The Columbia Business School community mourns the loss of distinguished alumnus and long-time member of the Board of Overseers, Arthur Samberg '67. Samberg passed away July 14, 2020.
A graduate of MIT (BS), Stanford (MS), and Columbia (MBA), Samberg had a 40-year career as an investor during which he founded Pequot Capital, a preeminent hedge fund. He served as its chief executive officer, president, and chairman. In 2009, he established Hawkes Financial, LLC, investing in technology, healthcare, and alternative energy startups.
Samberg was an enormous champion of Columbia Business School. He served on the board beginning in 2000, and was co-chair from 2008 to 2017. His record of achievement in business and philanthropy stands as an inspiration to CBS faculty, staff, and students and to future generations of business leaders. He had a keen understanding of the School's core mission and needs, and was generous in his support of these areas. The Arthur J. Samberg Institute for Teaching Excellence has had a profound impact on faculty development and curricular and teaching innovation. An endowed professorship of business at the School bears his name, and through the Arthur J. Samberg Faculty Development Fund, Art drove the creation of 17 new endowed faculty chairs.
While a business student at Columbia, Samberg was in the same class with CBS Board Members Russ Carson, Lee Cooperman, and Mario Gabelli. The four later developed a lifelong friendship. Together, they were key proponents of the planning and development of the School's Manhattanville Campus. When the new buildings open in 2022, the Arthur J. Samberg '67 Commons will bring the School's community together in the heart of the campus.