After almost 14 years at the helm of Nasdaq, Inc., Sachem alum Robert Greifeld has retired from his post and was named chairman of the board as of January 1.
Greifeld, who graduated from Sachem in 1975, was honored with a stock market closing bell ceremony on Tuesday.
The following text is from a press release issued by Nasdaq:
Mr. Greifeld is the current Chairman of the Board and the former CEO of Nasdaq. Mr. Greifeld assumed leadership of Nasdaq in 2003, when the company’s primary business was operating one equity market in the U.S. Mr. Greifeld had the vision to reimagine Nasdaq as a financial technology company, and navigated the organization through a period of tremendous innovation and diversification.
In 2008, he led the Exchange’s combination with Stockholm-based OMX AB, as well as acquisitions of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, the Boston Stock Exchange and Nord Pool, Europe’s largest power market. Nasdaq owns and operates 26 markets, one clearinghouse and five central securities depositories across the U.S. and Europe. Its technology drives more than 85 marketplaces worldwide.
Mr. Greifeld’s vision and leadership resulted in delivering incredible client and shareholder value – increasing the company’s market capitalization from $600 million in 2003 to $11 billion today. During his tenure, Mr. Greifeld has guided Nasdaq’s growth from a single equities exchange to a global technology leader with 4,400 employees in 26 countries.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro