J. Spero Zacharias, GABELLI ‘03

With more than three decades in financial services, Spero Zacharias started his career as a buyer in the fashion industry.  

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he graduated with highest distinction in 1987. He also holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the Gabelli School of Business, graduating in 2003 with dual concentrations in finance and management. He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Beta Gamma Sigma academic honor societies. 

Zacharias has been a member of the Gabelli School of Business Advisory Council since 2006. He served as its chairman before and during its integration with the undergraduate school to form the Gabelli School of Business.  

With Stephen Freedman, Ph.D. (Fordham University’s late provost) and David Gautschi, Ph.D. (Gabelli School dean emeritus), Zacharias participated in the development of the Master of Science programs at the Gabelli School in the early 2010s and was present at the New York Stock Exchange with Freedman and Gautschi when these master’s degrees were formally launched.  

Zacharias is the former chairman of the board of the ACORD Corporation. Today, he leads a team of managers directing a portfolio of Cyber Security programs at a major global financial institution. He has worked and lived abroad, speaks three languages fluently, and leads technology initiatives across 54 countries around the world.