Karen Barr

KAREN BARR is President & Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Adviser Association, the leading association representing the interests of SEC-registered investment adviser firms. The IAA serves as the voice of the investment management community on key policy issues before Congress, the SEC, DOL, and other policymakers, and connects investment advisers with information, resources, and opportunities to share best practices. The IAA’s members manage more than $25 trillion in assets for individual and institutional clients. Before assuming the role of President & CEO in 2014, Ms. Barr served as the IAA’s General Counsel for 17 years, with responsibility for the wide range of legal and regulatory matters affecting the Association and its members.Prior to joining the Investment Adviser Association, Ms. Barr was in private practice at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now WilmerHale), where she represented clients in SEC investigations, securities class action litigation, internal corporate investigations, and securities regulatory matters. She also managed the firm’s pro bono program for two years and in that capacity served on the board of the Washington Council of Lawyers. Ms. Barr received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.