Stefan Padfield Named as Free Enterprise Project’s New Executive Director

We are delighted to announce that Stefan Padfield has been named as the new executive director of the National Center’s Free Enterprise Project (FEP).

Stefan, who joined the FEP team in 2023, previously spent over 15 years teaching law at the University of Akron School of Law, worked in private practice, clerked for two federal court judges and served six years in the U.S. Army. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University.

“When Stefan joined the National Center’s Free Enterprise Project in June 2023, we knew we had someone special on the team,” says National Center President David Ridenour. “His work immediately began to pay dividends. We saw the number of FEP shareholder proposals increase to a record number, and our litigation against woke corporations took on a new energy, culminating in one of the most significant anti-DEI victories ever — our win in the 5th District Court in our suit against SEC over Nasdaq’s board diversity rules. As he assumes this FEP leadership role, I have every confidence that Stefan will continue blazing the trail as THE leader in fighting harmful woke policies in corporate America.”

FEP is the original and premier opponent of the woke takeover of American corporate life. FEP files shareholder resolutions, engages corporate CEOs and board members, submits public comments, engages state and federal leaders, crafts legislation, files lawsuits and directs media campaigns to push corporations to respect their fiduciary obligations and to stay out of political and social engineering.

“The National Center is fortunate to have someone of Stefan’s caliber leading the FEP team,” says National Center CEO Dan Faoro. “He will capitalize on the tremendous foundation that has been built over the years, and continue FEP’s heritage of fighting for and achieving real and significant change in corporate boardrooms.”

Stefan’s bio, including many of his publications and media appearances, can be found here.