Christopher V. Dodds · Executive Profile
Christopher V. Dodds
Senior executive in the U.S. securities and financial services industry. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Charles Schwab from 1999 to 2007, and a director of the digital asset platform Coinbase from 2018 to 2020.
- Age 66
- Clemson University, B.S. in Business
- University of Pittsburgh, M.B.A.
- Charles Schwab, 1986–2007
21 yrs
At Charles Schwab, 1986–2007
8 yrs
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, 1999–2007
2018–2020
Director of Coinbase; chaired its Audit and Compliance Committee
2014–present
Independent director, Charles Schwab Corporation
An executive formed in the core of the U.S. securities industry
Christopher V. Dodds spent his professional life inside the traditional U.S. securities and financial services system — twenty-one years at Charles Schwab, roughly eight of them as Chief Financial Officer, followed by board service at Coinbase and a second career in asset management and private equity.
He joined Charles Schwab in 1986 and served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 1999 until he retired from the full-time executive role in 2007. From 2018 to 2020 he was a director of Coinbase, where he chaired the Audit and Compliance Committee. After stepping out of the full-time CFO position he moved into board, investment and advisory work — a senior adviser in global financial services at The Carlyle Group, a director of Investment Technology Group, and, since 2020, co-founder and managing member of Crown Oak Advisors.
Dodds has also served as a director of Charles Schwab Bank since 2007 and of the Charles Schwab Corporation since 2014. He sits on the corporation’s risk committee and its nominating and corporate governance committee.
At a glance
Profession
Retired senior financial executive, corporate director and investment adviser
Signature role
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Charles Schwab (1999–2007)
Career span
Twenty-one years at Charles Schwab, 1986–2007, about eight of them as Chief Financial Officer
Board service
Independent director, Charles Schwab Corporation (from 2014); director, Charles Schwab Bank (since 2007); director, Coinbase (2018–2020) and chair of its Audit and Compliance Committee
Current activity
Co-founder and managing member, Crown Oak Advisors (since 2020); operating partner, The Cynosure Group
Education
B.S. in business, Clemson University; M.B.A., University of Pittsburgh
Age
66
A career in sequence
- 1986
Charles Schwab
Joined the firm, starting in planning analysis and corporate finance.
- 1989–1993
Charles Schwab
Responsible for corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions.
- 1993–1997
Charles Schwab · Treasurer
Responsible for funding and financial management.
- 1997–1999
Charles Schwab · Financial control
Head of corporate financial control.
- 1999–2007
Charles Schwab · Executive VP & CFO
Strategy, finance, treasury, accounting, regulatory reporting, M&A, investor relations and risk management.
- May 2007
Retirement from the full-time CFO role
Stated that he would devote more time to family, community, board service and charitable activity.
- 2007–present
Charles Schwab Bank
Director.
- 2008–2015
Investment Technology Group
Director of the institutional brokerage and financial markets technology company.
- 2008–2018
The Carlyle Group
Senior adviser in global financial services.
- 2014–present
Charles Schwab Corporation
Independent director; member of the risk committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee.
- 2018–2020
Coinbase
Director; chaired the Audit and Compliance Committee.
- 2018–present
The Cynosure Group
Operating partner at the private equity investment firm.
- 2020–present
Crown Oak Advisors
Co-founder and managing member; the firm is an SEC-registered investment adviser.
From corporate finance into the core of the securities industry
Early finance experience
Before joining Charles Schwab, Dodds worked in corporate finance and treasury at companies including Gulf Oil and Exxon. That early grounding in financial analysis, treasury and capital allocation shaped the finance-led career that followed.
Charles Schwab: 1986–2007
He joined the firm in 1986 out of planning analysis and corporate finance. From 1989 to 1993 he was responsible for corporate finance and M&A; from 1993 to 1997 he served as treasurer, responsible for funding and financial management; from 1997 to 1999 he led corporate financial control; and in 1999 he was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, a position he held until he retired from the full-time executive role in 2007.
As CFO he was responsible for strategic planning, financial planning and analysis, treasury, tax, corporate accounting, external and regulatory reporting, M&A, investor relations, risk management and corporate real estate. Because Charles Schwab’s core business is securities brokerage, investment services and wealth management, his management experience sat inside the U.S. securities regulatory environment, client assets, capital structure and risk control.
Investment, advisory and board work
After retiring from the full-time CFO role in 2007, Dodds turned to board, investment and advisory work. From 2008 to 2018 he was a senior adviser in global financial services at The Carlyle Group, and from 2008 to 2015 he was a director of Investment Technology Group, an institutional brokerage and financial markets technology company.
