Clark Inspires Students During April 1 Business Forum

April 4, 2022

Brooke Clark, vice president, relationship manager at BOK Financial and OBU alumna, delivered an inspiring message to students and others in attendance during OBU’s Business Forum April 1. Her lecture took place in Tulsa Royalties Auditorium inside Bailey Business Center. Business Forums are held each semester on campus and are hosted by the Dickinson School of Business at OBU.

Clark’s lecture was titled, “Ka-rip, Ka-rap, Ka-Now What? Navigating an Undefined Journey.” She shared about her career path and how flexibility led her to where she is today, even if that’s not where she thought she would be 15 years ago. She also shared with students how the advice, support and trust of people around her, along with God’s plan, have her right where she is supposed to be, both professionally and personally.

She encouraged students to remain flexible during their careers and to be open to the possibility of opportunities that may surprise them, as those unexpected opportunities may be the perfect fit for their skills and passions. She also shared about a time in her own career when being flexible opened a door to career growth and fulfillment.

“Be flexible on your journey,” she said. “I had this plan and it didn’t go as planned.”

She then discussed how her openness to a new opportunity with BOK Financial, her current employer, helped her merge her interests of investment management with serving nonprofits in  ways she never thought possible for her career.

“That whole ‘being flexible in your journey’…I didn’t know where this was going to turn. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I didn’t know if I was going to be meeting these revenue goals,” she said.

“Even if you don’t know what you want to do right now, that’s OK because every day, my job changes. My opportunities change.”

She also encouraged the students to find ways to utilize their God-given talents to better those around them and to use their skills to the utmost of their ability. She also advised the students to surround themselves with people who want them to succeed. She noted the importance of building relationships, paying attention to those around them and reading the room to see how others are responding and engaging, to identify others’ needs, and to determine ways they can meet those needs.

Clark joined BOK Financial’s Institutional Wealth team in 2016 and has been working in the industry since 2010. Prior to joining BOKF, she worked as an investment officer for The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma, now known as WatersEdge, where her focus was primarily spent on monitoring the endowment portfolio and other investments managed by the Foundation.

Clark specializes in working with endowments, foundations and nonprofits, providing investment management services as well as board education and training. She currently serves as board president for the Owasso Education Foundation and is a member of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits. She was named one of The Journal Record’s Achievers Under 40 in 2021. She is active in her community and received the Silver Presidential Volunteer Service Award for volunteering 250 or more hours in 2021.

She earned a master’s degree in finance from Penn State University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from OBU. She also holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) designation. She currently resides in Owasso with her husband Daniel, son Case and daughter Renn.

Learn more about the Dickinson School of Business at OBU.