"I was tired of the large corporate atmosphere."

As published in the Chicago Tribune (11/28/04)

Diane Swonk, former chief economist for Chicago-based Bank One, was named chief economist for Mesirow Financial, a Chicago-based investment management firm.

Swonk, 42, said she took the job largely because of the firm's chief executive officer, James Tyree. "We just clicked," she said. "I was tired of the large corporate atmosphere. This gave me a lot of flexibility. One of my big issues was not only staying in Chicago but also finding a firm that is civic-oriented."

Swonk was at Bank One and its predecessors for 19 years. Bank One was acquired this year by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.

"She's going to be providing economic information and forecasts to our clients," Tyree said. "We're now in 17 or 18 cities and are looking to expand our presence in each of them and I think she will help us do that."