Jeff Sprecher is the founder of IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), serving as the company's Chief Executive Officer since its inception in May 2000 and as Chairman of the Board since November 2002. As CEO, he is responsible for the firm's strategic direction, operation and financial performance. Widely recognized for his vision, leadership and entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. Sprecher was selected by MarketWatch as one of five finalists for the prestigious MarketWatch CEO of the Year for 2006. He was also chosen in 2002 by Business Week magazine as one of seven Top Entrepreneurs of the Year. In addition, he was a finalist in Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year® Program.

Mr. Sprecher recognized the potential for building and operating a transparent and efficient marketplace for electronic over-the-counter energy commodities trading, purchasing Continental Power Exchange, Inc. (CPEX) in 1997 to achieve his vision. IntercontinentalExchange was formed in May 2000, with CPEX contributing to ICE all of its assets, primarily electronic trading technology, and its liabilities. Mr. Sprecher spearheaded the assembly of thirteen leading wholesale commodities market participants who became the company's initial shareholders, acquiring equity interests and committing to provide order flow to provide liquidity for the new electronic marketplace.

When he had led ICE as a publicly traded company for just one year, Mr. Sprecher was nominated by MarketWatch as one of the five most outstanding Chief Executive Officers, based on a track record for 2006 that included stock price performance, customer service, treatment of employees and corporate-governance initiatives

Recognizing the benefits of combining ICE's electronic platform for over-the-counter products with the growing exchange-traded energy derivatives market, Mr. Sprecher negotiated the acquisition of IPE Holdings Plc, owner of the International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) in London in June 2001. The acquisition enabled ICE to create the industry's first cleared OTC products through IPE's clearing provider, LCH.Clearnet. In turn, the IPE began to develop its futures markets on ICE's trading platform and became the first energy commodity exchange to become fully electronic in April 2005. IPE was re-named ICE Futures in October 2005. ICE became a publicly traded company on November 16, 2005 with its listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

In September 2006, Mr. Sprecher negotiated the acquisition of the New York Board of Trade, the world's leading soft commodity exchange with a wholly-owned clearing subsidiary. The transaction closed in January 2007, with NYBOT becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of ICE.

Commodities Now magazine bestowed on ICE its 2006 award for "Energy Exchange of the Year". In 2005, Energy Risk magazine named ICE the "Platform of the Year" in its annual user choice awards. In an interview with Energy Risk, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Pat Wood said he would like to see the bulk of energy transactions made over a platform like ICE. "It gives the kind of transparency that will bring a lot of credibility and confidence back. We sure appreciate the way [Jeff Sprecher] handles his business—it meets all the regulatory criteria we care about." Risk Magazine also named ICE Exchange of the Year for 2005.

Prior to acquiring CPEX, Mr. Sprecher held a number of positions, primarily in the power industry. For 14 years, he served as President of Western Power Group, Inc., a developer, owner and operator of large central-station power plants in California.

A native of Wisconsin, Mr. Sprecher earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and an MBA from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.