Blanca and Sunil (Kellogg 94) Hirani

“Think of it as a matchmaking fee,” says Sunil Hirani, a 1994 graduate of the Kellogg School of Management. Sunil met his Colombian wife, Blanca, on campus. “She was visiting and attended one of the Kellogg functions. I asked her to marry me two months later. Northwestern and Kellogg have been very good to us; this is our way to give back a little bit.”

To show their gratitude, Sunil and Blanca established the Sati and Sugnomal Hirani (Sunil’s grandparents) Family Scholarship Fund to benefit students at the Kellogg School. Sunil explains that, at a young age, his grandparents instilled in him the value of education. “They basically worked, as did my parents, to send us to school — that was their mission…. I feel very fortunate to have attended Kellogg.”

Blanca agrees. “Kellogg provided Sunil with great opportunities,” she remarks. “We believe that if you want to change someone’s life, you do it through education.”

Sunil recalls his first trip to Northwestern. “It was February, the worst time to go,” he says, “but I sensed it was a good fit for me.”

Kellogg proved to be a tremendous learning and personal development experience for Sunil, who enjoyed interacting with students and faculty from around the world. “My time there was special, meeting so many amazing people who were likeminded about business education.”

Before earning a master of business administration, Sunil worked as a software engineer designer. In 1999, he co-founded Creditex, the first e-trading platform in credit derivatives. Creditex received awards for its technology, innovation, and service. “I had this idea that we would create a marketplace for buying and selling credit risk.” In 2008, he sold the business to Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and helped that company launch the fist credit derivatives clearing house. An entrepreneur, Sunil continues to pursue interesting projects. (Sunil also has an active family life. He and Blanca have three children: Camila, age eight; Maya, age six; and Sameer, age four.)

Sunil points out that Kellogg understands the fundamental need to return to basics and teach business leadership, particularly in the context of Northwestern’s global perspective, as evidenced by its recruiting and its programs. He and Blanca both feel that Kellogg empowers students to achieve their goals. “The school provides a great value to — and an education that is fundamental for — our students, the economy, and society,” he explains, “by training people to create, manage, and run businesses.”

Sunil adds: “Thank you for taking a chance and giving me a great education. I will forever be indebted to the University.”

This article first appeared in the Northwestern University Leadership Circle Honor Roll of Donors 2009.