BATON ROUGE - The LSU Foundation Board of Directors has named Robert M. Stuart Jr. as its interim president and CEO.

Stuart's appointment is effective Jan 1. 2020, according to a news release from the university. Stuart will succeed J. Bryan Benchoff, who retires Dec. 31.

Stuart is the first chairperson of the LSU Foundation National Board; chairman of the LSU Real Estate and Facilities Foundation, an affiliate of the LSU Foundation; and immediate past chairperson of the LSU Foundation Board of Directors. 

Stuart is also the former national head of middle-market corporate banking at Capital One, for which he led regional and national teams in middle-market banking, as well as teams in energy banking, government banking and wealth and asset management. Additionally, Stuart has served as chair of the board of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Woman’s Hospital. He has been a board member for many other organizations, including the Council For A Better Louisiana, Public Affairs Research Council, Blueprint Louisiana, the Tiger Athletic Foundation and The Committee of 100.

The LSU Foundation Board of Directors plans to establish permanent leadership in the president and CEO position in the coming months.