Evangelos Marinakis was born in the Greek port city of Piraeus on 30th July 1967. Throughout the course of his extraordinary career, Mr Marinakis has gained global recognition in the international shipping industry as chairman of the Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation. He is also the owner of two football clubs, Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest, as well as being a committed philanthropist.
Having attended university in Watford, UK, Evangelos Marinakis earned a bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration before taking a master’s degree in International Relations. Following in his father’s footsteps, Evangelos Marinakis entered the shipping industry after graduating, serving as commercial manager for Capital Ship Management Corporation. In this role, Mr Marinakis oversaw the success and growth of numerous enterprises that today form part of the Capital Maritime group of companies.
Evangelos Marinakis founded the Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation in 2005. The global shipping organisation has flourished and expanded significantly over the years, today managing a vast fleet of container ships, dry bulk carriers and tankers. Operating a total fleet of 120 vessels with an overall tonnage of circa 12.5 million tonnes, Evangelos Marinakis’s role with Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation has earned him a place in every edition of the ‘100 Most Influential People in the Shipping Industry’ by Lloyds List since 2010, with Mr Marinakis ranking 22nd in 2023.
Evangelos Marinakis served as board chairman of Capital Product Partners LP from 2007 to 2014. He also founded Crude Carriers Corporation in 2010, which went on to merge with Capital Product Partners LP in 2011.
A lifelong Olympiacos Football Club supporter, Evangelos Marinakis was fortunate enough to acquire a majority share in the club in 2010. Throughout his seven years as club president, he led the club to an astounding seven consecutive championship wins.
Joining forces with then Piraeus mayor and Olympiacos vice president, Yannis Moralis, Evangelos Marinakis co-founded the Piraeus Winner alliance in 2014. The party won the Piraeus city council elections in 2014, and Mr Marinakis became an elected member of Piraeus city council. Evangelos Marinakis and Yannis Moralis created the Piraeus Winner alliance with the ultimate goal of improving quality of life for people living across this important Greek port city, improving infrastructure and establishing the city as a thriving tourist destination.
Evangelos Marinakis acquired the English Football League club Nottingham Forest in 2017, securing the League’s approval of his plans to return the team to glory. Under Mr Marinakis’s stewardship, Nottingham Forest Football Club now boasts the East Midlands’ largest football stadium.
Evangelos Marinakis has used his status as a public figure and business leader to achieve positive social impact throughout his career in the global shipping industry. Following the Greek financial crisis, Mr Marinakis donated over €168,000 to ‘Greece Debt Free’ on behalf of Olympiacos Football Club, providing much-needed financial support for a charity website with the goal of eliminating Greece’s national debt. In 2013, Evangelos Marinakis played a central role in creating a partnership between Olympiacos FC and UNICEF, backing a child immunisation scheme in the developing world.
Evangelos Marinakis has used his personal funds to finance redevelopment in his home city of Piraeus, as well as funding and overseeing the creation of new jobs and businesses. The Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation has also been recognised with numerous coveted industry awards, particularly in the realms of environmental impact and sustainability of the shipping industry. These have included the Port of Long Beach, South Carolina’s ‘Green Environmental Achievement Award’ in 2014, 2015 and 2018, as well as an ‘Excellence Award’ from GREEN4SEA in 2015.
