A. G. Becker & Co. - Notable Alumni

Notable Alumni

A.G. Becker enjoyed a rich history of producing leading banking figures who received their early training and up to two decades of experience with Becker before emerging as leaders in their own rights at other banks and in other fields. Many younger Becker bankers, hired from 1977 through 1984, never had the opportunity to rise through the Becker ranks because of its sale to Merrill Lynch in 1984. Nonetheless they can now be counted within the senior ranks of bankers, financiers and academics in roles throughout the United States, including Becker's original home in Chicago.

• Richard Driehaus, founder of Driehaus Capital Management began his career in the Institutional Trading department at Becker in the late 1960s.
• Richard Elden, a former analyst at Becker in the 1960s, established Grosvenor Capital Management in 1971. Grosvenor was a pioneer in the hedge fund industry creating the first fund of hedge funds in the United States and as of 2009 managed in excess of $22 billion.
• Barry S. Friedberg, following the purchase of Becker, would go on to be head of Investment Banking at Merrill Lynch, and subsequently rose to the position of Senior Executive Vice President before retiring.
• Richard Gilder, founder of Gilder, Gagnon, Howe & Co. began his career as a broker at Becker in the 1960s.
• Lewis Glucksman left Becker in 1963 to help Lehman Brothers enter the commercial paper market; as Lehman's CEO he engineered the storied sale of that firm to American Express.
• Daniel J. Good who became President of EF Hutton LBO, Inc. and Head of Merchant Banking of Shearson Lehman Bros.
• John G. Heimann, former Comptroller of the Currency from 1977 to 1981 would join Becker in July 1982.
• Jack Kugler, head of sales and trading at Becker at the time of the purchase, was instrumental in Merrill Lynch's trading operation.
• Jeff Peek, a leading financial institutions expert, rose through the Merrill Lynch Investment Banking department and was appointed to head the Merrill Lynch asset management businesses. He left Merrill for senior positions at Credit Suisse First Boston before being named President of CIT Group.
• Donald Rumsfeld spent two years at A.G. Becker, from 1960 to 1962, before winning election to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
• Roger Vasey joined Merrill Lynch prior to the purchase of Becker to set up its commercial paper and money market business. After the purchase of Becker, Vasey was promoted to the head of fixed income.
• Stephen H. Weiss, founder of Weiss, Peck & Greer began his career in investment banking at Becker from 1959 through 1970.