Paul Kazarian

Paul B. Kazarian (born October 15, 1955) is an American (of Armenian descent) investor, financier, businessperson, and philanthropist. He is currently the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Japonica Partners, an entrepreneurial investment firm.

Career history

Since 1987, Kazarian has been Chairman & CEO of Japonica Partners. In 1993, he founded The Charles & Agnes Kazarian Eternal Foundation, for which he has also been Chairman since its inception.

Through his work with Japonica Partners, Kazarian has overseen approximately $2 billion in shareholder wealth. Japonica strives to attain entrepreneurial returns with low risk, chiefly by focusing on undervalued global situations that present large value gaps. Japonica's major investments include the reorganization of 12 Allegheny International businesses, creating Sunbeam-Oster, a tender offer for Chicago Northwestern, and a proposal to rejuvenate the Borden conglomerate.[1]

Prior to Japonica’s inception in 1987, Kazarian was an investment banker at Goldman, Sachs & Co. His clients were diverse, ranging from global Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 multi-nationals and emerging growth companies to quasi-government organizations.

From 1990 to 1993, Kazarian was Chairman and CEO of Sunbeam-Oster.[2]

In 2013, during the Greek debt crisis, Japonica become one of the largest bidders for Greek government bonds. Japonica offered to buy up to €2.9 billion in bonds, which were seen as a risky and volatile corner of the market.[3]

Philanthropy

In 1993, Kazarian established two non-profit foundations whose charitable missions include economic development, education, and technology. The first, The Charles and Agnes Kazarian Eternal Foundation (CAKE), is named in honor of his grandparents. The CAKE Foundation seeks to empower families through economic development, education, and healthcare.

Kazarian is involved with the Asia Society, for which co-chaired the 2011 Awards Dinner.[4]

He also chaired the American India Foundation’s fifth annual Spring Awards Gala on April 30, 2008 in New York City and was honored at AIF's Boston Gala on November 13, 2010 for his role in philanthropic leadership in India. The Kazarian Foundation also announced a Knowledge Partnership with AIF as part of a Knowledge Partnership initiative.

Kazarian is also Committee Chairman for a 2010 Singapore Heritage Celebration and on Jan. 10, 2011, Kazarian delivered the opening address for a Knowledge Partnership for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore) and the Singapore Cooperation Programme.[5]

Education

Kazarian received his MBA from Columbia University, his MA from Brown University, and his undergraduate degree from Bates College.[6]

Lecturing

Kazarian has guest lectured and spoken on the topics of business and philanthropy in settings ranging from the Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, and Dartmouth's Tuck Business School, to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and the National School of Development at Peking University.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Japonica Partners".
  2. ↑ Bryant, Adam (January 16, 1993). "Behind the Mutiny at Sunbeam-Oster". New York Times.
  3. ↑ Forelle, Charles (June 3, 2013). "Meet Japonica Partners: The Mysterious Bidder for Greek Bonds". Wall Street Journal.
  4. ↑ "Asia Society 2011 Awards Dinner".
  5. ↑ "Singapore Armenian Heritage: 175th Anniversary Celebration". Business Wire. September 15, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Paul B. Kazarian, PMI Greece Chapter Congress 2014". 2014.
  7. ↑ "Paul B. Kazarian: Executive Profile & Biography". Bloomberg.com.

External links

Further reading

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