Richard Klipin is the chief executive officer of the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) and has been in the role since January 2006. He started in the financial services in 1989 as an adviser. Five years later he joined Mercantile Mutual as a Funds Management BDM. Over the successive nine years, Klipin had a number of roles including national sales manager and head of practice management for ING Australia/Mercantile Mutual. He was also a founding partner of The Encore Group, and spent time with NAB/MLC as region manager for their Bank Adviser Channel. Just prior to joining the AFA he was head of strategic relationships for ING Australia. He has an MBA and a BA Dip Ed from Macquarie University.