Stifel Hires Charlie Smith as Managing Director in Venture and Fund Banking Group
New Hire Extends the Group’s National Footprint into California and Western United States
ST. LOUIS, June 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) today announced the hiring of Charlie Smith as Managing Director in the Venture and Fund Banking Group. Based in California, Mr. Smith is responsible for West Coast fund banking to venture capital and private equity funds, primarily focused on the technology and life sciences sectors.
“We are thrilled to welcome Charlie to our team as we actively expand our national footprint,” said Brad Ellis, Head of Venture and Fund Banking at Stifel. “Mike Breaux has done a tremendous job building our fund banking business over the last three years and driving us to this important point. We are now able to complement Stifel’s well-established investment banking team on the West Coast, with on-the-ground fund banking capabilities designed specifically for the venture capital and private equity communities. This is a key initiative for us, and we expect to make additional investments and hires in the coming months.”
Mr. Smith brings more than two decades of finance experience, primarily working in the asset management space. He joins Stifel from City National Bank, where he was a Senior Vice President in the firm’s Structured Finance group. In this role, Mr. Smith developed and maintained holistic banking relationships with private equity firms and their affiliates. Prior to this, he was a Senior Vice President in the Wells Fargo Private Bank Specialty Finance Group focused on providing financing to general partners of private equity firms. He earned an MBA from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester, and a Bachelor of Science from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He also holds a CFA charter.
“I’m excited to join the Stifel platform,” commented Mr. Smith. “Having the ability to tap into the broader Stifel network is a game changer. We are able to offer clients one-stop solutions, including direct lending and banking for portfolio companies, traditional investment banking services, fund placement, fund finance, and management company lending.”
Stifel’s Venture and Fund Banking Group launched in 2018 and provides debt capital financing and commercial banking solutions to entrepreneurs, investors, and their businesses. With national coverage capabilities, the group has produced $2.5 billion in loan commitments and more than $1 billion in deposits in less than three years. The Group targets early-stage startups through mature growth companies and offers broad fund banking products such as capital call/subscription lines of credit in excess of $100 million, treasury management tools, and high-touch relationship management with a single point of contact.
“Not only is venture and fund banking an attractive loan and deposit growth vehicle for us, it is also highly complementary to other businesses across the Stifel platform,” noted Chris Reichert, CEO of Stifel Bank & Trust. “We are incredibly pleased with our success to date and look forward to Charlie’s contributions on the West Coast.”
Stifel Company Information
Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) 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. Stifel’s broker-dealer clients are served in the United States through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, including its Eaton Partners business division; Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.; Miller Buckfire & Co., LLC and Stifel Independent Advisors, LLC. The Company’s broker-dealer affiliates provide securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Stifel Bank and Stifel Bank & Trust offer a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. Stifel Trust Company, N.A. and Stifel Trust Company Delaware, N.A. offer trust and related services. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Company’s website at . For global disclosures, please visit .
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