Evangelos Marinakis is a prominent figure in the global shipping industry, having established the Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation, a global shipping organisation that manages an extensive fleet of container ships, dry bulk carriers and tankers. He is also an elected member of Piraeus city council, as well as owning both Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest football clubs.
Born in Piraeus in 1967, Evangelos Marinakis completed his secondary education in his hometown before attending university in Watford, England. Here, Mr Marinakis graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration and a master’s degree in International Relations.
From 1992 to 2005, Evangelos Marinakis worked for Capital Ship Management Corporation as a commercial manager, where he was instrumental in the growth and success of many businesses that are today part of the Capital Maritime group. Having founded the Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation in 2005, Evangelos Marinakis also launched and led various other companies, including founding Crude Carriers Corporation and serving as chairman of the board for Capital Product Partners LP.
Evangelos Marinakis became an elected member of Piraeus city council in 2014, representing the independent ‘Piraeus Winner’ alliance, a party he co-founded with Yannis Moralis, the mayor of Piraeus at the time and vice president of Olympiacos football club. The alliance won the votes of local people with an exciting manifesto pledging to invest in upgrading infrastructure to improve the standard of living in Piraeus and establish the city as a thriving tourist destination.
Recognising all too well the huge potential of his home city, once elected, Mr Marinakis set about doing all within his power to address challenges for residents of Piraeus. Throughout his tenure as a member of Piraeus city council, Evangelos Marinakis has played an active role in a range of initiatives designed to improve the city and enhance the lives of residents.
Mr Marinakis has used his own resources to facilitate the creation of businesses in Piraeus, boosting employment across the city. He has also overseen a range of community and infrastructure initiatives, including spearheading the creation of playgrounds, football grounds, indoor gyms and public squares. In addition, Evangelos Marinakis has overseen tree-planting schemes, interventions on the façade of buildings, cultural events and activities for children, such as sports and summer camps.
A longtime supporter of Olympiacos FC, in 2010 Evangelos Marinakis acquired a majority share in the club, and in his tenure as club president he led the team to victory in an impressive seven consecutive championships.
Evangelos Marinakis also owns Nottingham Forest football club, a team that plays in the English Football League. Mr Marinakis secured the League’s approval for plans designed to restore the former glory of the club, including the redevelopment of its historic grounds, which culminated in the creation of the largest football stadium in the East Midlands. Central to the redevelopment project was the introduction of world-class facilities, including a range of restaurants, executive boxes and hospitality lounges, as well as a new club shop and museum. The plans also included spacious concourses for general-admission supporters and improved facilities for supporters with disabilities, including a substantial increase in wheelchair spaces.
Throughout his extraordinarily successful career in the global shipping industry, Evangelos Marinakis has consistently leveraged his position to further a variety of worthy causes and drive positive change in society. In recognition of his considerable professional and philanthropic contributions,
Evangelos Marinakis has been honoured with numerous coveted awards. In 2017, Lloyd’s List staged a special ceremony in his honour in Athens, where Mr Marinakis was presented with the organisation’s ‘Greek Shipping Personality of the Year’ award. At the event, Lloyd’s List spokesperson Nigel Lowry explained that the award was in recognition of the $1 billion invested by Evangelos Marinakis to boost fleet capacity in 2017, along with the business leader’s ‘dynamic deal-making’. The award also recognised his extensive contributions to philanthropy, the media sector and sports.
