Leon G. Cooperman ’67
Leon G. Cooperman is the chairman and CEO of Omega Family Office Inc. Previously, he spent 25 years with Goldman Sachs, where he was a partner and served as chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. While at Goldman Sachs, Mr. Cooperman was voted the number one portfolio strategist in the Institutional Investor All-America Research Team survey for nine consecutive years. This remarkable accomplishment solidified his reputation as the most incisive analyst on Wall Street. At Omega Advisors, he has brought the same thoughtfulness and dedication to managing portfolios, and now oversees in excess of $10 billion in assets, resulting in his renown as one of America’s most influential investors. In 2013, Mr. Cooperman was inducted into Alpha Magazine’s Hedge Fund Hall of Fame.
Not content to rest on professional success, Mr. Cooperman has devoted his time and efforts to various charitable causes. He is an Emeritus member of the Board of Columbia Business School. Additionally, he is a member of the board of directors of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, a member of the investment committee of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and board chairman of Green Spaces, a committee organized to rebuild parks in Newark, New Jersey. Mr. Cooperman is chairman emeritus of the Saint Barnabas Development Foundation. He served on the board of directors of ADP for 20 years until 2012, including 10 years as chairman of its audit committee. For his efforts, he has been recognized with the 2003 American Jewish Committee Humanitarian Award, the 2006 Seton Hall Humanitarian of the Year Award, the 2009 Boys & Girls Clubs of Newark Award for Caring, and the 2009 UJA-Federation of New York’s Wall Street and Financial Services Division Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received the Herbert H. Lehman Award for his professional achievements, philanthropic efforts, and his longstanding support for the American Jewish Committee.
Mr. Cooperman received his undergraduate degree from Hunter College, where he has been inducted into the Hall of Fame. He is the recipient of an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Hunter College and an honorary doctorate of finance from Roger Williams University. Mr. Cooperman earned his MBA from Columbia Business School in 1967. He and his wife, Toby, have two sons and three grandchildren.