President

A veteran with over 40 years of experience in the financial services industry, Eric Van Standifer is founder and CEO of Blaylock Van, LLC (BV), the oldest continuously operated African American investment bank in the US. BV provides a diversified platform of financial services including global electronic equity and fixed-income sales and trading, and a capital markets platform that services some of the largest corporations and governments worldwide.

Mr. Standifer originally founded Robert Van Securities, BV’s predecessor, in 1991. Robert Van Securities was highly regarded for its technologically driven trading capabilities and, in 2007, the firm merged with Blaylock & Co., then one of Wall Street’s most successful minority-owned investment banks renowned for its capital markets franchise. The firm is now one of Wall Street’s largest minority-owned boutique investment banks and one of the most diversified.

BV is currently headquartered in New York City and Oakland, with additional offices in Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas. Prior to launching BV, Mr. Standifer worked as a broker for Merrill Lynch and Sutro & Co. for over a decade. He is a Certified Public Accountant, a General Securities Principal, Registered Municipal Principal, and a Registered Options Principal.

Committed to community service, Mr. Standifer supports the efforts of a variety of foundations through financial contributions. In the past, he has served as the President of the National Association of Midnight Basketball League, a non-profit organization designed to help youth identify and embrace positive opportunities. Mr. Standifer is also a long-standing supporter and west-coast board member of buildOn, a global non-profit that partners with rural communities to construct schools and provide access to education in eight of the world’s economically poorest countries.

He is the recipient of several awards for his leadership and service, including the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) Annual Bay Area Achievers award and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship “Start it up” award. Mr. Standifer’s dedication to service is also reflected in BV’s continued support of its employees, with flexible scheduling and financial support as they participate in community projects and youth programs.