With over three decades of executive leadership in financial services, Kelly M. Metz has consistently delivered strategic transformation, operational excellence, and client-centric innovation across some of the industry’s most complex organizations. A respected operations executive, Metz combines a deep understanding of wealth management with a human-centered leadership style, earning her a reputation as a dynamic change agent and collaborative strategist.
Kelly is the founder of Kelly Metz Consulting Solutions LLC, where she leverages her experience to help organizations unlock efficiency through people, process, and technology. Known for her ability to foster high-performing cultures rooted in trust and communication, she brings an end-to-end mindset to solving service delivery and fiscal management challenges.
Before launching her consultancy, Kelly served as Executive Vice President of Service and Operations at Ameriprise Financial, where she held dual roles as Chief Operations Officer and Principal Operations Officer. Prior to Ameriprise, she built a distinguished 22-year career at Wells Fargo, culminating as Group Operations Executive and Head of WIM (Wealth Investment Management) Brokerage Operations. In this position, Kelly oversaw brokerage operations for Wells Fargo Clearing Services, Wells Fargo Advisors, Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network and provided services for 55 introducing broker dealers. Her leadership was especially critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she successfully transitioned employees to remote work while maintaining operational performance and regulatory compliance. Throughout her career, Kelly has consistently demonstrated the ability to lead through complexity, scale operations, and deliver impactful business outcomes.
From her earlier roles as Director of Operations for Wells Fargo Investments to her foundational experience at Piper Jaffray, Kelly has continuously scaled operations to meet evolving industry needs. She has been responsible for safeguarding trillions in client assets and managing budgets in excess of $250 million—all while maintaining a laser focus on risk mitigation, process innovation, and talent development.
Kelly’s industry impact extends beyond her executive roles. She has held board and committee positions with several leading regulatory and industry organizations, including the FINRA Operations Advisory Committee, FINRA Uniform Practice Code Committee, and SIFMA’s Operations and Technology Steering Committee and Operations Red Group. Her leadership in these forums reflects her dedication to advancing operational standards and shaping the regulatory environment for financial institutions.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Stout with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and concentrations in Finance and Training, Kelly also completed the Securities Industry Institute at the Wharton School. She maintains FINRA Series 7 and Series 27 licenses and brings a strong foundation of regulatory acumen to all her leadership roles.
Throughout her career, Kelly M. Metz has demonstrated that high-impact results come from a combination of operational discipline, visionary thinking, and authentic leadership. Her legacy is one of empowering teams, transforming systems, and championing the client and advisor experience at every level of service.
Character
Kelly Metz is a values-driven leader known for cultivating trust, empowering teams, and fostering long-term relationships through authenticity, empathy, and accountability in every role she undertakes.
Knowledge
She brings over 30 years of financial services experience with deep expertise in wealth management, operations, regulatory compliance, and fiscal oversight, including leadership of multi-billion-dollar portfolios and global service teams.
Strategic
Kelly excels at identifying systemic inefficiencies and implementing enterprise-wide solutions that optimize operations, reduce costs, and enhance the client and advisor experience across complex financial organizations.
Communication
She is a clear, collaborative communicator who aligns diverse stakeholders around shared goals, drives cultural transformation, and ensures strategic initiatives are executed with clarity, cohesion, and measurable impact.
