Martin Greenberg '60, is founder and chairman of the board of Sterling Commodities Corporation. From 1987 to 1990 he served as a board member of the Commodities Exchange Inc., and later served as chairman of the board from 1990 to 1992. Marty is credited with turning around the fiscally distressed Commodities Exchange.

Martin Greenberg '60, recipient of the Award for Alumni Achievement

As a Hofstra student, Marty was involved in a number of organizations and activities. "Being president of Student Council was a great experience," he says. "It taught me how to work within a large group of people and also how to lead." His other extracurricular activities included freshman lacrosse, Student Government Association and the Accounting, Economics and Political Affairs Clubs.

Marty majored in industrial accounting. Among his more memorable professors was Dr. Eugene Y. Soong, who invested the portfolio of the Republic of Taiwan and was the nephew of Madame Chiang Kai-shek. "He taught me how to size up economic opportunities." Though Marty admired Dr. Soong, the feeling was less than mutual. "He thought I was a wise guy," Marty says. Still, he completed the course with an A on the final and a B for the class.

After graduating from Hofstra in 1960, he worked in the stock brokerage business, focusing on common stocks and underwriting. Marty worked for a family business for a decade, and between 1970 and 1976 held a few different positions in the fields of investment banking and importing. In 1976 he started his career as an independent floor trader at the Commodities Exchange. By 1982, "I had cleared a lot of business and saw we were not getting the service that we deserved," says Marty. Thus he was inspired and motivated to found Sterling Commodities.

Marty continues to serve on the J.P. Morgan Index Advisory Board. Other professional affiliations include the United Nations Development Corporation from 1992 to 1995; Casino America in Biloxi, Mississippi, from 1993 to 1997; Westair Inc. in Fresno, California, from 1989 to 1991; and Landmark Bank in Hartford, Connecticut, from 1984 to 1987. He also serves as a governor on the New York Board of Trade and an adviser to Barrington Capital.

Marty is also an active philanthropist. "I feel I am incredibly fortunate. It is important to me to give back to the world that has given me so much." He serves as an associate trustee for North Shore University Hospital, and in 1992 he received the Anti-Defamation League Metals Industry Man of the Year Award. In 1998 he established the Martin B. Greenberg Foundation Inc. to focus on charitable projects.

Marty resides in Old Westbury, New York. He has two children and four grandchildren.