Scott M. Swank, 1972
B.A., Denison University
M.B.A., Northwestern University
President and Owner
Swank Trading Co.
Chicago
Citation awarded June, 2012
Scott Swank has spent the last 35 years in the fast-paced world of trading agriculture futures and options. The career of most traders do not last this long, yet Scott is drawn to the excitement and challenges of the markets. And he has no plans on retiring.
He began his career in 1977 as an independent trader at The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), where he focused on trading commodity futures. In 1987, he started Swank Trading Company, an equity member firm at CBOT that does propriety trading in all listed futures and options contracts. Scott’s personal interest in golf has inspired a parallel career. He is a founding partner and co-owner of McArthur Golf Club, a private club in Hobe Sound, Florida.
Scott’s service to the profession and to the local community is far and wide. He has served two elected terms on the CBOT Clearing Board of Governors, chaired committees on Risk, Margin, Nominating, Finance, and the CEO search committee. He also served as a trustee on the Traders Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting children’s charities in the Chicago area. Currently, he is involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Chicago and St. James Episcopal Church.
Scott has served the Denison community in a variety of capacities. He was an alumni-nominated trustee from 1994-2000, the national annual fund chair from 1992-1993 and a member of Alumni Council. In addition, he supports initiatives central to his passions, namely internships and athletics. The Swank Family Fund for Internship Opportunities has benefited nearly 90 students by supplementing their liberal arts education. He also led an initiative to increase the number of assistant coaches in the Athletics Department. Most recently, Scott has hosted students in Denison Organizational Studies Program at the Chicago Exchanges.
Scott and his wife, Carol, have four children, including two Denison graduates, Matthew ’01 and Kelly ’03.
