing in her leisure time. Impressively, she was a director and rowing coach at North Carolina Community Sailing and Rowing and a rowing coach at Davidson College. In the coming years, she intends to focus on advancing the mission and vision of the CFP Board.