Diane C. Swonk
Senior Managing Director and Chief Economist

Diane Swonk is a senior managing director and chief economist for Mesirow Financial, a diversified financial services firm based in Chicago. As one of the most sought-after economists in the world, she is frequently called upon by policymakers and business leaders from Washington to Tokyo. Diane joined Mesirow Financial in 2004 after 19 years with Bank One Corporation and its predecessors. She started her career with the First Chicago Corporation in 1985 and quickly moved up the ranks, proving herself as a regional economist with her forecast for a renaissance in the Industrial Midwest just one year later. During her tenure with First Chicago, Diane published several nationally acclaimed studies as well as her first book: The Passionate Economist: Finding the Power and Humanity Behind the Numbers.

Diane sits on several advisory committees to the Federal Reserve Board, its regional banks and the Council of Economic Advisers for the White House. Most recently, she was appointed to serve on the Congressional Budget Office's panel of economic advisers. As one of the most quoted economists in the financial press, Diane is seen regularly on national and international television and her commentary can be read in top financial news publications throughout the world. In addition, she serves as a Clinical Professor for DePaul University's highly rated evening MBA program.

Diane currently serves on the board for the Joffrey Ballet, the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business Council and as an advisor to the Economic Department for the University of Michigan. She is also involved extensively with the Economic and Executives' Club's of Chicago. Diane was recently appointed chair of the City of Chicago's Climate Change Finance Committee and to the Chicago Conservation Center's Advisory Board. Diane is past president of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), a title that Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and several other Federal Reserve presidents have also shared. Diane was the youngest to serve as president in the association's history and continues to dedicate much of her time to improving the quality and timeliness of economic data, a critical aspect of policymaking.

Diane has earned many awards throughout her career. She was designated "Business Leader of the Year" by the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, named a "Fellow" of NABE for her outstanding contributions to the field of business economics and listed as one of the "top forecasters in the country" by the Wall Street Journal. In addition, Today's Chicago Woman named her "Top Woman in Finance in Chicago" and the Chicago Sun-Times crowned her "one of the most influential women in business in Chicago."

Diane earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in economics with top honors from the University of Michigan as well as a master's degree in finance and strategic planning with top honors from the University of Chicago.