Our Owners
Carl PohladFounder, Chairman of the Board
Carl Pohlad was born the third of eight children in the railroad community of Valley
Junction, Iowa. With the onset of the Great Depression during his youth, Carl began
working at a young age to help his family make ends meet. These experiences allowed him
to appreciate the value and importance of hard work, and instilled gratitude for the
basic necessities of life.
One of his first entrepreneurial ventures began with a 25-cent deal. Carl convinced
a local farmer to hire a group of school-aged children to work in the fields for 25
cents an hour. Carl earned five cents an hour for organizing and record keeping – the
beginning of a half-century of entrepreneurial leadership.
Following a distinguished military career during World War II as a member of the U.S.
Army, earning multiple Purple Hearts with clusters, Carl returned to Iowa and began his
involvement in banking. In 1952, he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota where he has spent
more than 50 years creating and expanding successful banking and other finance businesses.
Carl and his family currently have numerous business holdings in the commercial finance,
real estate, beverage and entertainment industries. The family also owns the Minnesota
Twins Major League Baseball team – World Series champions in 1987 and 1991 and American
League Central Division Champions in 2002, 2003, and 2004.
Over the years, Carl has offered his time, talent, vision and financial resources to
some of the Twin Cities’ leading charitable organizations. He was a founder of the Boys
Club of Minneapolis. Carl served on the boards for organizations such as the Association
for Mentally Retarded Children, the United Hospital Fund and others. He was also finance
director for Hubert H. Humphrey’s 1970 U.S. Senate campaign. Carl was also a member of
the Commission on Investment and Banking under Minnesota Governor Rudy Perpich.
Carl has received many honors for his work in the community and in business. He holds
an honorary doctor of law degree from his alma mater, Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.
Carl was inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame in 1983, and in 1984, was
honored by the American Academy of Achievement. Corporate Report magazine named him
Executive of the Year in 1985. That same year, he received the Great American Award
from B’nai B’rith International. The City of Minneapolis also awarded Carl the Distinguished
Service Award in 1986, and one year later he was elected into the Minnesota Executive Hall of Fame.
In 1989, Carl received the Horatio Alger Award, which recognizes dedicated community
leaders who demonstrate individual initiative and a commitment to excellence – as exemplified
by remarkable achievements accomplished through honesty, hard work, self-reliance and
perseverance. The award also recognizes American leaders who have a commitment to assisting
those who are less fortunate, as well as the loyalty and devotion to American ideals
and the American free enterprise system.
Executive Vice President
Jim Pohlad is executive vice president of Marquette Financial Companies and serves as
a member of its Board of Directors. Under Jim’s leadership, Marquette has built a strong
portfolio of high-performing businesses. He also has led the acquisition of several fast-growing
specialty finance organizations to expand Marquette’s product depth to areas of automobile,
equipment, construction, land development and commercial real estate financing.
Jim is a director and vice president of the Pohlad Companies and a member of the executive
committee of the Minnesota Twins.
Jim’s civic involvement includes work on behalf of organizations and programs that support
the well being and interests of children and families in the Twin Cities and surrounding
communities. He currently serves on the boards of the Pohlad Family Foundation and The
Minneapolis Foundation. He has actively supported and been a business leader for the
United Way and the YWCA of Minneapolis Capital Campaign. He has been General Walk Chair
for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Walk. His involvement also includes serving on the
boards of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Greater Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce.
Jim is a graduate of the University of Southern California. He holds a degree in business
administration and is a certified public accountant.