Evangelos Marinakis: A Prominent Business Leader and Public Figure

Evangelos Marinakis is the only son of Miltiadis Marinakis, a prominent shipowner and member of Greek Parliament, and Eirini Marinaki, nee Karakatsani. Like his father before him, Evangelos Marinakis is an impassioned supporter of Olympiacos FC, the team of their hometown, Piraeus.

Born on the 30^th July 1967, Vangelis Marinakis studied in London after completing his high school education in Greece, earning a BA and an MSc in business administration and international relations respectively. Today he is best known as the chairman and founder of Capital Maritime & Trading Corp, as well as owning two football clubs, Olympiacos FC and Nottingham Forest in the UK. He is also known for his extensive philanthropic pursuits and as an elected member of the city council of Piraeus.

Embarking on his extraordinarily successful professional journey, Evangelos Marinakis following in his father’s footsteps, venturing into international shipping. He was employed as a commercial manager for Capital Ship Management Corporation. During his tenure with the firm, he helped to ensure the growth and success of many enterprises that form part of the Capital Maritime group of companies today. Serving as chairman of the board of Capital Product Partners LP between 2007 and 2014, Evangelos Marinakis also founded the Crude Carriers Corporation, the latter company merging with Capital Product Partners LP in 2011.

Founding Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation in 2005, Evangelos Marinakis laid the foundations for what has grown to become a major player in global shipping. Over the years, the company has expanded its operations considerably, today owning an expansive mixed fleet of tankers, dry bulk carriers and container ships. According to Lloyd’s List, as of November 2022 the Capital Group controlled circa 100 vessels, with a value estimated at $9 billion. In 2021 and the first months of 2022, the Capital Maritime & Trading Corp was involved in 75 transactions with a combined value of $5.5 billion. This included 47 vessel acquisitions, including significant investments in greener ships.

In 2023, the Capital Group’s ‘green revolution’ was praised by Tradewinds after Mr Marinakis invested $6.5 billion in an emerging energy transition fleet incorporating the world’s largest liquefied CO2 carriers. Reflecting on the investment, Evangelos Marinakis pointed out that LNG could deliver a significant reduction of CO2 emissions immediately and with certainty thanks to its tested propulsion technology, abundant fuel and infrastructure. Although he conceded that other alternative fuels will surely play a part in the future, Mr Marinakis warned that waiting for the technology to mature and fuel to become available could mean losing decades on the path to decarbonisation, a commitment Capital Maritime & Trading Corp is steadfast in pursuing.

In 2014, Evangelos Marinakis won the Piraeus city council election with the independent Piraeus Winner alliance. Joining forces with mayor of Piraeus and Olympiacos FC vice president Yannis Moralis, Mr Marinakis centred the party’s manifesto around improving living standards for local people by upgrading infrastructure, fuelling economic growth and establishing Piraeus as a thriving tourist hub.

Throughout his career, Evangelos Marinakis has consistently leveraged his position as a prominent business leader and public figure to achieve positive change in society. He donated €168,590 to the Greek Debt Free charity website on behalf of Olympiacos FC in the wake of the Greek financial crisis, furthering its mission of eliminating the national debt. In 2013, Mr Marinakis negotiated a partnership between Olympiacos and the children’s charity UNICEF, with the club providing vital funding for paediatric immunisation schemes in developing countries.

In addition to his role as a public servant, football club president and prominent figure in international shipping, Evangelos Marinakis owns businesses operating in a range of other industries, including Abisso Holdings Limited, One Channel and Alter Ego Media SA.

Alban Parsons

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