Birthplace: Teaneck, NJ. Profession: Private equity. Organization: Heartwood Partners. Title: Managing Partner. Significant other: Niki Dounis, my wife. Alma mater: Rutgers University; University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business. Languages spoken: English and conversational Greek.
Latest accomplishment: Heartwood Partners was recognized for excellence across our industry and deal making. Hobbies: Pickup basketball, golf. Last book read: The Effective Manager, by Mark Horstman. Recently viewed and recommended: We Study Billionaires (podcast); Money Talks from The Economist (podcast).
Personality profile: Hard-working. Moral compass: Do the right thing when no one is looking. What is your greatest joy? My family. What is your guilty pleasure? Mint chocolate chip Ice cream. What is your favorite place (or way) to spend money? Investing. How do you relieve stress? Lifting weights. What ingredient is essential to your perfect vacation? A beautiful beach.
What was your first paying job? Public accounting at Deloitte. What was your favorite childhood toy or game? Risk. What movie have you repeatedly watched? The Shawshank Redemption. What’s prominently featured on your home or office wall? Globes. Besides your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life? My two private equity godfathers: Joe and Alan. What is your favorite app? Waze. What is your go-to source of news and information? WSJ and Barron’s.
What message do you want to send out into the world?
Performance, accountability, transparency, and hard work are the keys to success.
What mega-trend most excites you? Artificial intelligence and what it can do for the world. What mega-trend most concerns you? Artificial intelligence has a lot of drawbacks.
As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? CEO of a large corporation. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? With my family, at home, playing a board game. What advice would you give your younger self? Learn to speak Spanish, lift free weights. What period in your life would you do differently, if you could? High school freshman year.
Personal mission: Performance, accountability, transparency, and hard work. Personal motto: The harder you work, the luckier you get.
