Certification requirement for mutual fund sales personnel mandates certified staff for sales and investor-facing roles; limited senior exemptions. Personnel of mutual funds and asset management companies engaged in sales, marketing or investor-facing functions must complete an industry certification by the compliance deadline; thereafter only certified personnel may be engaged for those activities. Designated senior employees and certain senior agents/distributors meeting experience criteria are exempt from the certification test but must attend a required refresher course and submit a certificate of attendance; AMCs must notify qualifying exempt distributors from the roster as of the reference date.