Frank Gustave Zarb (born February 17, 1935) is an American businessman and former Republican politician. He is perhaps best known as the chairman and ceo of the NASDAQ stock exchange during the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. He is also known for his role as the "Energy Czar" under President Gerald Ford during the 1970s energy crisis. Biography Early life Frank Zarb was born to Maltese immigrant parents Gustave Zarb and Rosemary (Antinoro) Zarb in Brooklyn, New York. In 1957 he received his Bachelor of Business Administration at Hofstra University, then known as Hofstra College, on Long Island. Following his time in the army, he went on to earn a Master of Business Administration from Hofstra in 1962. Early corporate service Following a term of service in the army from 1957 to 1958, Frank started at CITGO, then known as Cities Service Oil Co, as a management trainee. Leaving that post in 1962, he became a general partner at Goodbody and Company. In 1969 he became the executive vice president of CBWL-Hayden Stone. Government service In 1971 Frank went into public service, serving first as Assistant Secretary of Labor (1971–1972), then as Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (1973–74). Finally in 1974 he was appointed "Energy Czar" by President Ford, holding dual appointments in the Energy Resources Council and the Federal Energy Administration until 1977. Later corporate services After leaving the federal government in 1977, Zarb became a senior partner at Lazard (1977–1988), CEO and Chairman of Smith Barney (1988–1993), and group chief executive of Travelers Group (1993–1994). In 1994, he was appointed CEO of insurance brokerage company Alexander & Alexander Services, Inc. and then oversaw that company's sale to Aon Corp. in 1997. Term at NASD Shortly after crafting the LIPA Purchase of LILCO in 1998 (as the chairman of LIPA) Zarb became the chairman and CEO of the National Association of Securities Dealers From 1997 to 2001, (NASD) and head of the NASD's stock exchange, the NASDAQ. Following his retirement from NASD, Zarb became a managing director of Hellman & Friedman, which subsequently acquired a controlling stake in Nasdaq shortly after it was spun off from NASD. Term at AIG In 2005, Zarb replaced his long-time friend Maurice Hank Greenberg as head of the American International Group, in what Greenberg termed as a "palace coup." At the time, Greenberg was battling charges by