To help you stay on top of specialty lines of coverage, InvestmentNews has brought together a board of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion professionals in the wealth industry. These experts will meet on a quarterly basis to outline all the burning issues and concerns around DEI to give financial advisors all the tools they need in this critical area.
Benjamin Ola. Akande, PH.D
Sr. Vice President | Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer (CCRO) at Stifel Financial
Dr. Akande is Senior Vice President, Director Human Capital, Head of Diversity and ESG, Stifel Financial, a wealth management and investment-banking firm.
Dr. Akande served as President of Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, Westminster College in Fulton, Assistant Vice Chancellor of International Programs-Africa, Director of the African Initiative, Associate Director of the Global Health Center at Washington
University and Professor of Economic and Dean of the Walker School of Business and Technology, Webster University.
Dr. Akande is a respected economist, scholar, and global consultant to Fortune 500 companies. A results-oriented leader, Dr. Akande is admired for his ability to connect with diverse constituencies at all levels within public, private and non-profit sectors.
An engaging and compelling communicator, Dr. Akande is regularly sought out commentator by national media. He has appeared on Anderson Cooper 360, CBS Evening News and St. Louis affiliates of FOX, ABC and NBC. His commentaries have appeared in USA TODAY, Financial Times and on public radio’s Marketplace.
Dr. Akande holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Oklahoma and completed post-doctoral studies at JFK School of Government at Harvard University. He is a member of the USC Marshall School of Business Corporate Advisory Board. He currently serves on the non-profit boards of The MUNY and Forest Park Forever, Saint Louis Art Museum, Girls Inc. and he is a Director of VI-JON, a St. Louis based manufacturer of health and beauty care products.
Dr. Akande and his wife, Bola, a pharmacist and entrepreneur, have three adult daughters, ages 30, 28 and 22.
Simi Dubb, MBA
Managing Director Head of Talent, Learning and DEI at Citi
Simi is passionate about putting talent, development and inclusion at the centre of business decision making, believing that the way businesses engage and develop talent are key drivers of both competitive advantage and successful business change. Throughout her career, which includes senior global roles across the people agenda at Citi, BAT, Centrica, Fidelity International, Royal Bank of Scotland, BT Group, HSBC and Royal Bank of Canada, she has been a strong advocate for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and having a ‘high performance culture’ through active talent management. Known for her thought leadership in this area, Simi often speaks at industry conferences and round tables.
Recognising that the journey to excellence in talent management and culture is challenging for many organisations, Simi believes that success lies in striking the right balance between thoughtful innovation and pragmatic delivery, an approach she has adopted when it comes to leading on global talent, learning and diversity & inclusion strategies working with business leaders and at Board level. Simi’s commitment in this vital area includes involvement in the Women On Boards (Davies Report), Steering Committee at the Royal Academy of Engineering and lobbying with Government in House of Commons to change legislation for working carers in the UK.
Simi is a guest lecuter at Kings University in London, teaching Masters students on how to develop a commercial business case or HR. Simi has also recently joing the Board of Hope and Homes for Children, lobby with government across India, Africa, Europe and China to keep families united.
Simi holds a Master’s degree in Individual and Organisation Development. Simi enjoys reading, creative writing, running and is an active member of her local community. Simi was born in Delhi, raised in Toronto and now lives in London with her husband and three children.
Maz Karamuddin, MBA
Head of Field Inclusion & Diversity at Guardian Life
Based in New York City and with 27 years’ experience in the financial services industry, Maz Kamaruddin is the Head of Field Inclusion & Diversity for Guardian Life. Maz is responsible for the development and implementation of the field inclusion and diversity strategy, collaborating and partnering with the field leadership, and the distribution channel to champion Guardian’s values and vision of excellence for inclusion and diversity.
In 2019 Maz is recognized as a recipient of See It, Be It Role Model of InvestmentNews Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Awards.
Maz holds an MBA from University of New Haven, CT and a Bachelor of Science in Management Science from SUNY Binghamton, NY.
On a personal note, Maz enjoys gourmet cooking and crafting. She and her husband Abdul travel outside of continental United States every year to experience other cultures.
Ryan Philmon
Senior Manager, National Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Equitable
Ryan as a senior manager on Equitable’s Talent Management team, has a strong passion for helping to create a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable financial services industry. His diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) expertise lies in the fields of recruiting, culture engagement and analysis, wellness in the workplace, and translation services for advisors. Within his role at Equitable, Ryan works with Equitable Advisors’ financial professionals across the country, providing them tools and resources to grow their practice, build rewarding careers and expand their impact into the communities in which they work and live.
He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Cultural Anthropology and a Minor in International Studies. He resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife, 2.5-year-old daughter and dog Lincoln.
Nena Chhoum
Senior Consultant, Advisor Diversity and Inclusion at LPL Financial
As a senior consultant of Advisor Diversity and Inclusion at LPL Financial, Nena is responsible for supporting the advancement of representation, strategic programs, and business growth for financial advisors of underrepresented demographic segments.
Her team was recognized in 2019 with an InvestmentNews Diversity Champion award, as well as WealthManagement.com Industry Awards for their efforts in advisor diversity and inclusion. In 2022 another Wealthies award was received for outstanding achievement in diversity, equity, and inclusion. While these accolades are encouraging, she is motivated to continue doing her part to create a more inclusive and equitable industry for the benefit of financial advisors and the investor communities they serve.
Since joining LPL Financial in 2007, Nena has held roles in service, trading and operations before transitioning to diversity and inclusion. She is committed to and passionate about building strong relationships with clients and communities, and executing programs at scale to enable financial advisors to grow their practices and support their investors.
Nena holds FINRA Series 7 license. She is a mom of two daughters, and loves to craft and create in her
spare time.
