Company: SFB
Filing Date: 2025-04-25
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001193125-25-094691
Chunk: 3

Company: STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP
Filing Date: 2025-04-25
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 3
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 with respect to, among other matters, the role and duties of the Board, size and composition of the Board, director responsibilities, Board committees, director access to officers, employees and independent advisors, director compensation and performance evaluation of the Board. As described in the Principles, the role of the Board is to oversee management of the Company in its efforts to enhance shareholder value and conduct the Company’s business in accordance with its mission statement. In that connection, the Board helps management assess long-range strategies for the Company, and evaluates management performance. It is a responsibility of the Board to assess each director’s independence regularly and to take appropriate actions in any instance in which the requisite independence has been compromised. The Board has determined that Directors Berlew, Maryam Brown, Michael Brown, Carnoy, Grady, Kavanaugh, Markus, Peacock, and Zimmerman are independent directors under the rules of the NYSE and the SEC, including NYSE rules regarding the independence of the Compensation Committee, and reviewed information provided by the directors in questionnaires concerning the relationships that we may have with each director. Board of Directors – Leadership, Risk Oversight and Meetings Leadership: The continuing membership of our Board is composed of 9 independent directors and 2 employee directors. Following the death of Mr. Ludeman in March of 2025, the Board reduced its size from 12 to 11, as permitted by the Company’s governing documents. The Board strategically considers the combination or separation of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer roles as an integral part of its planning process and corporate governance philosophy. Ronald J. Kruszewski concurrently serves as both the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. The Board believes that this structure serves the Company well because it provides consistent leadership and accountability for managing Company operations. However, our Board also holds regularly scheduled executive sessions without management, at which the lead independent director presides in compliance with the NYSE Corporate Governance Standards. These sessions occurred quarterly in 2024. Lead Director: Mr. David Peacock is currently the Independent Lead Director of Stifel Financial Corp. The Board has determined that the Lead Director will: have authority to call meetings of the independent directors; chair meetings of the independent directors; liaise between management and independent directors; serve ex officioon all committees of which the lead director is not otherwise a member and, with the chair of the Compensation Committee, lead CEO performance evaluation and succession planning. The Board believes that the Lead Director role should be filled by an independent director selected by the independent directors in order to promote independence of