January 24, 2006

Detroit Exec Named One of

Country's Most Powerful in Business

DETROIT - Suzanne Shank, President and CEO of Siebert Brandford Shank & Co.,. LLC, has been named by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the country's "50 most powerful Women in Business."

The magazine's February issue describes the women who made the list as being those "who represent the top echelon of business. They have authority over budgets totaling billions of dollars and they control subsidiaries, divisions or departments that affect the fiscal health and direction of their entities."

Shank is a founding member of Siebert, Brandford, Shank & Co., LLC, one of the country's largest African American-owned investment banks, which has participated in more than $360 billion in transactions since its October, 1996 inception. The company is a broker-dealer specializing in municipal bond underwriting and financial advisory services to public sector clients.

"It is an honor to be recognized with such an outstanding group of women in a trail blazing and impactful publication such as Black Enterprise," Shank said. "I'm truly humbled by this."

Shank was the only Detroiter to make the cut —although the publication mistakenly listed her home office as being in Oakland, Ca. A correction of the error will run in the March, 2006 edition of the magazine.

Shank earned her M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and holds a degree in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Shank serves on the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Historical Society, WAVE, Detroit Summer Finance Institute and Giving Heart Network boards. Shank is also a member of the National Association of Securities Professionals, and is co-chairing the group's conference that will be held in Detroit this summer.

In addition to the recognition from Black Enterprise, Shank was selected as one of the 25 influential Black Women in Business awardees by Network Journal, New York city's preeminent black business and professional magazines. She has also received recognitions from Crain's Detroit Business and the Madame CJ Walker Center.

Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., LLC ranks in the top 25 of negotiated senior managers nationally and has been the top-ranked minority/women owned municipal bond broker-dealer in the nation since 1998 (source: Securities Data Corp.) In 2005, the firm ranked 23rd nationally for senior managed negotiated underwritings with deals totaling more than $2 billion and 12th nationally for co-managed under writings with deals totaling more than $47.3 billion. The firm employs 50 professionals in 12 offices nationally.

Contact:
Darci E. McConnell
(313) 343-9600
(313) 686-8094

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