CIRI Board President Doug Fifer Reflects on CIRI’s Leadership Transition
It’s a time of transition here at CIRI. On Dec. 31, Sophie Minich will step down after an incredible 30-year career with our company, her last 10 as our president and CEO.
While at the helm of CIRI, Sophie helped restructure our company to meet new objectives, boost efficiencies and increase profits. Over the last decade, our net income has nearly doubled, and annual distributions per share have achieved their highest amount in CIRI’s history.
On behalf of your Board of Directors, I want to thank Sophie for leading our company with integrity, foresight and compassion. While she will be stepping down as our president and CEO, she remains a valued member of our CIRI family.
The Board launched a search for Sophie’s successor this spring. I am pleased to announce that after a diligent and thorough search process, we have hired Swami Iyer as our CEO. In addition, Sarah Lukin has been promoted from CIRI’s chief strategy officer to the role of president. We are confident that Swami and Sarah will successfully lead CIRI in this new chapter.
As we evaluated how to keep CIRI’s operations, investment portfolio, values and community strong and sustainable for years to come, the Board ultimately decided to split our leadership into two positions: CEO and president.
We are confident that, with support from CIRI’s executive leadership and team of talented employees, Swami will lead CIRI into its next phase of growth and build on the successes and initiatives already in place. The promotion of Sarah to president strengthens CIRI’s business and leadership continuity.
This dual-leadership role aligns CIRI with other Alaska Native regional corporations that employ similar organizational structures. This change will help CIRI foster growth and positively impact the services available to our Shareholders, Descendants and the 60,000 Alaska Native and American Indian people that reside within our region.
As always, your 15-member Alaska Native Board, Swami and Sarah will keep CIRI’s diverse Alaska Native cultures and values at the forefront, with the goal of building a strong future for CIRI for generations to come.
As we continue to grow and evolve, we recognize the need to adapt to the changing landscape. We are excited about these changes and the opportunities they will bring. I look forward to sharing more with you in the months ahead.
Warm regards,
Doug Fifer
