Wells Fargo Hires Ben Steen as Municipals Trading VP
The bank has appointed Steen, who previously worked at Barclays Investment Bank, to lead its municipals trading vice president role.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in People
Wells Fargo has appointed Ben Steen as vice president of municipals trading. Steen confirmed the move in an announcement on social media, and Wells Fargo had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.
Why it matters
The appointment brings a trader with more than five years at Barclays Investment Bank into a senior municipals trading role at Wells Fargo. Moves of this kind show how banks staff their municipal bond trading desks with experienced professionals from competing firms.
Steen's career spans almost four years at Grant Thornton beginning in 2017 and more than five years at Barclays, where he joined in July 2021 and became vice president in September 2024. Wells Fargo has not disclosed his start date or the terms of the appointment.
The players
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo is one of the largest U.S. banks, with a major presence in New York's financial sector and a large municipal finance business.
Barclays Investment Bank
Barclays Investment Bank is the investment banking arm of the British bank Barclays, with a significant U.S. operation in New York.
Ben Steen
Ben Steen is a New York-based municipals trader who previously held senior roles at Barclays and began his career in advisory work at Grant Thornton.
The details
Steen joined Barclays in July 2021 as an assistant vice president on the municipals syndicate team before becoming vice president of municipals trading in September 2024. Before Barclays, he spent almost four years at Grant Thornton in New York, starting as an advisory associate in 2017 and later working as a senior associate in financial advisory and transaction services.
Timeline
2017: Steen starts at Grant Thornton as an advisory associate.
July 2021: Steen joins Barclays as an assistant vice president on the municipals syndicate team.
September 2024: Steen becomes vice president of municipals trading at Barclays.
November 4, 2026: The Wells Fargo hire is reported.
Market Landscape
Senior municipal trading hires like this one reflect ongoing competition among large banks for experienced traders who can manage municipal bond inventory and client relationships. Such lateral moves let banks strengthen specific desks without building capabilities from scratch.
For New York-area job seekers and finance professionals, this move signals active hiring for senior municipal trading roles at major banks. Readers tracking career paths in municipal finance may find the progression from advisory work to trading desk leadership a useful reference point.
The takeaway
Lateral moves into senior trading roles often follow years of building client relationships and product expertise at prior firms. For professionals in New York's municipal finance community, a clear track record across advisory and trading work can open doors at larger banks.
Further reading
For more on executive moves across the city's financial sector, explore the People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The TRADE.
