The Education of an Activist Jeff Smith, CEO of Starboard Value, put his activist hedge fund on the map with Darden Restaurants and changed the activist conversation at the same time. Here’s how Smith got his start. Related Articles Portfolio Morning Brief: Investors Are Unimpressed With Newell Proxy Fight Stephen Taub Video How to Get Fired by an Activist Investor Editors Sponsored Content Gold and Bitcoin Decouple. What's Driving the Divergence's? Sponsored by CME Group