The NASPP Blog

If you’ve been thinking about beginning the Certified Equity Professional (CEP) program or pursuing the next level, this year’s NASPP Conference is a great time to do it. Because the NASPP Conference is in November, for this year only, you have a unique opportunity to attend the Conference and take the CEP exam at the same time. To make it even more convenient, the CEP is hosting an exam site at the Conference hotel in San Francisco!

Take the CEP Exam, Attend the NASPP Conference, and Save!
The Certified Equity Professional (CEP) Institute will host an exam site at the 19th Annual NASPP Conference in San Francisco. The exam will be held on Saturday, November 5, following the conclusion of the NASPP Conference (which will be held from November 1-4). Catch up on the latest industry developments–including Dodd-Frank and Say-on-Pay–with the NASPP Conference and then reinforce your core knowledge with the CEP exam.

Why Take the Exam at the NASPP Conference?

I know you are thinking that you should spend the week before the CEP exam holed up in a conference room somewhere, all by yourself, meticulously reading the exam materials to the exclusion of everything else in your life and that the NASPP Conference is the last place you would want to prepare for the exam. But I think that’s the wrong strategy; here’s why you should consider taking the exam at the Conference:

• You’ll be surrounded by industry leaders, including many of the authors of the CEP exam texts. I’ll be there, as well as Takis Makridis, Mark Borges, Bill Dunn, Joshua McGinn, Christine Zwerling, Blair Jones, Scott Rodrick, and Dan Walter–to name just a few of the authors. These are the folks that, literally, wrote the books you are being tested on. The Conference is a great opportunity to meet them and clarify any points you are having trouble with in their texts.
• The CEP Institute staff will be on hand, as well as probably the largest population of CEPs to congregate in one place all year. If you stay home to prepare for the exam, it’s just you alone in that room and, frankly, if you had all the answers, you wouldn’t have had to sequester yourself like that. If you have questions as you prepare for the exam, the folks that can help you are going to be in San Francisco–don’t you want to be there with them?
• Let’s be honest, the “you in a room by yourself” scenario isn’t really going to happen. That conference room you’ve reserved is going to sit empty while you spend your week running reports for finance, putting out the fire caused by your CEO’s problematic stock trade, arguing with your spouse about who is going to pick the kids up from school and cook dinner, and helping your kids with their math homework. Wouldn’t it be better to just leave all that behind for someone else to deal with and spend the week before the exam really focusing on stock compensation to the exclusion of everything else?

Special Offer

Candidates that take the CEP exam at the San Francisco site can receive 10% off NASPP Conference registration and can receive 50% off NASPP membership for 2012. As an added bonus, candidates that take advantage of the membership offer will receive membership in the NASPP for the rest of 2011 for free, qualifying them for the member rate on the Conference. And, if that’s not enough of a deal, NASPP members that are issuers can receive $200 off the CEP exam.*

To receive the discount on NASPP membership and registration, first register for the CEP exam by calling the CEP Institute at 408-554-2187. Mention this offer to receive the $200 discount on the exam. Once you have registered for the exam, contact the NASPP at 925-685-9271 or naspp@naspp.com to register for the NASPP Conference and mention this offer to receive the discount on the Conference and, if you aren’t already an NASPP member, NASPP membership.

What is the CEP?

The CEPI’s self-study curriculum serves as the industry’s educational standard, focusing on the core disciplines of equity compensation: accounting; equity plan design, analysis and administration; corporate and securities law; and taxation. The CEP designation is granted to individuals who have passed the three program exams (Level 1, basic, through Level 3, advanced). Candidates can select to complete one, two or all three levels of the program.

I completed the program when I first began working in stock compensation and the knowledge I developed has been key to my success in this industry. I highly recommend the CEP program for anyone involved in any aspect of stock compensation.

*The Fine Print

The discount on NASPP Conference registration is available for new registrations only and the discount on NASPP membership is available to new members only. I’m sorry, but I can’t offer the discounts on a retroactive basis, for membership renewals for 2011 or 2012, or for additions to existing corporate memberships.

The CEP exam discount is available for new registrations for issuing companies only. Individuals already registered for the exam are not eligible for a retroactive discount. For full eligibility details contact the CEPI at cepi@scu.edu.