ST. LOUIS, MO --(Marketwired - November 30, 2015) - Stifel Financial Corp. (
"The emerging markets present a great opportunity for continued growth in our global fixed income business. I am confident that our new associates from Hapoalim will help us to serve our expanding institutional client base with a full suite of global product solutions," said Ronald J. Kruszewski, Chairman and CEO of Stifel.
Also joining Stifel from Hapoalim are John Birdsall, who will lead the Emerging Markets Institutional Sales team, and Chris Landon, who will head the Emerging Markets Private Wealth and Local Sales group.
"We are pleased to welcome Ray and his experienced team to Stifel and excited to add their emerging market expertise to our growing Credit Group. The global emerging markets product will be an area of focus and growth for us as we continue to provide best-in-class insight and service to our fixed income clients," added Eric Needleman, Co-Head of Fixed Income Capital Markets.
Ray Potter commented, "We are thrilled with the opportunity to join Stifel and their growing fixed income platform. Our emerging market client base will benefit from the global distribution and trading capabilities that Stifel offers. The existing and developing product capabilities are a perfect complement to the emerging markets business we're bringing on board. In today's challenging market environment, the ability to leverage Stifel's vast distribution network in the U.S. and Europe, and provide thoughtful insight across all fixed income asset classes, positions us to be a leading emerging markets franchise for our institutional and private wealth clients."
Mr. Potter was previously a Managing Director and Head of International Fixed Income and Emerging Markets for Hapoalim Securities, a division of Bank Hapoalim, Israel's largest bank. He was responsible for all origination, sales, trading, and research of fixed income products issued outside of the United States, helping Hapoalim build their global fixed income platform. With more than 20 years of experience, Mr. Potter led the build-out of international securities at Prudential Securities and Wachovia Capital Markets, both in the U.S. and London. He also ran the Americas Credit Trading Division for Standard Bank for three years between 2005 and 2008, prior to joining Hapoalim. Mr. Potter received his BS in Business Management from the W. Paul Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University in 1989.
Mr. Birdsall was previously a Senior Vice President and led the Emerging Markets Global Institutional sales team at Hapoalim Securities since 2009. He is a graduate of Colgate University and obtained a Master's degree in International Finance from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in 1981. For more than 30 years, Mr. Birdsall has worked in fixed income sales, mostly specializing in emerging markets, including at Morgan Stanley in London and New York, and also at Lehman Brothers, Prudential Securities, Wachovia Securities, and Standard Bank.
Mr. Landon is joining Stifel from Hapoalim Securities, where he was previously a Senior Vice President and led the Emerging Markets Global Private Wealth sales group since joining Hapoalim in 2009. Prior to Hapoalim, Mr. Landon was an Emerging Markets Trader at Deutsche Bank, where he managed the auto-execution trading system. Mr. Landon started his career at Prudential Securities, where he held positions in New York as well as in Latin America. He graduated from Georgetown University and actively serves on the Board of Advisors of Georgetown's Wall Street Alliance.
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Stifel Investor Relations Sarah Anderson (415) 364-2500 investorrelations@stifel.com
