Keith Kitagawa is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, a role he has held since 2020. He has more than 24 years of experience in the financial services industry. Keith provides comprehensive financial advice tailored to clients' time horizons, liquidity needs, investment goals, and fee sensitivities. His services focus on advising high net worth individuals and corporate executives, particularly in areas including executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, managing new wealth, and personal retirement planning.
Keith holds several professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®), Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®), Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Business Administration degree from UCLA Anderson. Prior to his financial services career, Keith served five years as a submarine officer in the United States Navy, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
He is actively involved in community service and currently serves on the board of the San Diego Military Advisory Council Foundation and the advisory board of Life Science Cares San Diego. Additionally, Keith volunteers as a United States Naval Academy Blue and Gold Officer for local high schools. He has also held leadership roles with the Salvation Army Kroc Center in San Diego and the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association's San Diego Chapter. Keith resides in San Diego and has interests in cooking, ice hockey, spending time with family, and traveling.