Twenty-one years at the center of U.S. securities finance
Charles Schwab is one of the principal securities brokerage, investment services and wealth management platforms in the United States. Dodds spent roughly twenty-one years at the company, about eight of them as Chief Financial Officer. His responsibilities covered securities brokerage, client asset platforms, banking, regulatory reporting, M&A and risk management.
In the 2007 announcement of his retirement, company founder Charles Schwab credited Dodds with helping the firm restore its operating performance, return to growth and profitability, and build its management team.
Since then, Dodds has served as a director of Charles Schwab Bank beginning in 2007 and of the Charles Schwab Corporation from 2014. He is an independent director of the group and sits on the risk committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee.
Board service at Charles Schwab
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
1999 – 2007
Charles Schwab Bank
Director, 2007 – present
Charles Schwab Corporation
Independent director from 2014; current term runs to 2027
Committees
Risk committee; nominating and corporate governance committee
Coinbase: a formal board appointment
From 2018 to 2020 Dodds served as a director of Coinbase, the U.S. digital asset platform, where he chaired the Audit and Compliance Committee.
Joining the board
Dodds became a director of Coinbase in September 2018; the company announced his appointment publicly in October 2018 and he served on the board until 2020.
Appointment context
In its announcement, Coinbase highlighted his knowledge of the financial services industry, his leadership experience and his financial and accounting expertise, linking his appointment to the company’s effort to strengthen its financial services capabilities.
Governance responsibilities
He chaired the Audit and Compliance Committee, a remit covering financial reporting, internal controls, compliance oversight and risk management — responsibilities that drew directly on his long CFO background.
Leaving the board
In December 2020, Coinbase announced that Kelly Kramer, formerly Chief Financial Officer of Cisco, would succeed him as chair of the Audit and Compliance Committee, and said that Dodds was stepping off the board to spend more time with his family.
Digital assets experience
His Coinbase years added board-level experience in digital assets to a career built in traditional securities brokerage, banking and asset management.
Investment and asset management today
Crown Oak Advisors
Co-founder and managing member · since 2020
Crown Oak Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser (CRD 309749 / SEC 801-128309) founded by Christopher Dodds and Andrew Dodds. The firm provides investment management and institutional advisory services and manages part of its client assets on a discretionary basis.
Its investment approach is built mainly around long-term holdings and individual security allocation. The firm reported approximately $184.9 million in assets under management as of December 31, 2023.
The Cynosure Group
Operating partner
Dodds is an operating partner at The Cynosure Group, an investment firm active in private equity and related investment activity.
He combines that role with continuing corporate and bank board service, including his directorship at Charles Schwab Bank, where he has served since 2007.
Charitable and community involvement
When he announced his retirement as Chief Financial Officer of Charles Schwab in 2007, Dodds said he wanted to devote more time to family and community, and that he planned to continue corporate board service and charitable activity.
Those priorities have framed his post-2007 career, which has combined corporate and bank board service with investment management and advisory work.
Retirement and community
2007 — retirement from the full-time Chief Financial Officer role at Charles Schwab.
Stated focus — more time for family and community, alongside continued board service and charitable activity.
Since then — corporate and bank board service, investment management and advisory work.
Areas of expertise and board experience
-
Securities brokerage and wealth management
Core
Twenty-one years at Charles Schwab, one of the largest securities brokerage, investment services and wealth management platforms in the United States.
-
Financial leadership
Core
Eight years as Chief Financial Officer of a listed U.S. financial services company, covering strategy, financial planning, treasury, tax, accounting, regulatory reporting, M&A and investor relations.
-
Corporate governance
Board level
Independent director of the Charles Schwab Corporation, director of Charles Schwab Bank, and chair of Coinbase’s Audit and Compliance Committee.
-
Risk and regulatory oversight
Board level
Service on Charles Schwab’s risk committee and nominating and corporate governance committee, together with audit and compliance leadership at Coinbase.
-
Asset management and private equity
Current
Co-founder and managing member of Crown Oak Advisors, an SEC-registered investment adviser, and operating partner at The Cynosure Group, a private equity investor.
Career highlights and recognition
Recognition at retirement
On his retirement in 2007, Charles Schwab credited Dodds with helping the firm restore its operating performance, return to growth and profitability, and build its management team.
Continuous board service
He has served on Charles Schwab boards without interruption since 2007 — as a director of Charles Schwab Bank and, from 2014, as an independent director of the Charles Schwab Corporation, where his current term runs to 2027.
Range across the financial industry
His experience spans corporate finance and treasury, securities brokerage and wealth management, bank and listed-company governance, asset management and private equity, and digital assets through his Coinbase directorship.
