Eric Hovde, an experienced businessman and entrepreneur, has founded and built multiple companies throughout his career. Eric is a fourth generation Wisconsinite. He is CEO and co-owner of Hovde Properties, a Madison, Wisconsin-based real estate development company. In this role, Eric oversees all large development projects to ensure they are of the highest quality and contribute to building strong local communities. Eric is also CEO of Sunwest Bank, a commercial business bank with operations throughout the Western United States and Florida.
In his career, Eric founded and managed Hovde Financial, an investment banking company, and Hovde Capital, an asset management company for institutional clients and family offices. Throughout his career, he has also purchased and turned around numerous troubled banks throughout the United States, and has served on the board of over a dozen banking companies.
At the heart of all Eric’s business operations is the importance of giving back. In 1998, Eric cemented this commitment by establishing the Hovde Foundation with his brother, Steve. The Hovde Foundation was initially focused on ending Multiple Sclerosis and expanded its mission in 2000 to focus on improving the wellbeing and life opportunities of vulnerable children throughout the U.S. and around the world. Central to the Foundation is the Hovde Homes initiative, which is a network of children’s homes in Latin America and Africa. More than shelters, these homes provide comprehensive care, education, and, above all, love to vulnerable children who have faced unthinkable forms of abuse and neglect through trafficking and abandonment. Together, Eric and Steve are on a mission to build a world in which all children can smile, knowing they are safe and loved.
Mr. Hovde is a proud alumnus of the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he earned degrees in Economics and International Relations. He is an avid traveler, adventurer, and fitness enthusiast who holds a strong commitment to his family. He is happily married to his wife Sharon, the proud father of two adult daughters, and grandfather to three precious grandchildren.
