Benjamin Akande

Benjamin Ola Akande is a Nigerian-American academic, professor, and business leader. In May 2021 he joined Stifel Financial, a wealth management and investment-banking firm founded in 1890 and based in St. Louis, Missouri with $4.7 billion annual revenue, $39 billion wealth management custodian, $36 billion asset management. He serves as Senior Vice President Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer (CCRO). Dr. Akande served as the ninth President of Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont and led the institution from April 2020 - May 2021. From April 2018 to April 2020 he served as 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. He is the former 21st president of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. Prior to Westminster, he served for 15 years as dean of the Webster University George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology. Before that, at Wayland Baptist University, he was appointed Chief Academic Officer and chair, Division of Business Administration. Throughout his career, he has consulted with Fortune 500 companies and private enterprise. He is recognized as a media spokesperson on topics such as leadership, economics, and entrepreneurship. He is a national speaker on topics related to leadership and economics.