Samuel Valenti III

Chairman & CEO, Valenti Capital


Mr. Valenti is Chairman of the Board of TriMas Corporation, a NYSE $1 billion manufacturer of highly engineered precision products for industry. He is also Lead Director of the Board of American Axle Corporation, a $7 billion public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. He is the former President of Masco Capital Corporation and a 40-year veteran of Masco Corporation, a Fortune 500 manufacturer of home building and home improvement products.

Mr. Valenti is the former Chairman of the Investment Advisory Board of the $100 billion State of Michigan retirement system. In his nearly 20-year participation with the Advisory Board, Mr. Valenti spearheaded the State’s initial investments in venture capital as well as a broad range of alternative investments.

Mr. Valenti serves on the advisory board at the University of Michigan Business School Zell Lurie Institute; he served on the Advisory Council at the University of Notre Dame, and also served on the Harvard Business School Advisory Council.

Mr. Valenti was a member of Business Leaders for Michigan and serves as Chairman for the Michigan Renaissance Venture Capital Fund.

Mr. Valenti served on the Board of Horizon Corporation and is the former Chairman of the Board. Horizon Global is a $1 billion manufacturing company that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Valenti also serves as Chairman and C.E.O. of Valenti Capital, an investment firm located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Mr. Valenti was one of Crain’s Newsmakers of the Year for 2007; recipient of the 2010 “Spirit of Michigan” award presented at the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition; was presented the 2012 Crain’s M&A Lifetime Achievement Award; and was one of Crain’s Newsmakers of the Year in 2016. In addition, he was one of DBusiness “The Most Powerful Business Leaders in Metro Detroit” for 2018, 2019, and 2022.

Mr. Valenti was the recipient of the 2022 Michigan Venture Capital Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, he received the 2023 Smart Business Dealmakers Hall of Fame Award.