ADIC’s Major Japanese Investment

Currently the executive vice president of private equity at Maine Point, LLC, an international financial consultancy, Steven W. Koinis formerly held several executive positions with a variety of investment companies in the Middle East. On the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, Steven Koinis served as a senior manager and member of the sovereign wealth fund’s investment management team.

The Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC), acting as part of an investment syndicate, recently finalized one of the largest international property transactions in Japan when, along with its partners, it purchased the unique and timeworn Shiba Park Building for more than 100 billion Japanese yen, an amount equal to more than $1 billion in U.S. currency. Part of an investment group headed by Asia Pacific Land, ADIC’s other partners in the transaction include Secured Capital Investment Management Co. and C.V. Starr & Co., with Commerz Japan Real Estate Finance Corp., Shinsei Bank, and Mizuho Bank acting as lenders.

The new owners’ plans for the structure, also called the Gunkan building, which translates to the Warship building, are still undisclosed. Many are viewing the deal as indicative of a promising economic future that is reflective of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policies encouraging commercial development.

Ways to Support Feed The Children

Steven Koinis, a private equity specialist with more than 25 years of experience, serves as the executive vice president of private equity for Maine Pointe, LLC. Steven W. Koinis leads the company’s private equity operational and implementation advisory efforts internationally. Outside of work, he supports a number of charitable causes, including Feed The Children.

Founded in 1970, Feed The Children was established to provide hope and resources to those in need. Today, Feed The Children is one of the largest international charities and a four-star Better Business Bureau-accredited charity. Ways to support FTC include:

Feeding American children: Donations given to feed American children are multiplied by five thanks to the support of FTC partners. These donations help feed the 17 million American children at risk of hunger.

Feeding children worldwide: Donors can choose to allocate their contributions to children suffering from hunger around the world. Donations designated for malnourished children around the globe are also multiplied by five thanks to the support of FTC partners.

Sponsorship: Sponsorships allow donors to connect directly with a child in need. Monthly sponsorship fees are used to strengthen communities and provide children with a safe environment.

Disaster relief: Feed The Children is one of the largest suppliers of disaster relief worldwide. Donations given to FTC supply disaster victims with food and emergency supplies.

Announcing Winners from the HBS New Venture Program in New England

A financial executive with over a decade in the EMEA market, Steven Koinis serves as a partner and member of the board of directors for Xebec Venture Partners. Also a member of the Harvard Business Association of Boston, Steven W. Koinis remains closely involved with alumni events in the region.

Founded on the principle that “One simple idea can change everything,” Harvard Business School’s New Venture Competition empowers MBA students and alumni to create businesses and social-impact enterprises. As the host of the New Venture Program in the New England Region, the Harvard Business School Association of Boston is proud to announce two winners in the Business and Social Enterprise tracks.

Founded by a team of engineers and entrepreneurs, RapidSOS took home the $50,000 Dublier Grand Prize for the Business Track. Leveraging advanced technology solutions including cloud communications, big data analysis, geotagged images and videos, and much more, RapidSOS seeks to address gaps in an aging emergency response infrastructure and streamline communication.

The $50,000 Peter M. Sacerdote Grand Prize in the Social Enterprise Track went to Focus Foods, Inc., which is working to pilot 60,000-square-foot rooftop installations in surrounding grocery stores. Through the use of aquaponics, Focus Foods will utilize unused space to produce fresh, healthy produce in urban areas without the greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, pesticides, and water waste of traditional agricultural methods.

CARE’s Microfinancing Program Works to End Poverty

Steven W. Koinis has achieved success in a number of international equity firms, leveraging his expertise in other cultures to conduct effective communications. A believer in giving on an international scale, Steven Koinis supports CARE, a worldwide relief agency.

In addition to providing emergency relief and advocacy for those of low incomes, CARE believes in supporting local economies in less developed nations.

One example of CARE’s approach to ending poverty is the creation of small banks in African villages. A recent article described how the CARE Village Savings and Loan program benefits a family in Malawi.

The parents had to take a child out of school because they could not afford the $5 for supplies. Because they had no money for seeds, they could not cultivate all of their farm. The mother joined the Village Savings plan, depositing about $0.10 every week in the local currency.

She obtained a loan of $2 and received small business mentoring from CARE, enabling her to set up a doughnut-making business. The doughnuts won many customers, and she was soon making the equivalent of several dollars a day. Her husband went into business, too, growing and selling vegetables.

They used the proceeds to upgrade their farm’s productivity, increasing the available acreage. Eventually, their operation grew large enough to support up to 10 local farmworkers. The parents also plan to use the profits to send their youngest children to university.

Tips to Turn Your Business Around

By Steven Koinis

Acutely aware of the challenges companies often face, Steven Koinis works with national and international corporations to assess company health and determine valuable business solutions. While these solutions often require major overhauls and the expertise of an outside perspective, a number of small improvements can help your business get back on track. The following tips represent some helpful ideas for business improvement and positive development.

