Trojan Ready Series: Lessons from Failure with Stifel

Event details Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026 Time: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Type: Lecture / Talk / Workshop, Careers Campus: University Park Campus Department: Career Center Audience: Students About this event This workshop is part of the Trojan Ready Series, a collection of featured employer-led workshops designed to help USC students build career readiness and develop professional skills for success in the workplace. View all upcoming Trojan Ready Series workshops here. Lessons from Failure is hosted by Stifel. Building a successful career takes more than landing your first opportunity — it also means building meaningful relationships, navigating challenges, and learning from experiences along the way. Join Stifel for an insightful conversation with Dr. Benjamin Akande, Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer at Stifel Financial. In this session, students will gain insights into effective networking strategies, practical career advice, and how embracing and learning from failure can become a catalyst for long-term professional growth and success after college. Following the presentation, students attending in person will have the opportunity to meet and network with Stifel recruiters and management personnel, ask questions, and begin building professional connections. This workshop supports the NACE Career Readiness Competencies of Career & Self-Development, Leadership, & Professionalism. Meeting Details: RSVP via the Events tab and select Workshops in HANDSHAKE to attend and receive session details. About the Speaker: Dr. Akande plays a key role in driving Stifel’s transformation toward sustainability, integrating human capital into social and environmental considerations for business decision-making to support Stifel’s long-term value. He previously served as President of Westminster College and Champlain College and as Vice Chancellor at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Akande holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Oklahoma. IMPORTANT: External employer-hosted events and activities are not affiliated with the University of Southern California. They are posted on Handshake because they may be of interest to members of the USC community. Inclusion of any activity does not indicate USC sponsorship or endorsement of said activity or event. It is the participant’s responsibility to apply due diligence, exercise caution when participating, and report concerns to recruit@usc.edu. This event is open to all majors and class levels. Registration is first-come, first-served, and space is limited to 75 attendees.No-Show Policy: Failure to attend without canceling will result in a “No Show” on your Handshake account. Multiple no-shows may restrict your access to future events, per our Trojan Accountability Expectations. Need a disability-related accommodation? If you are in need of disability-related accommodations, please Request an Accessibility Accommodation. Notice Official event details: https://calendar.usc.edu/event/trojan-ready-series-lessons-from-failure-with-stifel