Howard W. Lutnick is Chairman and CEO of global brokerage and financial technology company BGC Group, Inc.; Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P., one of the world’s leading financial services firms; and Chairman of Newmark Group, Inc., a world leader in commercial real estate services.
Mr. Lutnick joined Cantor Fitzgerald in 1983 and rose rapidly through the ranks to be appointed President and CEO in 1991. Five years later he was named Chairman. In 2004, Cantor Fitzgerald separated out its voice brokerage business to create BGC Partners L.P. Since its separation from Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC has grown rapidly both organically and through acquisitions. In 2008, Mr. Lutnick led the merger of BGC and eSpeed, forming BGC Partners, Inc.
Following the tragic losses suffered on September 11, 2001, Mr. Lutnick rebuilt the firm, as well as dedicated himself to supporting the survivors and their families. In the days after the attack, he launched The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, with a personal donation of $1 million, to provide aid and relief to victims of natural disasters and other emergencies.
Since 9/11, Mr. Lutnick has been recognized as a symbol of resilience, and his story has been widely covered by top financial publications. Mr. Lutnick was named The Financial Times’ Person of the Year in 2001 and Ernst & Young’s United States Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010.
Mr. Lutnick is a member of the Board of Directors of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the Partnership for New York City, Weill Cornell Medicine, and the Horace Mann School. Mr. Lutnick is a recipient of the highest honor granted to non-military personnel by the Navy: the Department of the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award.
Mr. Lutnick is a graduate of Haverford College and holds a degree in economics.