Steven Czech – Artist and Founder of Financial Engines Advisors

Construction has started on a concert hall designed by Steven Holl Architects of Seattle and their Prague associate architect Architecture Acts for use in the Czech Republic. This zinc-clad project resembles a wine case over its travertine and maple wood structures.

He offers horn masterclasses worldwide and uses proceeds for cancer research into diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), the cancerous tumor which killed his son Mikey.

Early Life and Education

Steven Czech is a prolific artist who has shown his work at solo exhibitions and juried fine art shows across the United States. Additionally, he has taught art at Graceland University in Midwest City Oklahoma and Monash University Melbourne Australia.

At the close of the nineteenth century, mass European immigration to America occurred rapidly due to a law passed in 1862 offering free land to families that settled within five years.

As well as his asset management business, Mikey Czech is also the co-chairman and founder of The Mikey Czech Foundation, which receives a portion of their firm’s profits to fund research into cancer that claimed Mikey at age 11. Mikey currently resides in Muskego Wisconsin with his wife and two golden retrievers.

Professional Career

Steve Czech is the founding partner and CEO of a direct lending investment advisory firm that specializes in asset-based and cash flow loans to middle market companies, both first lien secured floating rate senior secured loans as well as second lien secured floating rate senior secured loans.

He brings 32 years of experience to corporate finance and managing direct lending credit funds. Together with his team, he performs comprehensive due diligence on potential borrowers by inspecting financial statements, touring factories and meeting customers and suppliers directly.

Clients of Wendel & Wendel include both institutional investors and developers as well as private families. He and Cari Wendel also serve as American Baptist World Mission workers in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic where they use English classes and community outreach to spread the gospel message.

Achievement and Honors

As well as performing concerts himself, he has also organized series at some of the world’s most esteemed venues and festivals such as Wigmore Hall and 92nd Street Y in New York. These specially devised programs explore themes such as war; Beethoven’s teacher-pupil relationship; and various aspects of Schumann.

He is an Eagle Scout, having completed six free-standing shelving systems and revamping an entire display cabinet as his Eagle project.

He received the Centennial Award for fostering commercial and economic ties. Alongside three other Czech citizens he was honored at a special event held at Ambassador’s residence; these included Vaclav Muchna, founder and CEO of Y Soft, and Tomas Krabac who created an online translation tool for Czech.

Personal Life

Czech is also active with his church of Christ membership and serves as trustee for their Northbrook-based Christian Heritage Foundation.

He will return to the Met this season to reprise his performance of Rodolfo in Puccini’s La boheme and collaborate with Diana Damrau in Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda. Additionally, he will present a concert of bel canto arias in Prague.

Petr Kellner was one of Czech’s premier business figures. Under his direction, PPF Group flourished into a multibillion-dollar conglomerate known as PPF Group; during this time period he also became known as media magnate and media-averse philanthropist, giving millions away to education and other causes through his family foundation, Mikey Czech Foundation – set up after their son Mikey succumbed to brain cancer.

Net Worth

Steve is married to Rachelle and has two children: Ruby and Jack. They reside in Stamford, Connecticut.

After his former employer FrontPoint Partners collapsed due to an insider trading scandal in 2012, this 58-year-old Czech started his own money management firm in Old Greenwich which now manages close to $4.5 billion of direct lending capital commitments and investments with significant co-investment capacity.

SJC Onshore Direct Lending Fund III, LP bears his initials as is common practice among fund managers. It will invest in middle market companies with annual revenue between $75 million and $500 million and an EBITDA range between 7.5 million to $50 million.

Since its creation in May 2010, its investors include public pension plans, Taft-Hartley plans and private wealth management firms. Annual returns average around 11.5 percent since then – without the use of leverage to boost performance.