ST. LOUIS, MO--(Marketwired - Apr 22, 2013) - Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: [ SF ]) today announced that Paul Westra will join the firm on June 11, 2013, as Managing Director and Senior Analyst covering the restaurant sector. 

"We are very pleased that Paul will be joining our Consumer & Retail Equity Research Group," stated Hugh Warns, Director of Research at Stifel. "Paul is an outstanding, proven analyst and a recognized leader in the restaurant industry. We look forward to adding his talents to the existing nine highly recognized consumer analysts at Stifel."

"Paul brings a great combination of unique research methodologies and practical operational experience to our firm and team," added David Schick, head of the Consumer & Retail Equity Research Group at Stifel.

Mr. Westra will bring over 20 years of experience, including the past eleven with Cowen and Company, where he built a dominant restaurant practice. In addition to his career in equity research, he spent two years as Vice President of Business Development for Food.com, an outsourced information technology company for restaurants. He is also part owner of a New York City restaurant, further adding to his practical industry expertise. Mr. Westra holds an M.B.A. from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a B.A. in business administration from the University of Massachusetts. He is also a CFA charter holder. 

Company Information
Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: [ SF ]) is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly owned subsidiaries. Stifel clients are served through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated in the U.S., through Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc. in Canada, through Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited in the United Kingdom and Europe, and through Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. in the U.S. and Europe. The Company's broker-dealer affiliates provide securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Stifel Bank & Trust offers a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. Stifel Trust Company, N.A. offers trust and related services. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Company's web site at [ www.stifel.com ].