Bert Colianni is Advisor to the Board. Prior to this role, he was Chief Executive Officer for Pohlad Companies. Bert has been with the Pohlad family since 1982 when he began work as a controller in their banking organization. He has served in numerous executive positions and industries for the Pohlads including as CEO for their previously owned and large banking organization, and 20 years of experience overseeing their commercial real estate services, finance, and investing businesses. Prior to joining the Pohlads, Bert was an audit manager for Coopers & Lybrand, now called PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Bert maintains extensive commitments working to support the Twin Cities community. Bert serves on the executive committee of the board of Greater MSP, continues as a board member and is the immediate past chair of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library of St. John’s University, serves on the board of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and as a trustee of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Minneapolis, MN. He also serves as board chair of Optum Bank, an industrial bank subsidiary of United Health Group. He has served as chair of the boards of the University Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation, Breck School Board of Trustees, the Downtown Council of Minneapolis, and CommonBond Communities. He is an active fundraiser for many civic organizations, foundations, colleges, and other charitable organizations and has served on many other such boards.
Bert graduated in 1976 from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a B.B.S. in Accounting. He received the school’s Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award in 1996 and, together with his wife Suzie, received UW Eau Claire’s Lifetime Excellence Award in 2018. Bert received his C.P.A. certificate in 1978. In 2017 Bert and Suzie were honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Minnesota Chapter with their Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser Award. He and his wife live Minneapolis, Minnesota having raised four children and now enjoying their nine grandchildren.