Siebert Financial Corp. announced that John J. Gebbia has been appointed as Chairman of the Board effective May 24, 2023, the appointment of Simon Shin to Siebert's Board of Directors. John J. Gebbia brings decades of leadership experience and expertise in the financial services industry to his new role and will be responsible for leading Siebert in its next phase of innovation and growth.

Mr. Gebbia has been a member of Siebert's Board of Directors since 2020 and served as a special advisor to Siebert's Board of Directors from 2017 - 2020. After the purchase of Siebert by the Gebbia Family in 2016, Mr. Gebbia was instrumental in growing Siebert's annual revenue from $10 million to over $67 million in 2021, the acquisition of the self-clearing brokerage StockCross Financial Services Inc., and diversifying and expanding Siebert's business lines. Born in Sicily, Italy, and immigrating with his family through Ellis Island, NY, the beginnings of his business success started on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Mr. Gebbia has completed dozens of transactions over his career and held executive roles at companies such as Merrill Lynch; Walston & Company; and Jesup, Josephthal & Co.Mr. Gebbia's most notable transaction was the acquisition of Kennedy Cabot & Co. for approximately $7 million, which he grew into the leading independent discount stockbroker in the U.S., and ultimately sold to Toronto-Dominion Bank 7 years later for approximately $155 million. Mr. Gebbia and the Gebbia Family have also flourished in other business ventures in real estate, entertainment and sports.

In addition to his business accomplishments, Mr. Gebbia has been married to Gloria E. Gebbia for over 60 years, and together they have 10 grandchildren and have raised three successful sons: John, Richard and David, who currently lead Siebert's management team. New Siebert Board Member Simon Shin and Close of Kakao Pay Investment Siebert also announced that Simon Shin has been appointed to Siebert's Board of Directors as part of the recently announced investment by Kakao Pay in Siebert, and that the $17.4 million investment from Kakao Pay closed on May 18, 2023. Mr. Shin brings over 15 years of experience working in global technology companies across various functions including strategy, investing, and engineering.

He is currently head of Kakao Pay's Payment Business Group and Corporate Development Office. Before Kakao Pay, Mr. Shin was a Vice President of Kakao Corp., a Director and Head of Open Innovation at Samsung Electronics, an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, a Senior Research Scientist at Intel Corporation, and a Software Engineer at Naver Corporation. Mr. Shin received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.