Michael Solberg

As Bell’s president and CEO, Michael is at the helm of the largest family- and employee-owned bank in the upper Midwest, and one of the largest in the nation.

Raised in Finley and Fargo, N.D., Michael graduated from Concordia College and William Mitchell College of Law. He was chief operating officer (COO) of Northern Capital Trust when the company merged with Bell, and he served as Bell’s COO before being named president in 2009 and CEO in 2014.

Michael launched Bell’s Pay It Forward program, which annually gives our team members funds to donate as they choose to people and organizations in need. He has also served on the boards of several community organizations in Fargo and the Twin Cities.

While he has helped guide major projects like the acquisition of Bell Mortgage, Bell’s expansion into Minneapolis and Phoenix, and Bell’s corporate headquarters (opened in 2024) in Fargo, Michael is most proud of his role in helping to recruit great leaders and create a workplace recognized in 2022 as one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For®.

Michael and his wife, Charleen, live in Fargo and have three grown children.

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