Basil M Karatzas is the founder and CEO of Karatzas Marine Advisors & Co., a shipping finance and ship-brokerage firm based in Manhattan, New York.
Mr Karatzas has more than fifteen years of experience in the shipping industry, encompassing a diverse and ever progressing list of roles and assignments, commencing with husbandry agency in the Port of Houston, Texas, and moving on to project cargo and chartering, ship brokerage, vessel valuations and shipping finance. Presently, in his capacity as founder and CEO Karatzas Marine Advisors, Mr Karatzas is leading a team of professionals advising shipowners on financial matters and raising capital and financing in today’s competitive world. Recent successful assignments include raising of capital for privately-held independent shipowners, placing vessels from banks with privately-held independent shipowners in structured transactions and management agreements, and exclusive ship-brokerage services on behalf of banks and insolvency administrators. Complimentary services include bespoke shipping asset valuations and expert opinion, market expertise and advisory to institutional investors on maritime matters and deal sourcing and originations. Mr Karatzas and the firm have repeatedly represented and concluded transactions with reference name accounts in the maritime, banking, financial and investment industries, including Fortune 100 companies.
Mr Karatzas is a frequent contributor to the trade press and speaker at trade conferences, and he has been quoted extensively in the international business press on maritime matters. A member of numerous professional associations, including The Royal Institute of International Affairs, The Baltic Exchange, the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, Mr Karatzas has been educated at Harvard Business School (HBS) and Rice University. Karatzas Marine Advisors & Co is headquartered in the Financial District in Manhattan, New York City, but with a worldwide footprint of clients, primarily in the USA, UK, Greece, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan representing maritime and shipping, trading, commodities, banking and finance, private equity and asset management.
