chathamfinancial

About

What began in 1991 in the small town of Chatham, Pennsylvania, as a simple yet powerful idea from founder Michael Bontrager, has blossomed into a global leader in financial risk management. Chatham Financial was born from the vision of representing the interests of hedging end-users, providing them with unparalleled derivatives expertise, and becoming an integral part of their teams. This was more than just the start of a company; it was the foundation of a purpose-driven firm with a unique employee culture. Bontrager's initial focus was on leveling the playing field, offering transparency in the complex world of derivatives, and building lasting relationships by working side-by-side with clients as a team of curious, lifelong learners. Over the years, Chatham's journey has been one of continuous growth and innovation. Under Bontrager's guidance, the firm expanded its horizons far beyond its initial hedging advisory services. It ventured into foreign exchange hedging, hedge accounting and valuation, commodities, and debt management. The 2008 financial crisis served as a pivotal moment, prompting significant investment in building out regulatory practices and technological capabilities. This foresight propelled Chatham to the next level of financial risk management solutions, seamlessly integrating expert advisory with proprietary models and a sophisticated technology platform. Today, Chatham Financial stands as the largest independent firm in its industry, a 100% employee-controlled entity that thinks like business owners, not vendors. This independence allows for a steadfast focus on providing solutions over sales and nurturing relationships over transactions, serving over 3,500 companies worldwide and handling trillions in transaction volume annually.