1. Revisit your business plan. In the event your company is struggling, you may find that, upon reviewing your original business plan with a discerning eye, there may be fatal flaws within the basic makeup of your company’s construction. Look at what can be improved and what goals should be amended in order to start moving in the right direction.

2. Carefully assess your weaknesses and strengths. Don’t be afraid to note opportunities for improvement in areas where less attention has been paid. Understanding your weaknesses can represent the biggest challenge in the process; however, it can also prove to be the most beneficial.

3. Be truthful and maintain excellent communication. All team members and involved persons should be apprised of the company’s current standing. While this may seem difficult at first, it will inspire renewed motivation and innovation when it is needed most.

About Steven Koinis:

Possessing over 20 years of experience, Steven Koinis currently serves as the Managing Director at Huron Consulting Group, a preeminent firm focused on client-based solutions in company turnaround and restructuring. With expertise in the areas of data-driven analysis, corporate growth, financial planning, and international investment, Steven Koinis continues to utilize his knowledge and best serve clients in many corners of the world.

Steven W. Koinis on the Turnaround Management Association

by Steven W. Koinis

In the last 20 years, I have overseen the business development and financial operations at several European, American, and Middle Eastern companies, among them the Virginia-based Washington Gas Light Venture Capital Group, Al Qudra Holdings, and international firm Owens Corning Fiberglas, Inc. Until last year, I served as a Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, and member of the Board of Directors of private equity company Makan Capital Group. Today, I contribute to Huron Consulting as a Managing Director. Outside of my professional duties, I enjoy networking and participating in professional groups such as the Arab Bankers Association of North America, The Financial Executives Networking Group, and the Turnaround Management Association.

An international nonprofit, the Turnaround Management Association serves professionals engaged in corporate renewal and turnaround management. Turnaround management refers to the practice of restructuring an insolvent company to make it profitable again. Headquartered in Chicago, the Association currently maintains 9,000 affiliates and 47 chapters on 6 continents. Almost half of the nonprofit’s members include turnaround practitioners and consultants who troubled companies hire to aid them through restructuring. The remaining 55 percent of members include bankers and lenders; lawyers; investors; and other professionals involved in corporate renewal, such as appraisers, liquidators, and government officials.

The Turnaround Management Association (TMA) maintains more than 20 years of history, beginning with the organization’s founding in 1988 following a conference for turnaround experts at the University of North Carolina. In 1989, TMA opened membership up to all professionals working in the turnaround industry and not just practitioners. By 1994, Association chapters outside of North America began forming.

Today, the Turnaround Management Association produces an annual report, The Journal of Corporate Renewal, and holds several large-scale meetings each year, including an Annual Convention and a Distressed Investing Conference. Learn more at www.turnaround.org.

Steven W. Koinis on the Huron Consulting Group

by Steven Koinis

In early 2010, I joined the Huron Consulting Group as a Managing Director responsible for advising clients on restructuring and business development operations. Prior to joining the consultancy firm, I spent more than 20 years managing, expanding, and participating in mergers and acquisitions for companies operating in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. My expertise in multiple industries, such as real estate, investment banking, and hospitality management, allows me to enhance the company’s global restructuring services.

The Huron Consulting Group maintains a diverse set of services that includes specialized assistance in accounting, finance, corporate governance, legal needs, global health and education, restructuring and turnaround, and other areas. Serving several Fortune 500 companies, Huron Consulting also oversees operations for government agencies, medium and large businesses, and law firms. Since the consulting group began operating in 2002, the firm has performed work for 85 of the nation’s 100 highest ranked research universities and 9 of the largest health care systems in the U.S. Maintaining annual revenues of $553 million (2010), the Huron Consulting Group has provided assistance to more than 4,100 clients in the past 9 years.

Traded on the New York Stock Exchange, Huron Consulting Group operates as one of the top U.S. consultancy agencies and currently employs a full-time staff of more than 1,550, including 1,115 consultants. The firm achieved its current success in only nine short years due to a commitment to customer attention, diversity in services provided, and international scope. Huron Consulting continues to see growth and most recently opened a London-based document review center, launched a Mortgage Loan Review Service, and acquired e-discovery business TRILANTIC International Limited.

Read more about Huron Consulting Group online at www.huronconsultinggroup.com.

Overview of John Grisham novels

An avid reader, Steven W. Koinis counts John Grisham among his favorite authors. One of the most acclaimed American authors in recent years, Grisham has written several best-selling legal thrillers and has sold more than 250 million copies of his books worldwide. Here is a brief synopsis of some of John Grisham’s most famous works.

