The Co-Founder, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer of MD Sass has had a distinguished career in investment management. Beginning his investment career in 1963, he has since partnered in the start-up of 34 investment management businesses and strategies, executing sales of businesses with approximately $35 billion in assets under management (AUM). He has held notable positions such as the President and Chief Investment Officer of Neuwirth Management and Research Corporation and founder and director of Argus Research Corporation’s Special Situations Division. Besides, he has served as Director of Taurus Funds Management Pty Limited and New Holland Capital Pty Limited. Complementing his professional accomplishments, he is deeply involved in philanthropy as the Chairman of The SASS Foundation for Medical Research, Vice Chairman of the Brooklyn College Foundation, and Chairman of its Investment Committee, also founding the M.D. Sass Investment Institute. He holds a B.S. from Brooklyn College.

Co-Founder, Executive Director

Barbara is Co-Founder along with her husband Martin and Dr. Arena and serves as the Executive Director of the Foundation.  She coordinates most of the day to day activities of the Foundation along with others.

Barbara majored in Psychology and pursued a career as a teacher for 10 years after graduating Brooklyn College where she met her husband.  She is the proud mother of 2 children who serve on the Executive Committee and has 7 grandchildren who participate every year in the Foundation's social events.

She remains passionate about achieving the Foundation's long standing Mission of supporting impactful Medical Research, Education and Patient Care in the fight against cancer.

Dr. Arena has been for the last three decades at the forefront of cancer research with a resolute focus on patient survivorship, survival, and quality of life. As the Director at NYU Langone Arena Oncology, Clinical Professor at NYU Health Medical College, and President and Director of Research at the SASS-ARENA Foundation for Medical Research in Lake Success, NY, he has made significant contributions to the field. Dr. Arena has consistently taken his expertise beyond the lab and clinical setting, hosting community educational seminars throughout the New York City/Long Island region. These seminars have attracted not only hundreds of patients and their families but also panels of national experts in various subspecialties of cancer care. They share their invaluable knowledge, offering hope and clarity. Dr. Arena's combination of grace, compassion, intelligence, and determination has shifted the trajectory of many cancers from fatal to treatable. Beyond treatments, he has empowered patients with essential education, addressing their overall well-being, especially following breast cancer treatment. His work is a testament to his dedication to transforming lives and combating the menace of cancer.