Suzanne Shank is considered to be the first African-American woman to lead a publicly traded financial institution, along with being one of the most powerful women on Wall Street period. As the CEO of two large financial firms, Shank has overseen over $1 trillion in transactions for state and local government agencies.
Shank, a native of Savannah, Ga., attended Georgia Institute of Technology and obtained a bachelor’s in Civil Engineering.After a brief stint as an engineer, Shank earned an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Since 1996, Shank has been the President and CEO Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., L.L.C., the year the company began. Working closely alongside Wall Street legend Muriel “Mickie” Siebert, Shank credits the late “First Woman of Finance” for a large part of her success. In 2013, Shank made headlines after she was named acting CEO of the Siebert Financial Corporation. It is a publicly traded holding company for Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc. Shank was tapped to run Siebert Financial after the death of its longtime leader in August 2013.
The finance maven has won several awards and garnered accolades from a variety of organizations and publications. She has been inducted into the Academy of Engineering Alumni by Georgia Tech, and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Association of Securities Professionals among other awards.
Remembering her humble beginnings, Shank has supported various mentorship programs for inner-city youth across the nation. She was also a member of the Spelman College Board of Trustees.
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Little Known Black History Fact: Suzanne Shank
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