KENT, Ohio – The Kent State Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship’s National Advisory Board welcomes John Karakadas, Kent State graduate and founder and managing member of Aesion, LLC, an investment management firm.
Karakadas holds a degree in Industrial Management from Kent State University and an Executive Finance post Graduate diploma from the London Business School.
Karakadas has a 35-year track record of creating value in demanding situations across a number of industries and geographies. His experience spans the aviation, technology, consumer packaged goods, retail, real estate and shipping sectors in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America. Karakadas has held executive positions at companies including Olympic Air, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Barilla, Burger King and Europe’s largest retailer, Tchibo GmbH.
Karakadas also served on the Board of Directors and the Board’s Audit Committee of Navios Maritime Partners (BLOOMBERG Code: NMM) since the firm’s IPO in the NYSE in 2007 and until 2016. He has served as a Director on the Board of a numerous companies both public and private, in both executive and non-executive capacities. In 2007, he joined the Board that led Marfin Investment Group (Bloomberg Code: MIG.GR) to a $6.8 billion IPO in the Athens Stock Exchange, and from his position of Group Deputy CEO and Investment Committee Member helped shape the creation of SE Europe’s biggest conglomerate.
The Kent State Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship’s National Advisory Board is comprised of prominent College alumni and corporate partners throughout the United States. The board provides an external point of view and resources to connect with important constituencies for expertise, financial support and information.
“We are pleased to welcome Mr. Karakadas to the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship’s National Advisory Board,” said Deborah F. Spake, Ph.D., dean of the college. “His vast global experience and leadership in numerous industries provide a valuable perspective to the board.”
Born in Greece in 1962, Karakadas resides in Miami, FL with his wife, Olga, and three children.
About Kent State University’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship
Kent State University’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship is among the fewer than 1% of business schools worldwide to obtain dual accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in both business and accounting. The college offers 11 undergraduate majors, 14 minors, an undergraduate Professional Sales Certificate; MBA; master’s degrees in accounting, business analytics and economics; four graduate certificates and a Ph.D. program. For more information about Kent State’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, visit www.kent.edu/crawford.
Media Contact:
Joni Bowen
(330) 672-1279 | Jbowen1@kent.edu