Strategic Finance & Venture Capital Expert | Investment Portfolio Specialist
Adrian Alexander of New York, born in Bucharest, Romania, in 1946, moved to the United States in 1964 after completing high school. Carrying dual citizenship from the U.S. and Italy, he faced the immense challenge of supporting his mother and himself following the death of his father shortly after their arrival. Despite these hardships, he excelled academically, obtaining a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from NYU Engineering School in 1970 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1972.
During his early career, he was recruited by Morgan Stanley & Co., where he spent three years in investment banking before joining Lehman Brothers Kuhn Loeb as Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions. His career then took him to Italy, where, from 1978 to 1983, he worked for the executive search firm Egon Zehnder in Milan, handling executive recruitments for multinational clients.
Returning to the United States in 1983, he pursued various entrepreneurial ventures, including acquiring and restructuring Minneapolis Sport, a franchise of ailing sporting goods stores, which he successfully sold to over 50 franchisees. His next significant move was joining Polly Peck International, Plc in 1987, where, as Vice President of Acquisitions, he oversaw the acquisition of Del Monte Fresh Fruit Company and developed the company's Eastern European strategy.
His advisory skills were further recognized from 1991 to 1994 when he consulted for regional corporate stationery, aiding its expansion into a $2 billion multinational office products distributor. From 1995 to 1996, he led EC/American, a boutique investment bank, assisting in securing venture capital investments for emerging healthcare companies.
In 1996, he founded the Phoenix Real Estate Fund in New York, acquiring and managing over 200 properties until its sale in 1999. In 2000, he established Technology Seed Capital, an early-stage venture capital fund focusing on technology investments. He also partnered with Limores.net, an online platform for ground transportation, and managed an imaging center in Astoria, New York, from 2006 until its sale in 2014.
Most recently, in 2010, he launched Health Settlement, LLC, a lending firm for personal injury cases. He collaborated initially with local legal and medical professionals and later partnered with U.S. Claims.
On a personal note, Adrian Alexander is an avid chess and poker player, appreciating both games' strategic depth and intellectual challenge. This July, he will celebrate his 29th wedding anniversary with his wife, Susi. He also enjoys his family's milestones, with his son turning 25 and his daughter 21. Adrian Alexander of New York embodies resilience and strategic acumen professionally and personally.