Vincent Viola

President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Vincent Viola for the position of Secretary of the Army though he later dropped out to continue operating his business. He started the electronic-trading firm Virtu Financial in 2008 and took the company public in April 2015, touting its can’t-lose business model and the fact that it turned a profit on 1,484 of its first 1,485 days in operation. He also owns the NHL’s Florida Panthers.

Mr. Viola is known for his philanthropy, most recently providing a donation to Fordham University to establish the Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., Chair in Catholic Theology and following the events of September 11th founded and financed the Counter-Terrorism Center at West Point. He created a technology company, Rowan Technology Solutions, to support cadet education in the areas of Military history, Military science, and leadership, and supports the Army Cyber Institute, the Modern War Institute, and Army athletics.

Mr. Viola is an Army Veteran having served as an infantry officer in the 101st Airborne Division. The son of a truck driver from Brooklyn, graduated from New York Law School in 1983 and West Point in 1977.