Background
Sonia Gardner was born Sonia Esther Lasry in Marrakech, Morocco. Her father was a computer programmer and her mother was a schoolteacher.
Sonia Gardner was born Sonia Esther Lasry in Marrakech, Morocco. Her father was a computer programmer and her mother was a schoolteacher.
Clark University.
She emigrated with her family to the United States. in 1966 at the age of four. Gardner received a Bachelor of Arts with honors in philosophy from Clark University in 1983 and a Juris Doctor from Cardozo School of Law in 1986. Gardner began her career as Senior Attorney of the Bankruptcy and Corporate reorganization Department at Cowen and Company.
In 2008, Gardner was the recipient of the 100 Women in Hedge Funds’ 2008 Industry Leadership Award.
In 2010 and 2011, The Hedge Fund Journal included her in their list of the Top 50 Women in Hedge Funds. In January 2011 Gardner rang the stock market"s closing bell in celebration of the tenth anniversary of “100 Women in Hedge Funds.” In 2012, Gardner was listed in the book, The Alpha Masters: Unlocking the Genius of the World’s Top Hedge Funds.
In March 2013, Business Insider included her in their list of the 25 most powerful women on Wall Street. Gardner rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on August 25, 2015, on behalf of “100 Women in Hedge Funds.” In December 2015, the 100 Women in Hedge Funds announced the election of the new Global Association Board Leadership for 2016 which includes the election of their new Chair, Sonia Gardner.
Gardner serves on the Board of Directors of 100 Women in Hedge Funds.
Gardner was previously on the board of the non-profit organization "Her Justice," which helps victims of domestic violence. She was also on the Board of Directors of the Managed Funds Association (Master of Fine Arts) and on its Executive Committee.
She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Mount Sinai Medical Center.