Richard Schaeffer

Richard Schaeffer is Executive Chairman and co-founder of Liquid Holdings Group, LLC, a New York and London-based provider of fund, execution, and brokerage services. Utilizing proprietary technology built by Liquid Holdings’ wholly owned subsidiary Green Mountain Analytics, Richard Schaeffer and the Liquid Holdings Group team develop highly scalable solutions that are multi-asset class and agnostic, such that traders and sophisticated asset managers can improve business efficiency and scalability.

Richard Schaeffer’s career extends over more than three decades in the financial services sector. An Accounting graduate of the University of Maryland, he was a New York Mercantile Exchange Inc. (NYMEX) member and seat owner from the early 1980s. In 1990, he became Chairman of NYMEX and in 1993 he accepted responsibilities as NYMEX Treasurer of the Exchange, in which position he served until 2004, when he was elected Vice Chairman. He was later elected to his current role as Executive Chairman, a position he held from 2006 until its sale to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) in 2008.

Among his achievements as Chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange, Mr. Schaeffer facilitated and oversaw the exchange’s shift to electronic trading, as well as its listing and IPO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and its eventual sale in 2008 to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).

Mr. Schaeffer has served on a number of boards during his career, including IMAREX (the leading Norwegian financial derivatives exchange), the Montreal Stock Exchange, and TurkPower Corporation. He also served as a Director of magicJack VocalTec Ltd. and was instrumental in the company’s Initial Public Offering. Presently, he also serves as a Special Advisor to General Atlantic, the private equity firm.

Committed to supporting his community, Richard Schaeffer has served on the board of the NYMEX Charitable Foundation since 1989, leading the group as Chairman from 2006 to 2008. He also maintains involvement with numerous charitable organizations, including the Foundation for Fighting Blindness, which honored him at their NYC Dining in the Dark Event in 2008. He also supports Chai Lifeline, which recognized him as Man of the Year in 2005 and again in 2008. In addition to his charitable work, Richard Schaeffer currently sits on the boards of the Museum of American Finance, the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundations.