Howard Lutnick

Chairman and CEO, Cantor Fitzgerald, at Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management

Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 employees on September 11—nearly its entire workforce—but has since rebuilt and given a substantial portion of its profits to the families of the workers it lost. In his address to Vanderbilt's Owen graduates, Lutnick tells how he rebuilt in the wake of tragedy.

"Why were we able to do it? Same rule: Only hire people that you like. And once you find people that you like, let them hire people that they like… You build a culture by having people be connected to your company."