Peter Karmanos Jr.
Owner

Peter Karmanos holds a triple role as the Owner of the Plymouth Whalers, Chief Executive Officer/Governor of the National Hockey League Carolina Hurricanes (formerly Hartford Whalers) and Corporate Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Compuware.

Karmanos attended Wayne State University in Detroit. He founded Compuware in 1973 with two partners who, with Karmanos, pooled their tax return money to start the company. With fiscal year 2005 revenues of nearly $1.2 billion and more than 8,000 employees, Compuware is one of the world’s largest independent software vendors and professional services organizations. Karmanos’ initiative and business prowess were recognized in 1989 by the Institute of American Entrepreneurs, which named him Entrepreneur of the Year. In April 1999, Karmanos ensured that his company would not lose sight of its roots when decided to relocate more than 4,100 highly-skilled jobs from Compuware’s headquarters in Farmington Hills, Mich., to Campus Martius, a business district in the heart of downtown Detroit.

The same competitive spirit which led to Karmanos’ success as an entrepreneur also fuels his sponsorship of youth hockey programs in Michigan. Under his guidance, Karmanos’ youth hockey teams have accumulated numerous state, national and international tournaments. While junior and midget teams are the focal points of Karmanos’ commitment to hockey, countless youth hockey programs benefit each season through the efforts and contributions of the Plymouth Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Compuware.

Along with partner Thomas Thewes, Karmanos founded the first American-based Ontario Hockey League team in 1989, known then as the Detroit Compuware Ambassadors. Now in Plymouth and called the Plymouth Whalers, Karmanos’ OHL franchise has captured a two league championships, two Memorial Cup berths and ten Division titles.

In December 1997, Karmanos was chosen as one of four recipients of the Lester Patrick Award. Originating in 1966, the award is given annually to individuals who are recognized for "outstanding service to hockey in the United States."

In the summer of 1998 , Karmanos formed Gale Force Holdings to manage his hockey interests, which include the Carolina Hurricanes and the RBC Center; the Florida Everblades of the ECHL and the Germain Arena in Ft. Myers, Fla.; and the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League and Compuware Arena.

To date, 43 Whalers have been selected in the top three rounds of the NHL entry draft, including ten first-round picks. Among them include Pat Peake (Washington Capitals), Todd Harvey (Dallas Stars - NHL Rookie of the Year), Bryan Berard (Ottawa Senators), David Legwand (Nashville Predators), Justin Williams (Philadelphia Flyers), and Stephen Weiss (Florida Panthers). Besides the Whalers, the Compuware youth hockey programs have produced many NHL stars over the years including Pat LaFontaine, Al Iafrate, Mike Modano, Eric Lindros and Kevin Hatcher.

In 2006, Karmanos' Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup.

In addition to his business and hockey interests, Karmanos is widely known for his philanthropy, particularly in the area of cancer research. In 1995, Karmanos established the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit with donations that now total in excess of $60 million. The institute was named after Karmanos’ first wife who died of breast cancer in 1989 at the age of 46. The institute is one of only 39 in the United States granted "comprehensive cancer center" status by the National Institute of Health. It is the only one of these 39 named after a woman.

Mr. Karmanos resides in the Detroit area with his wife Danialle. He has three sons, Peter III, Nick and Jason, and seven grandchildren. Danialle - in addition to her work as a nationally acclaimed video producer - founded and serves as Executive Director of two philanthropic organizations dedicated to the mental, physical and spiritual health of children and families: the Danialle Karmanos’ Work It Out and Kids and Cancer programs. A dedicated advocate for kids, Danialle also sits on the boards of these organizations and devotes her talents to numerous other charitable and cultural institutions.

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