Santa Clara University

Welcome to the Certified Equity Professional  Institute

The Certified Equity Professional Institute (CEPI) was founded in 1989 by a group of equity compensation professionals.  Today, the CEPI is part of Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business.  Their mission is to establish, promote, and provide certification, continuing education and research for the equity compensation industry.



Certification

  • The CEPI offers the ONLY recognized credential for equity compensation professionals.
  • Over 65% of the Fortune 1000 companies rely on CEP expertise to manage their equity compensation programs.
  • Complying with the complex requirements of accounting, tax and securities regulations governing equity compensation plans has become a major headache for many companies.
  • Risk of noncompliance can be minimized by ensuring that a CEP is involved.
  • CEPs are knowledgeable in financial reporting, plan administration, taxation and securities laws. 
  • CEPs are subject to professional standards, including continuing professional education.
 
“The CEP certification has enhanced my performance and credibility at my company while giving me greater confidence in my abilities.”
Carol Payne, CEP, Netflix, Inc
 

Continuing Education

  • The CEPI hosts an Annual Symposium - The Best One Day Event in Equity Compensation - dedicated to the equity compensation professionals.
  • Understand which administrative risks have greatest financial statement impact and are most scrutinized by auditors and develop a personalized action plan for implementation in your organization.
  • Design programs to bring together the intersection of risks and controls with equity compensation.
 
“A very timely and comprehensive look at the risks inherent to equity and administration and the internal controls required to mitigate those risks.”
Sandra Sussman, CEP, Gilead
 

Research

  • The CEPI provides independent, unbiased research on equity compensation practices.
  • The CEPI provides unbiased guidance and resources for issuers, service providers and auditors.  These research efforts build the GPS: Guidance | Procedures | Systems library. 
  • Library currently has four published documents addressing Non-Qualified Stock Options, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Awards, Global Stock Plans, and Performance Awards.
 
“If the option backdating fiasco has taught companies anything, it is that administration of stock plans cannot be done casually or carelessly. CEPs have successfully completed a demanding program of study to assist companies in operating their plans in compliance.”
Stephen W. Fackler, Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher
 
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Established 1851