David Sternberg, a Wilmette, Illinois native, is the co-founder and CEO of Vivaldi Capital Management. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1981 with a BA in Marketing. The following year, his career took an unexpected turn when a friend invited him to the bustling floor of the Chicago Board of Options Exchange (“CBOE”), marking the beginning of his remarkable career as a market-maker specializing in spread trading. While working at the CBOE, David developed a unique dedication to risk management principles, which would define his career. On the infamous crash day of 1987, while many traders faced devastating losses, David’s group thrived due to their meticulous attention to risk m