Pam Kendall-Rijos to be honored as 2022 Dean’s Medalist

Pam Kendall-Rijos, managing director at Goldman Sachs, will be honored on Friday, April 22, as the 2022 Dean’s Medalist.

An inspiring mentor and respected leader, Kendall-Rijos leads a team in Private Wealth Management (PWM), advising family offices and foundations, high-net-worth individuals and privately held business owners.

With a small number of St. Louis business clients, her connection to Washington University in St. Louis dates back nearly 20 years. At the time, her daughter Kendall was 6 months old, and little did she know she’d see her daughter attend Washington University 18 years later.

A special Olin tradition

The Dean’s Medal is a special Olin tradition that honors friends of WashU Olin Business School who have contributed valuable time, service and dedication to the school. Kendall-Rijos is a member of the National Council at Olin and has endowed a Women’s Mentorship program for female Olin students to gain connections and skills to prepare them for purpose-driven careers in business.   

“She understood exactly how Olin developed me into the leader that I became within my community, and she decided that she was going to support more,” said Kendall of her mother’s involvement with Olin.

Her involvement has led to this important program becoming permanent at Olin and assures lasting and meaningful effects for today’s Olin students. One mentorship program participant is said, “My time in the Pam Kendall-Rijos Women’s Mentor Program has truly empowered me as a woman in business. The mentors I’ve had the opportunity to meet with during our workshops have been incredibly impactful.”

Mentorship is a thread throughout her career

One common thread throughout Kendall-Rijos’ career is mentorship. As a leader, her work and involvement are much bigger than herself. In addition to endowing the women’s mentor program at Olin, she serves as a member of the PWM Top Advisors, Leadership Council and Women’s Mentorship Council. Additionally, having spent the past two decades at Goldman Sachs, she is also a board director for the Advancing Black Advisors program.

“She wakes up in the morning thinking about, ‘How can I help? How can I serve? How can I advise?’ And it’s that attitude and that genuine desire to make things better that sets her apart,” said close colleague Tucker York in an interview.   

Kendall-Rijos earned a BBA and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. She is a CFA charter holder and member of the Investment Analysts Society of Chicago. Residing in Chicago with her husband, John, she enjoys spending time with their adult children (Kendall, Taylor and Parker) and three Cavalier King Charles puppies.