Stifel Financial Corp.

At Stifel, one of our greatest strengths is the breadth of our organization. Because of this expansive reach, we are able to offer our interns a wealth of opportunities, enabling them to gain valuable experience while contributing to their roles through their own perspectives and insights. See below to get to know some of the #StifelInterns and the wide array of teams they’re joining.

Meet Shelley Strobel-Erhardt, a Financial Advisor with Stifel Independent Advisors from Grand Rapids, Michigan. For the past 10 years, Shelley has been involved with Leader Dogs for the Blind as a Puppy Raiser and Puppy Counselor. As a Puppy Raiser, Shelley is responsible for building a solid guide dog foundation for the first 10 to 12 months of the puppy’s life. During this timeframe, Shelley not only trains the dog, but also pays for food and vet bills, in addition to attending required classes on a monthly basis. After three years of driving nearly two hours to attend class each month, Shelley realized she could provide a greater impact on the organization by becoming a Puppy Counselor and hosting classes herself. As a Puppy Counselor, Shelley coaches a small group of fellow Raisers on the skills required to develop a guide dog, with each class focusing on a new skillset for both the puppy and the Raisers. Once the Puppy Raiser has done their part, the dog returns to Leader Dogs for the Blind where they undergo more in-depth service dog training – like the intricacies of taking a person’s life into their hands (or paws, rather). Depending on their progress and demonstrated behaviors, the pup will either continue down the path of becoming a guide dog or they could be “career changed” into a different field. A few career change alternatives include becoming a mobility assistance dog, a military or police dog, a therapy dog, or simply a pet. Currently, Shelley is raising her 10th puppy for Leader Dogs for the Blind: Norman, a yellow lab/golden-mix. Of the 10 dogs Shelley has raised, she is in close contact with four of the new partners. Two of the dogs she raised required a career change and have since found a permanent residence at her home. Shelley joked, “I call them my ‘squirrel squad,’ since they are distracted by small animals, which is why they weren’t suited for the guide dog life.” Of the four dogs that made it through the program to become an official guide dog, there is one that holds an extra special place in Shelley’s heart: Seeley. “My first puppy, Seeley, was placed with a man in Vigo, Spain. He had already lost vision in one of his eyes and was quickly losing vision in the other. His entire life was changing with the loss of his vision – he was no longer able to work and was losing his independence.” With Seeley, he has been able to start a new career and resume doing the things he loves – like dancing!   When asked about her experience over the last 10 years, Shelley noted the most rewarding part that keeps her coming back is the impact the pups have on their new partners. She noted, “I’ve helped change four worlds for the clients who have my dogs. As bittersweet as it is to send this puppy away to college, they’ve got a bigger calling and it’s all so worth it when you see your dog being valued and changing somebody’s life.”   #PeopleofStifel

Wishing you a fun and safe Independence Day! As a reminder, Stifel and the markets are closed today in honor of the holiday.

We are pleased to announce the 2023 edition of Stifel’s Corporate Sustainability Report, which details the firm’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. We believe that in order to become the Firm of Choice, we must take into account the impact our business has on the environments and the communities in which we operate. As such, we remain committed to continually refining our approach to our sustainability efforts. View the full report here: stifel.com/sustainability

In this week’s #StifelSightLines, we review the concept of Fiscal Transition and discuss the implications of the latest Congressional Budget Office (CBO) budget update. https://stifel.info/SL2024

It’s projected that 87% of Americans plan to celebrate Independence Day this year. Source: National Retail Federation, “Independence Day 2024”

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Benjamin Ola. Akande, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer, on being recognized as the DEI Trailblazer of the Year at the 2024 InvestmentNews Awards in New York City last week. He shared a few thoughts with us about the honor: “We [Stifel] really believe in the golden rule – that you treat everyone as you would like to be treated. That’s the very essence and the beginnings of what diversity, equity, and inclusion is all about. I am honored to accept the award; however, the credit goes to the organization and all of the wonderful people at Stifel, including our leader Ron Kruszewski, for giving me the opportunity to play a role in this journey.”

📣 We are officially one month into our summer internship program! Check-in with a few of our Home Office interns to hear why they chose Stifel and what they’re hoping to gain from this experience. Stay tuned for more updates and insights into their journey in the coming weeks! #StifelIntern

As new graduates are entering the workforce this summer, where do they stack up against other generations? Millennials currently reign supreme, followed by Gen X. And with Baby Boomers nearing retirement age, Gen Z is projected to surpass them this year. See below for how the demographics have evolved over the past three decades.