Tom Dittmer is one of the legends of the futures industry. He is the founder of Refco, the largest independent futures brokerage still operating. Under his leadership, Refco was one of the first U.S. futures firms to build an international presence, and it continues to be a pioneer in the countries such as India and China. Dittmer took an early interest in bringing foreign customer to U.S. markets; when the Chicago Board of Trade launched night trading sessions in 1987 to capture Japanese demand for Treasury futures, he personally directed floor operations to make sure that the trading got off to a good start. Dittmer is a great benefactor of the arts and education, particularly the Art Institute of Chicago and Providence-St. Mel’s High School on Chicago’s West Side.
