The Principals are a unique team of seasoned senior executives, successful entrepreneurs and private equity investors, with experience from start-up to turnaround, liquidation to M and A and IPO. The Principals have worked together, in the region, since 1995.
Aristides C. Fronistas has been the Managing Principal of 7L Capital Partners since 2002.
From 1994 to 2002, Mr. Fronistas was Managing Director & CEO of the Commercial Capital Group. He joined the Commercial Bank of Greece Group in 1994 as Group Executive for Modernization and Chief Technologist, and built Commercial Capital into one of the largest private equity/venture capital firms based in Emerging Europe, with over EUR 150 million capital under management and realized returns exceeding 80% during his tenure.
From 1993 to 1994, Mr. Fronistas was Managing Director & CEO of Stet Hellas Telecommunications, one of Greece's first two mobile telephony operators. From 1991 to 1993, he was Director General & COO of Database Software, a software producer and systems integrator (presently a unit of EDS Italy). From 1990 to 1991, Mr. Fronistas was Chairman and President of TopoGenetics Inc (now Exelixis Inc on the NASDAQ), a biotechnology concern that he co-founded in 1990.
From 1981 to 1990, Mr. Fronistas was at AT&T. He joined Bell Telephone Laboratories as Member of Technical Staff in Electronics Technology Planning. In 1983, he moved to Bell Labs Strategic Planning as Supervisor of New Ventures Development. In 1984, he was assigned to AT&T Corporate Headquarters as Manager of Venture Technologies. In 1986, he was appointed President of Advanced Decision Support Systems, an AT&T business unit that he founded in 1985.
Prior to joining AT&T, Mr. Fronistas held positions at Stanford University, IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Columbia University, Grundig Werke GmbH, M. S. Maher Consulting Engineers, and F. B. Messeca Advertising Company.
Aristides Fronistas was born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1948. He is fluent in English, Greek, French, Italian and Arabic. He holds a BEng from Cairo University (in Electrical Engineering), an MSc from Columbia University (in Computer Science) and a PhD from Stanford University (in Management Sciences).
Stefanos C. Capsaskis is a Principal of 7L Capital Partners.
From 1999 to 2003, Mr. Capsaskis was Director - Investments and a member of the Management Team at the Commercial Capital Group, significantly contributing to its becoming one of the largest private equity/venture capital firms based in Emerging Europe.
From 1990 to 1999, Mr. Capsaskis worked at the London branch of Ergobank. He was responsible for the establishment of the branch in 1990, and advanced to Deputy Senior Manager in 1993. In 1997 he was promoted to Senior Manager.
From 1987 to 1990, Mr. Capsaskis was a Senior Engineer at Greycon Consultants Ltd in London.
From 1985 to 1987, he served as Analyst at the Hellenic Navy Hydrographic Service.
Stefanos Capsaskis was born in London, UK, in 1958. He is fluent in English, Greek and French. He holds a MA and a PhD from the University of Cambridge (both in Chemical Engineering). He was awarded Cambridge’s Danckwerts Prize in 1985. He is a non-executive Director of ProBank SA.
Salvator I. Levis is a Principal of 7L Capital Partners.
From 1995 to 2003, Mr. Levis was Executive Director - Investments and a member of the Management Team at the Commercial Capital Group, significantly contributing to its becoming one of the largest private equity/venture capital firms based in Emerging Europe.
From 1981 to 1995, Mr. Levis was the Director of the Financial Systems Division of AT&T Global Information Solutions (NCR) in Athens, responsible for marketing, selling, installing and supporting complex hardware and software systems in the banking and government markets. Under his management, the division became the undisputed market leader.
During his tenure at AT&T/NCR, Mr. Levis acquired in-depth knowledge and experience in the information technology and telecommunications industries and markets. He is well known in the Greek banking environment for his contribution to the introduction and implementation of electronic and automated banking transaction systems during the period 1985-1995.
From 1978 to 1981, Mr. Levis was Credit Officer at the Ionian & Popular Bank of Greece.
Salvator Levis was born in Athens, Greece, in 1957. He is fluent in English, Greek and French. He holds a BA from the University of Piraeus (in Business Administration) and has completed the Stanford Executive Program at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
Costin Florin Donoaica is a Principal of 7L Capital Partners.
From 1996 to 2002, he was Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Manager of Commercial Bank of Greece (Romania) SA and, in parallel from 1996 to 2004, Mr. Donoaica was Senior Counselor - Investments at the Commercial Capital Group.
From 1995 to 1996, Mr. Donoaica was Inspector General of the Bucharest Stock Exchange at the National Securities Commission.
From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Donoaica was Director of the Emerging Capital Market Project at the National Bank of Romania, which established the Bucharest Stock Exchange. From 1992 to 1993, he was Assistant to the First Vice Governor of the National Bank of Romania. From 1991 to 1992, he was International Economist at the National Bank of Romania.
From 1986 to 1991, Mr. Donoaica was economist and Head of Department at the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Romania - Bucharest branch. From 1983 to 1986, he was Economist & Chief Accountant at Fundulea Sugar Plant SA.
Costin Donoaica was born in Bucharest, Romania, in 1958. He holds a BA from the Romanian Academy of Economics and a BA in law and a Ph.D. in law from the University of Bucharest. He has participated in numerous seminars in Europe, the US and Japan. He has published on Banking, Securities and Foreign Exchange, and has acted as lecturer in the Romanian Banking Institute.