February 06, 2025

#78 Building Trust and Integrity in Finance: Lessons from Mike Bontrager (Founder of Chatham Financial and Team Lead at Square Roots Collective)

1 hour 3 minutes

In this episode of the Investing in Integrity podcast, Ross Overline, CEO and co-founder of Scholars of Finance, speaks with Mike Bontrager, Founder of Chatham Financial and Team Lead at Square Roots Collective.

This conversation explores Mike Bontrager's entrepreneurial journey in the world of risk management. Mike takes us through the processes of building Chatham Financial and emphasizes the importance of building trust and integrity in finance. He shares several lessons on navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship and how prioritizing client trust has fostered long-lasting relationships at Chatham Financial.

Mike and Ross also discuss the role of movements in driving systemic change. Mike addresses the importance of collaboration and ethical leadership in shaping a more trustworthy and stable financial industry.

Meet Mike Bontrager

Mike Bontrager has spent his career starting and operating both purpose-driven for-profit and nonprofit organizations. In 1991, he founded Chatham Financial and built it into the largest independent financial derivatives advisory services and technology firm. In 2019, he retired from Chatham and founded Square Roots Collective (SRC) to launch ventures under one umbrella to cultivate a community where everyone can thrive and meet their potential. Mike holds a BA in economics from Wheaton College and received an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

...more