Building Trust One Handshake at a Time: Clint Zweifel

08-20-2025

Knocking on doors for six months early in his career taught Clint Zweifel important business lessons and influenced his leadership approach. Now, the president of Northern Trust-Missouri hopes to bring those principles to the Daniels School of Business in his new role as a Business Fellow.

Zweifel began his public service as a state legislator, serving three terms in the Missouri House of Representatives before being elected to two terms as Missouri State Treasurer. One foundational lesson Zweifel learned was the critical importance of building trust and genuine relationships.

During his first run for the Missouri House of Representatives, he knocked on 14,000 doors and won his election by a mere 67 votes. This experience taught him the value of being let into people's lives with trust and respect, highlighting the human side of leadership that extends beyond transactions or politics. He emphasizes the importance of active listening and being present with people in all kinds of life moments, which informs how he leads teams and serves clients in business.

He also learned that persistence and tenacity are vital in both political and business success. The close margin of his first election win underscored that every effort counts and that steady, consistent work, even in the face of uncertainty or skepticism from others, can pay off. Zweifel views leadership as a process of continual growth and mutual benefit, and he stresses that just as in politics, you can't immediately solve every problem in business, but you need patience to prioritize and work through challenges thoughtfully.

Additionally, Zweifel sees the crossover between public service and business leadership through the lens of relationship-building at all levels, starting with colleagues. He believes that effective business development and organizational success depend on building trust and open communication internally, which then extends outward to clients and communities. His political experience reinforced that leadership is about connecting authentically with others and being accountable, not just managing tasks or projects. This human-centered approach is a key lesson he brings from his time running for and serving in elected office into his work as a business fellow and executive.

During his role as state treasurer, Zweifel managed a $3.5 billion portfolio and championed initiatives that supported retirement security, economic development, small business, agriculture, college savings, military installations and housing. Notably, his tenure saw innovative programs for affordable housing — an unexpected but meaningful responsibility that, as he reflects, showcased his ability to respond flexibly and make a lasting civic impact. He now leads a talented team dedicated to serving individuals, families and endowments with expertise and integrity in investment management, fiduciary administration and private banking.

Integral to Zweifel’s approach is his first-generation college student experience, a foundational aspect that shapes his passion for mentorship and expanding opportunity. Higher education was not only a professional catalyst but also something that changed the trajectory of his family. Now, as a Business Fellow, he is eager to give back by helping students and young professionals realize their vast potential, encouraging them to own the room and understand that they have earned their places in leadership and decision-making spaces.

Zweifel sets an example as a business and civic leader who understands both global and local perspectives. He serves as a trustee and director for organizations such as the Concord Coalition, where he advocates for responsible fiscal policy, the St. Louis Community Foundation, and the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum. He represented the United States as an Eisenhower Fellow in Spain and Brazil and as a delegate in South Korea and Germany.

As he joins the Daniels School, Zweifel brings with him an ethos of openness, dialogue and lifelong learning. He hopes that being a Business Fellow will be a two-way exchange — both an opportunity to share the lessons of his career and to gain new perspectives from the Daniels School community. He believes that excellence, accountability and authentic leadership are not just business ideals but life principles, and he looks forward to helping Purdue students and colleagues put those values into practice.