EAST LANSING, MI, April 16, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Dennis Kosta Branoff with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Branoff celebrates many years of experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
CEO & Co-Founder, Weight Watchers franchises in Michigan, Indiana, Greece, Cyprus and Italy, 1974-2006
CEO & Founder, Branoff Capital, LLC (Venture Capital, Insurance and Real Estate Development), 1997-present.
Having enjoyed a long and distinguished career in entrepreneurship, Mr. Branoff has distinguished himself as the successful founder and chief executive officer of Branoff Capital, LLC (Venture Capital, Insurance and Real Estate Development) since 1997. His expertise includes identifying profitable opportunities and then owning and operating various burgeoning companies, as well as acquiring older legacy businesses and optimizing their underdeveloped or potential business opportunities in various sectors. In 1997, Mr. Branoff founded Atlantis Campus Communities, LLC, the first luxury resort style college oriented off campus student housing company in Michigan, offering luxury apartment accommodations with extensive free amenities and services previously associated with high end luxury hotels. Atlantis Campus Communities experienced explosive growth and was acquired in 2007 by the Pierce Development Company of San Diego, CA which was noted as the largest student housing transaction in 2007. In 2010, Mr. Branoff acquired Apartment Insurance Consultants, LLC of Austin, TX. One of the oldest wholesale program Insurance business of its kind, Mr. Branoff worked to transform and grow this Texas business into a national program insurance company which in 2019 was acquired by Foundation Risk Partners, LLC of Daytona Beach, FL, one of the Top Ten Insurance companies in the USA.
Among his most notable accomplishments, Mr. Branoff was first introduced to Weight Watchers by his mother Sophia in 1967 as a teenage member, lost weight with the help of the company and in 1974 became one of the youngest Weight Watchers franchisees of Weight Watchers International, Inc. He owned and operated several exclusive franchise territories in Michigan and Indiana. With the growing success of Weight Watchers domestically, Mr. Branoff acquired the exclusive Weight Watchers franchise rights for the countries of Greece and Cyprus and began operations in Athens, Greece in 1978 and expanded classroom operations throughout the country. Noting the success of the Greek business, the HJ Heinz Company, the parent company of Weight Watchers International, Inc., decided to sell the Weight Watchers Italian classroom business to Mr. Branoff in 1983, making Mr. Branoff the largest international Weight Watchers franchise operator in the world. In 1987, Mr. Branoff was nominated and served with distinction on the Weight Watchers/Heinz World Board which oversaw global operations for the Weight Watchers brand. Mr. Branoff, as an extension of his tenure with Weight Watchers, founded CIO Technologies, Inc., one of the country's first customer data mining marketing company in 1996, and also published the best selling "Dimagrire Sorridendo" series of low calorie cookbooks in Italy and also published the "Ta Nea Mas" series of low calorie cookbooks in Greece through 2005. In 2006, Mr. Branoff completed his career in health and wellness and sold his Weight Watchers franchise operations and his CIO Technologies company to Weight Watchers International, Inc.
Outside of his primary career ventures, in 2003 Mr. Branoff became an early stage investor in the premier Michigan based BioStar Medical Venture Funds and currently serves as a Business Advisory Board Member. in 2017 Mr. Branoff became a founding investor and board member of Spotted Risk Insurance, LLC of Boston, MA, a data research driven insurance company serving Hollywood film producers, commercial film lenders and the live entertainment industry with insurance and finance bonding coverage, as well as being the founding investor and board chairman of Vehicle Risk Solutions, LLC, of Austin, TX serving foreign and domestic auto dealerships with specialized and innovative warranty products for their customers automobile purchases and financing.
Mr. Branoff has participated and served in numerous civic engagements and appointments throughout his career. In 1975 he was a member of the Michigan Bicentennial Commission in Lansing, MI. In 1976 he was a founding member of the Michigan Statewide Nutrition Commission which focused upon meeting the nutritional needs of low income at risk mothers and children in the state of Michigan. In 1977 Mr. Branoff was appointed by the Governor of Michigan to be a state commissioner of the newly created Michigan Nutrition Commission. He was ratified by the State Legislature and served as a State Commissioner through 1983. Mr. Branoff also served on the Michigan Lansing Township Development Authority from 1980-1981.
Mr. Branoff graduated from Bentley High School, Burton, MI and first sought his higher education as a Lloyd Scholar at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI from 1971-1973, as well as a student in The Honors College of the International University of Santander, Spain in 1972. Following his college career, Mr. Branoff cited his parents, Kosta Vasil Branoff and Sophia Zaccaria Branoff for establishing his hard work ethic and moral standards.
Mr. Branoff cited his greatest professional business mentors to be Al Lippert, Co-Founder of Weight Watchers International, Inc.; David Sculley, past Vice Chairman of the HJ Heinz Company and Dr. Anthony J.F. O'Reilly, past CEO and Chairman of the HJ Heinz Company Most importantly he attributes his inspiration and motivation to succeed to the unlimited support and love he has always received from his wife of 46 years Alexis Branoff. They have three sons: Andrew Kosta, Jonathan George and Nicholas Dennis.
Mr. Branoff and his family are active members of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Lansing, MI where he served multiple terms on the church Parish Council and also served as Chairman of the Greek Festival. He is a long standing member of the American Hellenic Education Progressive Association, the Bay Harbor Golf Club of Bay Harbor, MI and a member of the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club of Naples, FL.
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