Sunil Swami
Chief Investment Officer
As chief investment officer at Alerus, Sunil Swami’s responsibilities include overseeing business strategy, operations, and investment decisions to manage and advise over $8 billion of client assets and the bank’s $1 billion investment portfolio. He leads a team that is responsible for investing in global equities, fixed-income, and alternative assets such as commodities, real estate, and hedge funds. Sunil is a member of Alerus’ asset-liability committee, which is responsible for managing interest rate risk on the bank’s balance sheet. He regularly presents his views on the economy, interest rates, and financial market conditions and their impact on the company’s businesses for Alerus’ enterprise risk management committee and corporate board.
Sunil has held the role of chief investment officer since 2004. Under his leadership, the company has developed new products and enhanced portfolio customization to improve the client experience, resulting in significant growth of its wealth management division. In addition, he was appointed to the Minnesota State Board of Investment’s investment advisory council in 2023 and contributes his expertise to matters related to SBI’s five investment programs.
Prior to joining Alerus, Sunil worked as an equity analyst at Delphi Management in Boston. His career also includes senior management positions at Polaroid Corporation and Campbell Soup Company. At Polaroid, he was responsible for managing its subsidiary in India and for strategy and investments in emerging markets with over $200 million in revenue. He also served as the CEO of a venture capital funded internet start-up that was sold to a private equity firm.
Sunil holds an engineering degree from Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur, India, and an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, in Boston.