“Don’t you dare sell anything you wouldn’t want your grandmother to have,” says Richard Davis. “Get it off the shelf!” This ‘Grandmother Quotient’ is one of many leadership principles that the former CEO of U.S. Bank and now President & CEO of Make a Wish America shares in this episode.

It’s no secret that U.S. Bank during Richard’s (nearly two-decade) tenure set a standard of excellence, frequently being cited as one of the best places to work in America; racking up prestigious international awards for ethical business practice; and generating industry-leading returns to shareholders.

In this masterclass on principled, servant-leadership, Richard unpacks that elusive success. He recounts his rise from humble bank teller to CEO of one of the biggest banks in America, touching on key inflection points in his career such as leading U.S. Bank through the Great Recession and supporting employees and customers through social unrest in the 2010s.

“In our lives, we need to look around and see people with potential,” Richard says, reflecting on a bank manager named Cindy, who mentored him early in his career and set him on his path of leadership in banking.  “Financial services,” he says, is all about the “word services–what you do for others and what you give back.”

00:00 - Background & Introduction

14:28 - Compassionate Servant Leadership

24:30 - Characteristics of World-Class CEOs

This episode of Investing In Integrity features a highly respected leader in Private Equity, Daniel Pietrzak. Daniel is a Partner at KKR where he co-leads the firm's private credit funds with about $72B in assets under management.

Daniel recently launched a $2.1B asset-based finance fund, which is the firm’s first fund which finances assets secured against collateral-based cash flows, like consumer mortgages and commercial leases.

Daniel not only takes us through the backstory of launching a new fund and building a team; he explains how his fund operates at the cutting edge of Private Equity, which he says is about “financing the real-world economy,” more than the traditional buy-and-flip model.

Throughout the episode, Daniel offers insightful, first-hand advice for anyone interested in a career in PE or a top-tier firm like KKR. He explains how KKR looks for “dynamic athletes” and talks about the importance of being both well-read and speaking up to share points of view.

A seasoned leader, and Advisor to Scholars of Finance, Daniel shares wisdom into the leadership principles and practices which have helped him to succeed, from the importance of education to the necessity of humility. The first in his family to attend college, Daniel shares an inspiring story–both of his own career journey and of the rapidly-evolving landscape of PE in finance.

00:00 - Intro

2:42 - Daniel’s Story

14:25 - KKR and Daniel’s Role

19:47 - Private Equity

31:00 - Rapid Fire

It’s another first on Investing In Integrity: a conversation with one of our team-members! We’re joined by Jody Holden, our new Chief Growth Officer at Scholars of Finance. Prior to joining SOF in the spring, Jody spent 25+ years in financial services, including stints at Prudential, Citigroup & Bank of America where she specialized in Equity Research and Institutional Sales.

“My job,” Jody says, “is to make sure we’re here for as long as we can possibly be here, to make sure we get bigger & stronger.” Jody takes us behind the scenes into growing a non-profit membership organization like SOF, sharing her perspective on our mission, vision, and values–and unpacking her optimism for the future of our organization and our growth strategy.  Ross & Jody also discuss the importance of building and sustaining high-trust, high-integrity relationships in collaborative leadership.

8:52 - Early Career

13:40 - Sales and Client Relationships

19:19 - Mentorship and Women’s Initiatives

26:24 - Wrap Up

In this episode of Investing In Integrity, we’re joined by Kathy Kraninger, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Solidus Labs & the former Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). A Republican Trump-appointee confirmed along party lines, Kathy covers several hot-button issues from her tenure leading the CFPB, from the $2T+ student loan debt crisis to the record-high level of consumer complaints filed in 2020.  

We hope you enjoy this in-depth conversation as we did.

00:00 - Intro

14:26 - Consumer Protection

23:46 - Crypto and Crypto Regulation

36:32 - Rapid Fire

In this episode, we dig into cryptocurrency regulation, the societal role of corporations, and ESG requirements with SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce.

Both a leading conservative advocate of cryptocurrency innovation and a vocal critic of ESG, Commissioner Peirce brings incisive perspective to complicated current topics including:

For future and current finance leaders alike, we hope this conversation proves both highly informative thanks to its substantive depth, and also thought-provoking as Commissioner Peirce shares her unique perspectives on some of the most important topics in finance today.

*Note: at the time of this recording a few weeks ago, the SEC only had four commissioners. Since then, Commissioner Mark Uyeda and Jaime Lizarraga were sworn in.

