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Michael Psaros is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of KPS Capital Partners, LP, and a member of its Investment Committee. He is among the wealthiest Greek-Americans according to the annual list published by The National Herald.
KPS Capital Partners, LP is the manager of KPS Special Situations Funds, a family of private equity funds with approximately $5.5 billion of assets under management focused on making controlling equity investments in companies across a diverse range of manufacturing industries experiencing a period of transition or challenged by the need to effect immediate and significant change.
“There is nothing more important than your reputation—to onoma. What I owe to my family, and the All Saints community, is that they taught me filotimo. And if you run that parallel directly to my business at KPS, we are a firm that has a value system. We are a firm that understands we have obligations, and there’s nothing more important to our firm than our professional reputation—to onoma mas” he says.
He received a B.S.B.A. degree in Finance from Georgetown University and attended Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan.
His role models were his grandfather Mike, who worked until he was 86, and his grandmother Evgenia.
“All four of my grandparents are immigrants. My Mother’s parents immigrated from the village of Olympoi in Chios. My Father’s family immigrated from Halikarnassos (Bodrum) in Asia Minor. My Grandfather’s family was destroyed in the Asia Minor genocide. My Grandmother’s family stopped in KOS for a number of years on their way to the U.S. We still have family in Xios, Kos and Athena. My parents were born in West Virginia and so was I. But despite being a second generation Greek-American, I didn’t learn English until I started school. My grandparents took care of me and only spoke to me in Greek” he explained in an interview at ellines.com
Mr. Psaros and the Co-Founders of KPS have successfully developed and executed a proprietary investment strategy that has resulted in the creation of successful enterprises by transforming non-core assets or businesses into vibrant and thriving independent companies or by acquiring assets or companies that were close to shutdown or liquidation, suffering from a history of operating losses, operating in bankruptcy, or in default of obligations to creditors.
The KPS Funds’ Portfolio Companies have aggregate annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion, operate 93 manufacturing facilities in 23 countries, and employ approximately 40,000 associates, directly and through joint ventures worldwide.
Mr. Psaros currently serves on the Board of Directors of the following KPS portfolio companies: American & Efird (Chairman), Chassis Brakes International Group (Chairman), Electrical Components International, Expera Specialty Solutions, Heritage Home Group, and International Equipment Solutions. In addition, Mr. Psaros previously served on the Board of Directors of 23 former KPS portfolio companies, including as Chairman of seven.
Previously, Mr. Psaros was an investment banker with Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc.
In April 2013, Mr. Psaros and his spouse created The Robin and Michael Psaros Endowed Chair in Business Administration at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, where Mr. Psaros presently serves as Vice Chairman of the Executive Board of Advisors. He also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Georgetown University Center for Financial Markets and Policy.
On December 2, 2016 received the 37th Homeric Award of the Chian Federation. His parents George and Marie – Anne come from Olimpous and Kalamoti that belong to Mastichochoria (“the mastic villages”) of Chios. The Homeric Award was established by the Chian Federation in 1977 and is awarded annually to distinguished personalities from the fields of politics, arts, literature and to philanthropists.
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