John M Damgard

No one cares more about the futures industry than John M. Damgard. In 2007 he celebrated his 25th year as president of the Futures Industry Association. He has been the voice of the futures industry before Congress and regulatory agencies in the U.S. and abroad and in the press. He has guided the association and the industry through stock market crashes, the Barings crisis and the terrorist attacks of September 2001. He has championed competitive markets, cross-border trading and fought to protect the industry from costly new taxes and unnecessary regulations. He is also founder of the Institute for Financial Markets. Prior to joining the FIA in 1982, Damgard directed the Washington office of ACLI Interna tional. Before that he served as Deputy Assistant and Acting Assistant Secretary of Agriculture and was responsible for the major marketing and regulatory functions at the USDA. During his stint at the USDA, he was responsible for obtaining exclusive federal jurisdiction over the futures markets. Damgard served on the White House staff as Assistant to Vice President Spiro Agnew. His commitment to the industry has earned him the affection and respect of the global futures community.