Warren Lichtenstein is a businessman and philanthropist. Born in 1965, Mr. Lichtenstein’s wide-ranging career and personal pursuits have resulted in achievements in business and philanthropy. He is a committed and loving father to two children, a proud member of the local communities where he lives and works and is passionate about furthering charitable causes related to children, education and youth sports.
Warren Lichtenstein is the founder and executive chairman of Steel Partners Holdings L.P. (NYSE: SPLP), a global diversified holding company. He founded Steel Partners in 1990 at the age of 24 after beginning his career as an analyst at Para Partners, L.P. and then serving as an acquisition analyst at Ballantrae Partners, L.P.
Under his leadership for the past 27 years, Steel Partners has grown from a private investment fund with two employees and assets of $600,000 into Steel Partners Holdings L.P., a company through its consolidated holdings employs 13,500 people in 155 plants and facilities in 20 countries with a combined revenue of more than $3.6 billion.
Mr. Lichtenstein serves as executive chairman of Steel Sports, Inc., a social impact organization he founded in 2011 focused on transforming youth sports in America. Steel Sports identifies and invests in long term strategic partnerships. The company allocates capital resources, provides infrastructural and financial support, working alongside management teams to enhance best practices and identify and explore growth opportunities.
Mr. Lichtenstein is also executive chairman of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc., a company delivering solutions that create value for its customers in the aerospace and defense markets. The company is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, tactical systems and armaments areas, in support of domestic and international markets.
Mr. Lichtenstein is chairman of Handy & Harman Ltd., Steel Excel, Inc. and executive chairman of ModusLink Global Solutions, Inc. He has served as a director of approximately 30 public and private companies.
Mr. Lichtenstein’s philanthropy spans many different areas, but as the proud father of two children, he focuses his efforts on charitable causes that benefit children, education and youth sports. He is a founder and board member of Steel Partners Foundation and Our Kids First Foundation which is dedicated to raising awareness and stimulating conversation about the issues and challenges of childhood including Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Mr. Lichtenstein is an executive producer of the 2014 film “Sister,” which was directed and written by David Lascher. The movie, a selection of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and the Newport Beach Film Fest, raises awareness for children with ADHD.
Mr. Lichtenstein’s Steel Partners Foundation has pledged support to many different charitable organizations benefiting the communities where he lives, children’s causes and other worthy and impactful organizations such as the Aspen Jewish Community Center, the Positive Coaching Alliance’s New York and Los Angeles chapters, as well as University of Pennsylvania, Tulane University and Chadwick School. Steel Partners Foundation recently co-hosted a Think Tank on Parental Alienation with Stand Up for Gus, actor Jason Patric’s charity that helps to create awareness of parental alienation.
Mr. Lichtenstein studied at Tulane University and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
sportsMr. Lichtenstein serves as executive chairman of Steel Sports, Inc., a social impact organization he founded in 2011 focused on transforming youth sports in America. Steel Sports identifies and invests in long term strategic partnerships. The company allocates capital resources, provides infrastructural and financial support, working alongside management teams to enhance best practices and identify and explore growth opportunities.
The Positive Coaching Alliance’s New York and Los Angeles chapters have been recipients of Steel Partners Foundation grants. Positive Coaching Alliance is a national non-profit developing “Better Athletes, Better People” by working to provide all youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building youth sports experience.
awarenessSteel Partners Foundation has provided funding to many different charitable organizations, such as Our Kids First Foundation – an organization which Mr. Lichtenstein co-founded with David Lascher. Our Kids First Foundation’s mission is to raise awareness and stimulate conversation about the issues and challenges of childhood including Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Mr. Lichtenstein is an executive producer of the 2014 film “Sister,” which was directed and written by Mr. Lascher. The movie, a selection of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and the Newport Beach Film Fest, raises awareness for children with ADHD.
More recently, Steel Partners Foundation has begun supporting initiatives to raise awareness of parental alienation. On Friday, February 5, 2016, Steel Partners Foundation and the charity Stand Up For Gus, founded by actor Jason Patric, co-hosted a Think Tank on Parental Alienation in the Los Angeles area. Jason Patric has been an advocate for father’s rights and founded Stand Up For Gus after his own custody battle, to help alienated parents try and maintain a meaningful relationship with their children. Mr. Patric previously won a key legal battle to win his parental rights and in 2015 was reunited with his son.
communitySteel Partners Foundation made an early commitment to develop a Chabad Jewish Community Center in Aspen Valley, Colorado. Fourteen years later in 2014, the JCC opened its doors. It is one of more than 2,500 branches of one of the largest international organizations involved with Jewish education and outreach programs. Chabad recognizes no differences between Jews; its goal is to serve the spiritual and physical needs of each member regardless of affiliation with understanding and love.
Also in Aspen, Steel Partners Foundation provided funding to the Aspen Art Museum, for its new building that opened in 2014. The building was designed by the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, winner of the 2014 Pritzker Prize. The Aspen Art Museum is a non-collecting institution presenting the newest, most important evolutions in international contemporary art.
educationSteel Partners Foundation also participated in the campaign to rebuild Tulane University after it was hit by Hurricane Katrina and 70% of the main campus was flooded. Mr. Lichtenstein, who attended Tulane University as an undergrad, provided a challenge gift through Steel Partners Foundation to encourage fundraising for Tulane’s rebuilding. Steel Partners also sponsored the fundraiser LAniappe 2016, benefitting Tulane University.
Warren Lichtenstein through Steel Partners Foundation also donated challenge funding to the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences to help establish 19 new student scholarships. Scholarship gifts ensure that a Penn education is affordable for all qualified students, regardless of their financial ability.
