This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject , potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral.(June 2025) |
Evangelos Pistiolis (born 1973) is a Greek shipowner and entrepreneur. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
He is the founder of the shipping company Top Ships Inc. [1] [3] and has served as its CEO since 2000. [2] [3] The company operates in the international tanker market for oil and petroleum products. [1] [3]
He is also the founder and CEO of Central Group, a private investment conglomerate with activities in shipping, energy, and real estate. [1]
Pistiolis completed his secondary education at Athens College. [6] In 1994 he received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Munich (Technische Universität München). [4] [7] In 1999 he graduated from the Southampton Institute of Higher Education (later Southampton Solent University) with studies in shipping operations. [4] [7] [5] [8]
From 1994 to 1995 he worked at the shipbroking firm Howe Robinson & Co. Ltd. in London, managing a small fleet of bulk carriers. [5] [9] During his studies in Southampton, he also worked at Compass United Maritime Container Vessels, a Greece-based ship management company. [8]
In 2000, at the age of 27, he acquired his first vessel, marking his entry as a shipowner into the international shipping market. [5]
Pistiolis is the founder and CEO of the NASDAQ-listed shipping company Top Ships Inc., as well as of Central Group, a private investment conglomerate active in shipping and real estate. [10] [11] Central Group includes, among others, Central Shipping Inc., Central Mare Inc., Central Tankers Chartering Inc., and Central International Construction and Development (CICD). [12] [13] In 2025, the spin-off of its subsidiary Rubico Inc. was completed, which was listed independently on NASDAQ. [14]
In 2004, Pistiolis listed Top Tankers Inc. (later renamed Top Ships Inc.) on NASDAQ, raising over USD 146 million in its IPO. [15] [16] [17] The success of the IPO made him one of the youngest CEOs of a listed shipping company and was considered a milestone for the sector. [18]
In 2006 a program for building product/chemical tankers in South Korea was announced, and in 2007 orders worth around USD 300 million were placed. [19]
Between 2013 and 2020, companies under his control ordered vessels worth approximately USD 2.2 billion from Hyundai group shipyards, while since 2020 he has shown interest in LNG. [20]
In 2017 Top Ships entered a joint venture with Gunvor Group for two product tankers under construction at Hyundai shipyards. [21] Around the same period, the company acquired newbuild tankers with long-term charters. [22]
In 2024 Top Ships pursued strategic vessel transactions. [23] It has employed sale-and-leaseback models and loan agreements with financial institutions. [24]
In 2025 the company spun off Rubico Inc. and executed financing transactions worth around USD 290 million through tanker sales to Chinese financiers. [25] [26] [27]
Beyond shipping, Pistiolis is active in real estate through:
In 2022 he acquired the former complex of Lakis Gavalas in Kantza, Attica. [31] [32]
He also holds investments in luxury properties internationally, mainly in Dubai. [33] [34]
Evangelos Pistiolis founded the Evangelos Pistiolis Foundation, a Swiss charitable foundation based in St. Moritz, registered in 2022 and under federal supervision in Switzerland. Its purpose is to support vulnerable groups, promote historical studies (with an emphasis on the Roman period), and strengthen the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (ESAG). [39] [40] [41] There is also a corporate philanthropic arm through the Central Group Foundation. [42]
The Foundation and Pistiolis himself have supported: