Personal History

Brad Swanson’s career spans journalism, diplomacy and finance. 

His first job was as a reporter for his hometown newspaper, The Fort Lauderdale News.  Then, after graduating from Princeton University with a BA in History, he reported for The Miami Herald. 

Seeking international experience, he became a Foreign Service Officer, and served tours of duty in American embassies in Senegal and Liberia, as well as in State Department headquarters in Washington DC. 

Returning to the private sector, he got an MBA in Finance from Columbia University, then worked in investment banking, first on Wall Street and then in London. From the UK, he ran investment banking in Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa for Banque Nationale de Paris.

He then moved back to the Washington DC area and switched his focus to socially responsible investing. For more than two decades he has travelled widely in Latin America, Asia and Africa making private equity investments in the inclusive finance sector. His approach features deep involvement in the governance of portfolio companies, often taking a seat on the  board of directors.  

Currently, he splits his time between investment management, writing, and teaching undergraduate courses in socially responsible finance as an adjunct professor at both George Mason University and George Washington University.