Cantor Fitzgerald Appoints Barclays Exec Eugene Gorfin as COO
Cantor Fitzgerald has appointed Eugene Gorfin chief operating officer, giving the financial services firm a veteran bank executive to oversee core corporate functions as it continues to invest in its operating model and affiliated businesses.
Gorfin will report to Chairman Brandon Lutnick, join Cantor Fitzgerald’s executive committee and oversee operations, human resources, marketing and communications, compliance and administrative functions. He will work with leadership across Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC Group and Newmark Group.
Gorfin joins from Barclays, where he was managing director, Americas deputy chief operating officer and chief executive of the bank’s U.S. services entity. He previously held senior roles at UBS and KPMG Consulting and brings more than 30 years of financial services experience to Cantor.
“As we continue to invest in our people, infrastructure, and operating model to enable our businesses to serve clients at the highest level, Eugene will play an important role in strengthening our operations,” Lutnick said.
The appointment redistributes responsibilities previously held by two senior Cantor executives. Gorfin will take responsibility for compliance from Stephen Merkel, executive vice chairman, executive managing director and general counsel. Merkel will remain chair of the boards of BGC Group and Newmark, continue as a member of Cantor Fitzgerald’s executive committee and retain oversight of the group’s global legal function.
Gorfin also will assume oversight of operations, human resources, marketing and communications, and administrative functions from Mike Whitaker. Whitaker will continue as group chief information officer and lead Cantor Fitzgerald’s technology strategy.
The hire comes as Cantor operates alongside BGC, a global brokerage and financial-technology company, and Newmark, a commercial real estate services and technology platform. BGC provides trade execution, broker-dealer, clearing, processing, information and other back-office services, while Brandon Lutnick also serves on its board
Cantor has undergone a broader leadership transition since Howard Lutnick left the firm in 2025 to become U.S. commerce secretary, with Brandon Lutnick becoming chairman and CEO and Kyle Lutnick taking the executive vice chairman role.