For someone who has been working in the banking industry for 31 years, the personality did not fit the mold.
John Stumpf, president and CEO of Wells Fargo and an SCSU alumnus, took his first steps on campus since graduating 31 years ago, but made himself right at home.
He used his dry sense of humor to transform Ritsche Auditorium into the Apollo Theatre.
"I had the chance to talk with two different classes today and these students are fabulous. I never would have gotten into school today, and I probably shouldn't of gotten in 35 years ago," Stumpf said.
His parents, who raised him on a Pierz dairy farm as one of 11 children, got to experience their son speak professionally in front of a crowd for the first time in their lives.
And Stumpf did not take it lightly.
"They heard me talk a lot as a kid, and it apparently has taken them 31 years to get over it," Stumpf said.
He continued to make wisecracks, even when he introduced Ruth, his wife of 33 years.
"I would also like to introduce my first wife Ruth. She is also the current wife. She was shameless in the pursuit of me, so I finally gave into it. It was a small town, so there wasn't much to choose from," Stumpf said.
After getting the packed auditorium's attention, he got down to business, but maintained his comedic ways throughout.
How did Stumpf get where he is today?
He grew up sharing a bed with two brothers, because there were only three beds between seven brothers.
"For those of you who are accounting majors, you do the math. Someone had to sleep three to a bed, and that third person was me. I never got dressed alone until I was married," Stumpf said.
In high school, he was not known for his academic
prowess, so he began working as a baker at the Sanitary Bakery in Little Falls.
While driving to work on Sept. 21, 1972 he decided take a turn towards SCSU to take his college entrance exams.
He passed the exam and slowly adapted to college, where he would graduate in 76' with a finance degree.
"Its surprising how fast you graduate when your spending your own money," Stumpf said.
While working his first job as a repo-man for First Bank Systems, he earned his MBA at the U of M.
"At about three or four in the afternoon I would go home and take a nap and then about seven o'clock at night, I would go out stealing cars," Stumpf said sarcastically.
After 29 years of working his way up the corporate ladder he became the President and CEO of Wells Fargo in 2005 and is now in charge of the nation's fifth-largest financial services company.
Because of his success, Diana Lawson, Dean of the G.R. Herberger College of Business, invited and welcomed Stumpf to SCSU.
She opened the lecture talking about how SCSU prepares its students for the future and what an important role Stempf had on their preparation.
"We are honored that Mr. Stumpf spent time with us here today. The better we prepare our students, the better off they are," Lawson said.
President Earl Potter was also honored by Stumpf's presence in Ritsche.
"It is an act of pure generosity to our students, as they lay the tracks of their future," Potter said.
"You are a constant role model, with a life of integrity, with the same values we want in our students."
Advice to SCSU students
When future business students are in search of advice, Stumpf had basic principles to follow.
'Life is too short to work for a bunch of jerks. Go work for someone who has a culture, and a set of values that fit you," Stumpf said.
Even when money advice came to the table he did not loose his comedic ways.
"Money does not matter. I know a lot of people who are worth $20 million, and they are no happier than those who make $19 million," Stumpf said.
To close out the lecture Stumpf gave credit to the students for making the decision to go to college at SCSU.
"You have great instructors and you have made great choices. My advice to you is to dream big dreams and think big thoughts," Stumpf said
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