Dr. Michael Messner

Biography

Michael G. Messner is the Co-Founder of Seminole Management Company, Inc., an equity hedge fund, and has served as its Co-CEO since 1995. As Chief Investment Officer, he successfully navigated both bull and bear markets, emphasizing capital preservation during downturns. Since its inception in August 2018, Seminole has achieved a gross annualized return of 19.5%, surpassing the S&P 500 by +1.8% in 2008. Mr. Messner has led Seminole to positive gross returns for 21 out of the last 23 years, and at its peak, the firm managed assets totaling $3 billion. He is also involved in philanthropic activities through his family’s Speedwell Foundation, with a focus on urban parks and education in Charleston and Atlanta. In addition to his professional endeavors, Mike teaches courses on Equity Investing at the Scheller College of Business and Infrastructure Finance in Civil Engineering, where he oversees VIP projects related to equity research. He holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania (1975) and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (1976). He also attended graduate school at M.I.T., where he earned an M.S. in 1980.

Research Interests