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EmailJ. Peter Ricketts
Pete Ricketts is the founder of Drakon, LLC, an asset management company in Omaha, Nebraska. He is also Director and President of the Platte Institute for Economic Research, Inc., a member of the TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation Board of Directors, and an Advisory Board member for the Alumni Capital Network. Pete is also Director and President of Education Opportunity Nebraska and Nebraskans for Fiscal Accountability.
Pete is the former Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Ameritrade Holding Corporation, an Omaha-based brokerage industry pioneer, which recently merged with TD Waterhouse to form TD Ameritrade. Pete left Ameritrade in August 2005, to run for the U.S. Senate. After winning the primary race, he became the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate race in Nebraska for the 2006 election.
While at Ameritrade for nearly twelve years, Pete held various leadership roles within the company. As Chief Operating Officer for the company, he oversaw Ameritrade’s retail client business as well as clearing and marketing operations. Prior to being named COO, Pete served as President of Ameritrade, Inc., Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, where he directed the planning of strategic initiatives, as well as Senior Vice President of Product Development. As Senior Vice President of Marketing, Pete led the successful $200 million marketing campaign, “Believe in Yourself.”
Prior to joining Ameritrade, Pete worked in environmental and economic consulting as well as working for Union Pacific Railroad. Pete holds an M.B.A. in marketing and finance from the University of Chicago, where he also earned his bachelor’s degree.
An active member of the Omaha community, Pete is Chairman of the Omaha board of Children’s Scholarship Fund, a group founded by the late John Walton to provide educational opportunities to low-income children. He also serves on the Global Advisory Board for the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, is a member of the Board of Directors of Bellevue University, and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the American Enterprise Institute. Pete is the Republican National Committeeman for the State of Nebraska. He is a board member of Gambling with the Good Life, an anti-gambling non-profit organization, a member of the Advisory Board of the Nebraska Coalition for Ethical Research, a member of the Community Health Charities of Nebraska State Board of Directors, and a member of the Fund for Omaha Committee. Pete also is a Director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation, a member of the Board of Directors of Education Opportunity, a member of the Advisory Board of the Republican Forum, a member of the Archbishop’s Committee for Development, serves as Vice President of the Fairacres Homeowners Association, and is a member of the Knights of Columbus. Pete and his family are members of St. Margaret Mary’s Church.
