Christos M. Cotsakos is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer for E*TRADE Group, Inc., the global leader in online personal financial services.  Mr. Cotsakos is considered to be one of the visionaries and leading founders of the e-commerce and e-finance revolution during the last 5 years.

Mr. Cotsakos took E*TRADE public on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the ticker symbol EGRP on August 16, 1996 raising $53 million. Since then he has raised an additional $1.1 billion to finance the company’s aggressive growth and leading brand-building strategy. On February 15, 2001, after the company had crossed the $1 billion revenue threshold, Mr. Cotsakos moved E*TRADE to the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ET.  E*TRADE, Group, Inc. is considered to be one of a handful of new economy brands that has successfully reinvented an industry.

Since 1996, Mr. Cotsakos has initiated a global diversification strategy, acquiring 11 companies for $2.8 billion, broadening the company’s products and services portfolio which now include banking, an ATM network, stock option administration and purchase plan services, international and institutional multi-currency securities execution and settlement services, community and calendaring, advisory services, mortgage lending, media, amongst others.  He also launched international E*TRADE destinations in locations such as United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Canada, Korea, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Israel, South Africa, Denmark, and Hong Kong.

Prior to his recruitment to E*TRADE March 1996, he spent 4 years with AC Nielsen, the global leader in market research, information and analysis, where he served as Global Co-Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Operation Officer and Board Member.  During his tenure at A.C. Nielson, Mr. Cotsakos was the recipient of Dun & Bradstreet’s Chairman’s award for Global Leadership, as well as the President’s Award for his role as a corporate change leader.

Mr. Cotsakos was recruited to A.C. Nielsen after 19 years with the Federal Express Corporation, a market leader in transportation, information and logistics solutions, from 1973 to 1991, where he held a number of senior executive positions both in the United States and Europe. At Federal Express, Mr. Cotsakos was awarded the President’s Award for Leadership and Innovation and was instrumental in Federal Express receiving the first Malcolm Baldrige Award for service.

Mr. Cotsakos serves on the board of directors of several leading-edge technology and media companies in both the public and private sector.  The public boards he serves on are: FOX Entertainment Group – a leader in development, production and worldwide distribution of feature films and television programs, television broadcasting and cable network programming; Digital Island – the leading global e-Business Delivery Network, providing integrated hosting, content delivery and network services; Webvan Group -- a full service online retailer that offers customers the most convenient and affordable way to shop; Wit Capital Group – an investment banking firm that was built to address the opportunities and challenges posed by the rapidly changing economy; and Official Payments Corporation - the leading provider of electronic payments of taxes and fees on the federal, state, and local level.

Currently, Mr. Cotsakos serves as co-chair for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, together with Senator Charles Hagel (Nebraska) and James Kimsey (founder of America Online).

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