Andrew Nikou, 34, is the founder, managing partner and CEO of OpenGate Capital and leads his expanding bench of private equity professionals in acquiring and operating companies around the world. Within six years, Nikou and his team had grown the firm’s international portfolio of companies to more than $2 billion in annual revenue across a diverse range of industries. Mr. Nikou’s disciplined strategy of opportunistically acquiring non-core divisions of Fortune 1000 companies is the foundation of the firm’s investment philosophy. His pioneering approach to creatively financing OpenGate’s investments, leveraging its portfolio company brands, and fearlessly acquiring businesses based purely on a deal’s merit, not location, prestige or industry, defines both the firm and his own unique management style. Mr. Nikou also adheres to a personal mission of giving back to the community through both philanthropy and political involvement.
Andrew Nikou is a self-made man who used his own savings to start OpenGate Capital in 2005. With modest monies from wealthy investors he began acquiring companies and utilizing his team’s operating expertise to rejuvenate them. Within the portfolio businesses, he focused on operational excellence and brand relevancy, not rapid exits. One success led to others and his reputation as an astute and honest international businessman proliferated, affording him the opportunity to consummate larger transactions. Today, Mr. Nikou is chairman of the board at the firm’s portfolio companies, providing strategic and financial guidance.
A strong believer in geographic diversification, Mr. Nikou takes a global approach to investing. He enlists the top local talent in the both the private equity world – from Los Angeles to Paris to Brazil to New York – to oversee the firm’s portfolio. By creating OpenGate’s proprietary CEO in Residence™ program, Mr. Nikou ensures that the firm taps into the best talent for its portfolio companies, too.
Mr. Nikou was awarded “Dealmaker of the Year” by Mergers & Acquisitions magazine in 2010 and has been recognized by leading industry publications as a private equity whiz.
Prior to OpenGate Capital, Mr. Nikou managed Platinum Equity’s European investment activities and helped establish its European principal office. He led Platinum’s first four successful European acquisitions. Prior to Platinum, Mr. Nikou worked at the Patent and License Exchange, a Softbank investment start-up that served as a transparent and liquid marketplace for the valuation and exchange of licenses and patents.
While Mr. Nikou travels frequently, he considers Los Angeles his home. A Vancouver, Canada native, he moved to the U.S. with his family when he was a child. He received a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business. Mr. Nikou spends his private time working with various charities around the world and enjoying Formula One racing.