ST. LOUIS, MO, May 6, 2020 – Venture capital firm and small business lender Advantage Capital has hired Erika Williams as Vice President of Talent. Based in the St. Louis office, Williams will oversee the firm’s talent acquisition, development and retention strategy, building out world-class teams, systems and processes to capitalize on the firm’s growth prospects and mission to bring investment capital to underserved communities.
“Erika will play a critical role in the growth and success of our firm, spearheading efforts to recruit, develop and retain our next generation of leaders,” said Ryan Brennan, managing director at Advantage Capital. “She has deep experience in leading organizational HR change, and her proven ability to drive talent strategy, innovation and results will help further unlock our vast potential and strengthen our position as a leading financial industry workplace.”
Williams’ new role at Advantage Capital builds upon her extensive career in the HR industry, including more than 20 years of experience and proven success in talent acquisition and management, process improvement, community engagement, and diversity and inclusion. Prior to joining Advantage Capital, Williams spent more than a decade with BJC Healthcare, where she served most recently as a System Talent Acquisition Manager, leading HR recruitment for BJC’s professional and corporate business lines and divisions. At BJC, her leadership resulted in more than 10,000 new hires in 2019 alone, along with the development and implementation of a system-wide internship program and process improvement programs focused on succession planning and diversity, among other key initiatives.
Williams’ focused community engagement and diversity and inclusion work includes board positions at Midwest BankCentre and Beyond Housing, support of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis, along with diversity leadership roles at BJC and other organizations. Earlier in her career, Williams was the Regional Talent Acquisition Manager for Darden Restaurants’ Olive Garden division. Prior to this role, she served as Regional Recruiting Manager for Applebee’s.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Saint Louis University and earned her MBA from Lindenwood University.