Our Team
Principals & Founders
Paul R. Milone
Mr. Milone serves as the Principal Advisor to Symphony clients in strategic matters including M&A, brand positioning, distribution, alliance building and financing. He forged his expertise in the field as founder and Managing Partner of ISV International, a merchant banking group based in Washington DC. He has grown Symphony Investment Partners as a leading strategic advisory group, working with a range of clients ranging from technology, communications and new media, to apparel, toys and sports marketing
Prior to founding Symphony and ISV, Mr. Milone founded both Intersport Ltd., a leading sports marketing and distribution group which established markets for numerous brands including the Italian sports brand Diadora, and Lanzera, a proprietary soccer brand created by the Company. Under Mr. Milone’s stewardship, the Company was sold in 1997 to the Italian sports apparel and textile group, Basic Inc
Drawing from his entrepreneurial background, Mr Milone provides a wealth of experience in strategic financing and developing new market opportunities for established businesses. He is currently involved in projects for international sports, media and industrial clients
Mr. Milone graduated with Honors in Economics from Princeton University. At Princeton he earned All-American Honors in soccer and for a period of three years played professional soccer. Between seasons, Mr. Milone developed his financial skills through participation in the International Management Program at Manufacturers Hanover Trust. Immediately after retiring as a player he founded Intersport Limited. In parallel to founding the Company, Mr. Milone attended the Darden School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia where he received his MBA
Michael Mankowski
In his capacity as a Principal Advisor, Mr. Mankowski works closely with our partners in identifying strategic acquisitions, strategic partnerships as well as developing licensing opportunities and strategies. Mr. Mankowski also serves as President of SBL, the licensing arm of Symphony Investment Partners. This is the successor to SB Licensing, a strategic licensing consulting company he founded in 2000. Over the past 8 years, the contracts secured by SB Licensing for various companies and brands in the footwear, apparel and consumer products categories have generated over $2.5 billion in licensed product sales. Among the many companies and brands that Mr. Mankowski has worked with include: Fila, Elle, Carlos by Carlos Santana, Body Glove, Gotcha, And1, Ryka, Nevados, Instinct, Haggar, Asics and U.S. Marine Corps. With SB Licensing, Mr. Mankowski has developed licensing strategies in 32 countries and just within the past three years, helped sell 12 companies
Prior to founding SB Licensing, Mr. Mankowski was President of the Licensing, Mergers & Acquisitions Division of the accounting firm Stonefield Josephson. In addition, he was owner of MEI, an apparel holding company which owned the Crossport, Barely Legal, and Kristina Rachel brands. Prior to MEI, Mr. Mankowski held several positions in various fields of apparel sales and licensing including owning apparel factories in North and South Carolina, starting up his own Sales Agency which achieved a sales volume of over $48 million and serving as Key Account Sales Executive for Haggar Apparel Company. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota where he earned his BA in Business Management and Finance
Symphony Investment Partners
Global Associates
SIP SE Asia
SIP Latin America
Michael Black - Regional Associate
Michael Black has over 25 years of experience in 5 continents working in the sports industry. In partnership with Symphony Investment Partners, Michael is currently working on several investment projects in club ownership, TV and Sponsorship rights, as well as non-profits. Michael is a partner and board member at 3 companies: Hinchas (www.hinch.as) a football-based social media company, CelActive, a Biotech company that sells stem cells treatments for sports injuries, and Asclepeia, the Latin America sales and distribution arm of same technology.
He has extensive international experience with Coca-Cola, FIFA, Octagon (based in London, Sydney, Zurich, San Jose de Costa Rica) and led the first ever IPO of a football club in Latin America
Through its correspondence office in Santiago Chile, managed by Regional Associate Michael Black, SIP has expanded its reach to Latin America. The opportunities in Latin America include identifying strategic acquisitions, strategic alliances, and financings for businesses looking to expand their presence in the region, and in markets throughout the world.
SIP Greater China
Jia Su - Regional Associate
Jia Su is the Regional Associate of Symphony Investment Partners China, based in Los Angeles California, and throughout Mainland China. Mr. Su is a global business executive with extensive experience in building international brands, and in cross border transactions. Through a long history working with the world famous Peak athletic brand, Mr. Su has an unparalleled expertise in forging business alliances in China with global brands and consumer companies.
Through its correspondence office in Los Angeles, and Beijing China, managed by Regional Associate Jia Su, SIP has expanded its reach to Greater China. The opportunities in Greater China include identifying strategic acquisitions, strategic alliances, and financings for businesses looking to expand their presence in the region, and in markets throughout the world.