A Time to Kill (1989) – John Grisham’s first best-selling novel, A Time to Kill details the murder of a young black girl in rural Mississippi and her father’s vengeance killings. The book also describes the trial of the young girl’s father, which is marred by a corrupt prosecuting attorney and a heavily biased all-white jury. A Time to Kill marked Grisham’s arrival as a successful author and later became a 1996 film of the same name.

The Firm (1991) – Building on the success of his first novel two years earlier, Grisham received national acclaim for his depiction of a corrupt law firm in Memphis, Tennessee. After graduating at the top of his class at Harvard Law School, protagonist Mitchell McDeere receives a lucrative job offer from a small tax firm, which provides him with a car and pays off his student loans. McDeere soon learns about the illegal activities at his new firm and must decide if he should become an informant for the FBI.

The Pelican Brief (1992) – Another of Grisham’s most famous novels, The Pelican Brief became a 1993 film starring Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts. The book details the assassination of two Supreme Court Justices and the quest of young law student Darby Shaw to unravel the mystery. Along the way, Shaw uncovers a conspiracy to install judges amenable to the interests of an oil tycoon attempting to drill in the marshlands of Louisiana.

The Client (1994) – Another Grisham novel to earn a film adaptation, The Client tells the story of a young boy, Mark Sway, who was the sole witness of a mob murder. With the help of a young lawyer named Reggie Love, Mark must navigate the treacherous waters of both the legal system and organized crime.

Arab Bankers Association of North America

In addition to his work as a financial executive with Makan Capital Group in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Steven W. Koinis belongs to the Arab Bankers Association of North America (ABANA). Launched in 1983, the ABANA brought together Arab bankers in North America looking for a way to improve networking and advance the interest of the Arab-American financial community. The founding members of the organization, which included Hutham Olayan, Fadi Saab, Monir Barakat, and Issa Baconi, spent months refining their vision before launching ABANA. Under the guidance of founding president Fakhruddin Khalil, the ABANA recruited more than 40 Arab-American businessmen to join them as the first members of the Arab Bankers Association of North America.

Since its inception, the Arab Bankers Association of North America has expanded to include over 60 institutions and 500 members. The ABANA has also restructured its original vision, opting to include both Arab and non-Arab financial service professionals in its membership. By maintaining a website with numerous publications, the ABANA hopes to facilitate the exchange of information among its members across the globe. The ABANA also invites a large number of guest speakers to share their views on an array of topics related to the financial sectors of the United States and the Arab world.

Members of the Arab Bankers Association of America fall into four categories. Institutional membership includes companies in the financial sector and allows members the opportunity to attend guest speaker events, showcase institutional expertise at events, and list a company profile in the ABANA Membership Directory. Individual members enjoy access to member events, discounted rates at ABANA seminars and conferences, and a subscription to the ABANA Review. The ABANA also offers a special student membership option, which allows students to attend events, access the member list, and post resumes on the ABANA website. The final category includes honorary members, who receive special benefits on the organization website.

To learn more about the Arab Bankers Association of America or to apply for membership, visit the website at arabbankers.org.

About Steven W. Koinis!

Since 2007, Mr. Steven W. Koinis has served as the CEO and Managing Director of the Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based Makan Capital Group (MCG). The driving force behind the company, Steven W. Koinis led MCG to a position as one of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region’s leading Sharia’a compliant private equity firms. The company, guided by Steven W. Koinis and supported by a deeply knowledgeable team of industry professionals, generates various products and opportunities related to investments and real estate. Focusing on a number of sectors, including banking, tourism, hospitality, residential, and commercial, Steven W. Koinis utilizes MCG’s vast network of international resources and partnerships to engender results. Currently, Steven W. Koinis is managing efforts to raise private equity funding for investments throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. A talented leader, Steven W. Koinis first demonstrated his capabilities as the Manager of New Business Development for Owens-Corning Fiberglas, Inc, where he first worked on expanding business within Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. In his next professional endeavor, Steven W. Koinis continued his work in business development for BTR, PLC. Over the next couple of decades, Steven W. Koinis took leading positions in a number of companies, including Washington Gas Light Venture Capital Group, The Octagon Group, Abu Dhabi Investment Company, The International Investor, Juniper Group Holdings, and Al Qudra Holding, as well as a leading real estate and equity firm. The possessor of three academic degrees, Steven W. Koinis first obtained a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.Sc. in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Michigan, both earned Magna Cum Laude. An involved student, Steven W. Koinis was active in a number of organizations, including Tau Beta Pi (the Engineering Honor Society), Pi Tau Sigma (the Metallurgical Engineering Honor Society), and the University of Michigan Honor Society. Steven W. Koinis went on to attend Harvard Business School, where he earned his M.B.A. in 1983. Steven W. Koinis maintains a permanent residence in Virginia. When he is not working overseas, Steven W. Koinis enjoys spending quality time with his family and friends.

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