Douglas Cifu

Douglas A. Cifu is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Virtu Financial, a leading global electronic market making firm.12 He has held the CEO position at Virtu since November 2013, having co-founded the company in 2008.3

Professional Background

Prior to co-founding Virtu, Cifu had a distinguished legal career:

• He was a partner at the international law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP from 1990 to 2008.12
• At Paul Weiss, he served as a member of the Management Committee, Deputy Chair of the Corporate Department, and co-head of the Private Equity Group.2
• He specialized in complex merger and acquisition transactions for private equity sponsors and Fortune 500 companies.1

Achievements and Recognition

Cifu is highly regarded in the legal and financial technology sectors:

• Recognized in Chambers USA and Legal 500 as a leading mergers and acquisitions lawyer for buyouts and private equity transactions.2
• Listed among the 30 most influential lawyers in global private equity by Private Equity International in 2006.2
• Named in Crain's New York Business "Technology 100" list.2
• Ranked as the #3 top FinTech CEO by The Financial Technology Report in 2020.2

Education

• J.D. from Columbia Law School (1990).13
• B.A. magna cum laude from Columbia University (1987), where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.13

Other Roles and Affiliations

• Serves on the board of directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.12
• Member of the Board of Visitors of Columbia College at Columbia University.12
• Partner, Vice Chairman, and Alternate Governor of the Florida Panthers, an NHL hockey franchise.14

Douglas Cifu's leadership at Virtu Financial has been instrumental in the company's growth, including its initial public offering in 2015 and significant acquisitions such as KCG Holdings in 2017 and ITG in 2019.1