9:00 - Crypto Regulations

17:33 - Role of Corporations in the Public Interest

26:22 - ESG

39:53 - Rapid Fire

In this week’s episode of Investing In Integrity, our CEO, Ross Overline, interviewed Michelle Seitz, the Chairman & CEO of Russell Investments, a leading global investment firm that ended 2021 with over $340 billion in assets under management and $1.2 trillion under advisement for clients in 32 countries.

“Human connection can never be understated, and it is core to being a high-performing executive.” Michelle says, in discussing her tenure leading Russell Investments. She reflects on building and sustaining strong culture and how she self-selected her role based on her own values tracing to her upbringing.

1:44 - Michelle’s Career and Story

26:55 - Developing client relationships, culture, and purpose

36:31 - Empowering more women to become leaders in finance

43:58 - Rapid Fire Questions

At the dinner table with his father, a Tuskegee airman, John Rogers began reading Kiplinger’s Letters and the annual reports of companies. Soon after, Rogers began being mentored by Stacy Adams, a pioneering African-American stockbroker in Chicago.

In just 30 minutes, John traces in remarkable detail his own pioneering, history-making career. John discusses how Ariel Investments, the first Black-owned investment management firm in America, weathered financial crises by sticking to a values-driven approach, both in investment decisions and in leadership.

He also explains how financial services firms and their leaders can help close the racial wealth & opportunity gaps, from diversifying management, to supporting financial literacy, to collaborating with other progressive and minority-owned institutions.

“Optimistic about the future,” John highlights the roles of political engagement, educational leadership, and non-profit involvement in his own life as crucial ways that financial services employees & executives can make a difference.

“I felt the challenge to do something special and make a difference,” John says. We think you’ll agree that his clarity of perspective and generosity of advice in this episode are yet another example of something special and difference-making added to John’s impressive list.

00:00 - Intro

2:59 - John’s Career and Story

13:53 - Racial Inequalities in Wealth and Corporate Finance

23:47 - Rapid Fire questions

In our first-ever student panel, our CEO Ross Overline spoke with several Scholars of Finance members from the Princeton, MIT, and UC Berkeley chapters.

“But the truth about finance,” another student said in this episode, “is that you can be ethical, hold your values close to your heart, reach the top and use your position to do good and be admired for it.”

1. the diverse finance cultures at their universities, and how they found like-minded, mission-driven peers and avoided toxicity through SOF

2. the finance industry and its reputation at their campuses, and how they have been navigating the recruiting process to find values-driven opportunities

3. the intersections between pursuing finance and social impact, ranging from helping their extended families overseas to driving inclusive change within the industry

As another student panelist said, “I’m most looking forward to starting a domino effect to help others achieve the best versions of themselves, because it takes a village to achieve what we want to do.”

Episode Segments:

00:00 - Intro

02:09 - Background on student panelists

10:16 - Finance culture at different schools

27:15 - Student perspectives on finance industry and recruiting

34:28 - The impact our members hope to make in finance

41:21 - How SOF has impacted our members

Mandell began his career at Morgan Stanley and has been with the firm for 30 years. Prior to his role as CHRO, he served as the Head of Private Wealth Management, as the Chief Marketing Officer, and in a variety of roles in Sales, Trading, and Business Development. Throughout his time at Morgan Stanley Mandell has led the organization across revenue and asset growth, fielded leadership talent, and spearheaded the creation of a more equitable firm culture.

We discussed many topics today, including Mandell’s unique story of entering and rising the ranks at one of the top investment banks in the world, the role capital and capitalism plays in driving societal change, the ESG movement, and the importance of diversity and inclusion in the industry. Mandell was a fun and insightful guest and the conversation was amazing - all thanks to him of course. Our team really does hope you enjoy it and find it as valuable as we did.

Episode Segments

In episode #18, Ross converses with Chris Campbell, the Chief Strategist at Kroll.

Chris has an incredibly interesting story and provides unique insight on the financial system with his deep experience in both the public and private sectors. Chris discussed many topics including, working in the United States government, tackling tough objectives through policy, early career trajectory and advice, the role of finance in the current day, the current macroeconomic environment in the US, and the advice he would give to young finance professionals.

Prior to his role at Kroll, Chris was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Institutions serving from 2017 to 2018. Prior to this role he served as the Staff Director of the Senate Finance Committee and Judiciary Committee. He designed, managed and coordinated the U.S. Senate Republican agenda in the areas of international and domestic taxation, international trade, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the U.S. National Debt. As a part of his government leadership roles, Chris helped spearhead some of the most impactful financial legislation and international negotiations of the last decade.

We are pleased to have Chris Campbell on today’s podcast!