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Evangelos Marinakis: A Biography

Posted: 31st October 2019 08:33
Born on the 30th of July 1967, Evangelos Marinakis is the Chairman of Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation, owner of Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos football clubs, and a member of the Piraeus city council.

Marinakis attended university in Watford, England, earning a BA in International Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in International Relations after completing his secondary education in his hometown of Piraeus, Greece.

Career

From 1992 to 2005 Marinakis was the Commercial Manager for Capital Ship Management Corporation, during which time he oversaw the growth and success of many of the businesses which now form Capital Maritime.

In 2005 Evangelos Marinakis founded the Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation. The global shipping organisation now manages a fleet including tankers, container ships and dry bulk carriers.

Marinakis was also Chairman of the Board of Capital Product Partners L.P. from 2007 to 2014, and founder of the Crude Carriers Corporation from 2010 to 2011 before its merger with Capital Product Partners L.P. in September 2011.

In 2010 Marinakis, a long-time supporter of his hometown’s football team Olympiacos F.C., was able to buy a majority share in the club. In his seven years as the club’s president, Marinakis led the team to seven consecutive championship victories.

In 2014 Evangelos Marinakis was elected to the Piraeus City Council with the independent ‘Piraeus Winner’ alliance, which he co-founded with Olympiacos Vice-President and current Mayor of Piraeus, Yannis Moralis. The alliance focused on improving the city’s standard of living, upgrading infrastructure, and transforming the city into a tourist destination.

Marinakis has also acquired Nottingham Forest F.C. in 2017 with the approval of the English Football League for his plans to restore the club to its previous success. These plans have included an exciting redevelopment of the team’s historic grounds, which will see it become the largest stadium in the East Midlands, featuring world-class facilities.

Philanthropy

Throughout his career Evangelos Marinakis has used his position as a businessman and public figure to have a positive social impact. In the wake of the financial crisis, Marinakis donated €168,590 to ‘Greece Debt Free’ – a charity website launched to eliminate  Greece’s debt – on behalf of Olympiacos F.C. in 2012, and established a partnership between the club and UNICEF in 2013 to help immunize children in the developing world.

He has also used his personal finances to fund redevelopment and the creation of new jobs and businesses in Piraeus, and the Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation has won several awards for its efforts to improve the sustainability and environmental impact of the shipping industry. These have included the 2014, 2015 and 2018 Green Environmental Achievement Award by the Port of Long Beach in Southern California, and the GREEN4SEA Excellence Award 2015.