Meet Our Team

Mike McLaren
President / CEO

With over 30 years of experience in investment management, Mike serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of BPS Capital. He is a partner of the firm and joined BPS Capital in 1987. Prior to joining BPS Capital, Mike worked as an institutional bond broker for M.H. Novick. He received his BS in Finance Business from the University of Illinois.

Gary Walen
Vice President / CFO

Gary has been at BPS Capital since 1987 and has over 30 years of experience in investment management. He is a partner of the firm and serves as the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining BPS Capital, Gary worked in institutional fixed income sales at Dougherty, Strand, & Yost. He received his BA in Business Administration and Economics from Augsburg College.

Eric C. J. Swanson, CFA
Portfolio Manager

Eric joined BPS Capital in 2011. He performs a dual role as both a Fixed Income Analyst as well as a Portfolio Manager. Eric is responsible for designing and building BPS Capital’s proprietary Interest Rate Risk report. He holds the Charted Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of both the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Minnesota. He earned his BA in Economics and Finance from Bethel University in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Erin Swanson, CFA
Fixed Income Analyst

Erin is a Fixed Income Analyst, and has been at BPS Capital since 2012. Outside of BPS, she is also a professional skating instructor. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of both the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Minnesota. She graduated from Bethel University in Saint Paul, Minnesota with a BA in Mathematics.

Patrick Dardis
Portfolio Manager

Patrick joined BPS Capital in 2022. He serves as a Portfolio Manager and BPS's Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). Prior to joining BPS Capital, Patrick worked in Financial Data & Analytics, Corporate Treasury, and Banking Operations. He graduated from South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City, South Dakota with a BS in Industrial Engineering.

Tamara Pompilio
Client Reporting & Support Analyst

Tamara is a Client Reporting & Support Analyst at BPS Capital and has been working with the company since 2013. Prior to working for BPS Capital, Tamara worked in the pharmaceutical industry as a certified pharmacy technician. Outside of the office she is heavily involved in a number of local community charities and non-profits, and is also a mother of three children.

Scott Rizzardi
Operations Associate

Scott is the newest member of the team at BPS Capital. He joined the company in 2021 as an Operations Associate. Scott received bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas.