Joop Bollen is a native of Eindhoven, Netherlands. He came to the United States as a high school exchange student. Bollen then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in economics and business with a specialization in computer science from the University of California, Los Angeles. He earned his master’s degree, with honors, in international management from American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) in Glendale, Arizona.
As the managing director of SDRC Inc. Bollen has developed a loan portfolio of over $150 million dollars funded through different EB-5 related partnerships.
Prior to his current function, Bollen served as the director of the South Dakota International Business Institute Bollen which developed an export assistance center that promoted exports from the State of South Dakota. Bollen also has developed and implemented a foreign direct investment initiative that attracts international investments to the State of South Dakota. As part of this later initiative Bollen established the South Dakota Regional Center in 2004.
Bollen has served on the board of the Red River Trade Corridor, board of National Association of Small Business International trade Educators and served as vice chair for the South Dakota District Export Council.
Bollen is owner of a real estate business in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to joining SDIBI, Bollen worked for JP Morgan, New York, and Continental Grain Co., Chicago.