Stifel Financial Corporation has announced the appointment of Benjamin Akande as its director of Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion in the firm’s St. Louis headquarters, located in Missouri, USA.
Akande, a Nigerian American, holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Oklahoma and completed post-doctoral studies at JFK School of Government, Harvard University and Saïd Business School at Oxford University.
He is a respected economist who has consulted for Fortune 500 companies in areas of strategy, leadership development, corporate responsibility, and market positioning.
“A priority of ours has been to identify and hire exceptionally talented leaders. Throughout his impressive career, Benjamin has consistently demonstrated the ability to connect with diverse constituencies throughout the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
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I cannot think of a better individual to oversee Stifel’s Human Resources department and champion diversity and inclusion initiatives across the firm,” Ronald Kruszewski, Chairman & CEO of Stifel Financial said.
Akande has an extensive career that spans both academia and the private sector, with the most recent being the President of Champlain College
in Burlington, Vermont. He was assistant vice chancellor of International Programs-Africa, director of the Africa Initiative, and Associate director of the Global Health Center at Washington University in St. Louis from 2018-2020.
Prior to that, Akande was a professor of economics and dean of the George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology at Webster University from 2000-2015, he also served as the President of Westminster College from 2015 – 2017.
He has served as a director of Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. and consulted for corporations such as Anheuser-Busch, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Voith, and SeaWorld.
“As a long-time St. Louis resident, I have admired Stifel’s 130-year history of steadfast, responsible, financial leadership and growth. I am humbled to join a strong organization and look forward to further empowering our human resource core in a manner that will inspire the many globally diverse communities we serve to reach their financial goals,” Akande said
This appointment is coming after Champlain College announced Akande’s resignation effective May 31st 2021 as the ninth president of the college, a position he assumed in July 2020.
In the interim, Champlain College has appointed Dave Finney who is currently a consultant to the president to take over effective June 1st while the College’s Board of Trustees work on selecting a new President. prior to this Finney was the College President between 2005 and 2014.
Stifel Financial Corporation is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly-owned subsidiaries.
