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Marianna Papadopoulou (PIERCE ‘85, DEREE ’90) is Marketing Director of the supermarket and cash & carry chains of METRO SA, Greece, and counts over two decades in Marketing and Communications.

After completing her studies, she joined Hasbro, a multinational toy manufacturer in 1993, making her way from Trainee to Brand Manager. Despite her successful course there, her love of food guided her subsequent career choices. At Elbisco, a Greek snacks and bakery manufacturer, she became Product Manager and later Senior Product

Manager and Group Product Manager, masterminding the strategic transformation of Allatini, one of the two major Greek sweet snacks brand, into becoming the leader in innovation through the development and support of individual innovative product categories that consolidated the image of the brand as a whole.

At Katselis, a Greek bakery manufacturer and retailer, which Ms Papadopoulou joined as Marketing Manager in 2000, where she worked for seven years, launching “Snackers’ Place,” a snacks and coffee chain, among other achievements.

Ms Papadopoulou has been working for METRO since 2008. At her current post, among other things, she has designed the retailer’s Corporate Affairs strategy, established a coordinated CSR program and powerfully ushered her brands into the digital era. Additional factors in enhancing company image and sales growth were redesigning and re-launching private label lines, attracting younger customers and lowering My market’s price point perception while strengthening METRO Cash & Carry’s leading position and personalizing their customer communication through a complete CRM program.

Ms Papadopoulou studied at PIERCE, graduating in 1985, then earned her BSc in Business Administration – Marketing Management-Management and Organizational Behavior from DEREE in 1990 with a 3.9/4.0 GPI, High Distinction, followed by her MBA from Imperial College London in 1991.

Yiannis Chavrouzas (DEREE ’97, ALBA ‘13) is now Deputy General Manager of Accounting, Planning & Reporting at the group INTERAMERICAN Greece, a function that includes his former responsibilities as the supervisor of the Contracts Administration for the Sales Channels and that of the Tax Specialist for the group, as well as the Controlling function and, the insurance sector specific, Solvency II implementation and reporting.

A finance specialist, he has also worked as a Group Financial Controller for the Koumbas Synergy Group for three years, as a Senior Accountant with ING Piraeus for four years, and as a Tax Consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers – PwC.

He is also a member of the Tax & Solvency II committee of the Greek Insurance Companies Association and of the Tax Team of SEV-Hellenic Federation of Enterprises.

Mr Chavrouzas earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from DEREE-The American College of Greece in 1997, followed by his MBA from the University of Surrey in 2008 and a mini MBA program for executives from ALBA- The American College of Greece in 2013.

George Tsompanidis (DEREE ’00) is Group Marketing Director at Dodoni Ice Cream SA and Group Marketing Director at Chillbox (Dodoni is a shareholder of Chillbox and the production company of Chillbox products). The appointments come after Mr Tsompanidis was promoted from Marketing Manager at Dodoni and Interim Marketing Manager at Chillbox.

A dedicated marketing professional, Mr Tsompanidis has won many awards, including the Silver Award in Best Use of Instagram for Chillbox Hashtag in the Social Media Awards in November 2014. He was also the Greek national soccer team slogan founder for FIFA 2010 WORLD CUP – “Greece is everywhere!” (May 2010).

His extensive career spans his own retail shoe store, where he was sales manager for seven years, followed by his work with the Organizing Committee Olympic & Paralympic Games-Athens 2004, first as Sponsors Ticket Sales Executive for two years in the lead up to the Games, then as Olympic Stadium Ticketing & Sponsor Suites Manager during the Games. He was also Torchbearer at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

Mr Tsompanidis has also worked as Product Manager for Suzuki (Passenger cars) / SFAKIANAKIS SA, as Networks Marketing Campaign Manager at Eurobank Greece for over three years and as Retail Marketing & Offers Manager at WIND Hellas.

An Olympic Games and sport event aficionado, Mr Tsompanidis also worked at the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games as Sponsor Ticket Manager for CSM iLUKA, followed by work with Tickethour as a Spectator Services Project Manager for the Spain vs Uruguay International Friendly Game in Qatar in 2013.

Mr Tsompanidis earned his BSc in Business Administration, – Accounting & Finance – with a 3.3 GPA in 2000 from DEREE-ACG, where he was very active in the Task force team, The orientation team, and the soccer team. He also recently spoke at the 2015 DEREE Business Week, sharing his insights and expertise. George Tsompanidis earned his MBA in Entrepreneurship/ Entrepreneurial Studies from Bentley College in 2002, and holds a Certificate in Public Relations from the Hellenic American Union, accredited by the London Chamber of Commerce.

Teresa Melanitou (DEREE ’02) is now Marketing Execution Manager (SDL) at Microsoft Hellas.

Ms Melanitou, a seasoned marketing professional, has worked as a Social Media/Marketing Communications freelancer for one year, as an Account Manager at Wunderman between 2010-2012, and as an Account Supervisor at ARROW Advertising.

She has also held the position of Account Executive at Mega Advertising, and Account-Logistics Executive at AUTOTRANSPORT SA for two years. Ms Melanitou earned her Bachelor’s degree in Management from DEREE-ACG in 2002, followed by her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Leicester in 2008.

Christina Tsoufantari (DEREE ’02) has been promoted to Financial Controller from Accountant at SKYGREECE AIRLINES SA.

Prior to that, Ms Tsoufantari worked as an accounting assistant at NCS HELLAS SA and at the INDECO Company, while she has also worked as a professor’s assistant in a research program at the National Technical University of Athens.

Ms Tsoufantari earned her bachelor’s degree in Accounting & Finance from DEREE in 2002, and was involved with many activities while at DEREE. She followed up her studies with a topographic degree from the Technological Educational Institute of Athens (TEI Athens), School of Technological Applications in 2004 and a MBA from the Hellenic Open University in 2013. She is also a licensed Certified Accountant & Tax Consultant.

Iliana Kelidi (PIERCE ’03) is now Assurance Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers for a five-month assignment split between Seattle and Oklahoma City, after which time she will be returning to her post in Athens, where as Assurance Senior Associate she conducts Financial Statements’ audits and reviews of commercial, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and other companies.

Ms Kelidi has also worked as an Internal Auditor at Magna Trust Securities SA and interned with TITAN in the Accounting Department in 2008. She has been a member of the Economic Chamber of Greece since 2008, with licenses to practice both the Economic and Accounting Professions (A’ Grade). She is also a Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA member).

After graduating from PIERCE-ACG in 2003, Ms Kelidi earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Piraeus in 2008.

Nickolas Pistonis (DEREE ‘07/GRADUATE ’09) is now Transaction Support Analyst at EY.

Previously Mr. Pistonis worked as a tax consultant at Ernst & Young, in sales for the Kraft Foods Group in Athens, and in Public Relations at The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

Mr. Pistonis earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication from DEREE in 2007, followed by his MBA in 2009. He also holds an MSc in International Financial Management, International Finance from the University of Surrey (2012).

Maria Kalagani (DEREE ’08/GRADUATE ’11) is now Marketing & PR Officer at Adecco Greece. Ms Kalagani previously worked as Community Manager for Marketing Greece, and as a Marketing & PR Executive for Rock Management.

She has also worked as a Digital Project Manager for econcept.gr and as Editor-in-Chief at zoomout.gr, developing articles on current Greek events, after her collaboration with IMAKO publishing.

Maria Kalagani also held the position of Head Visual Merchandiser, promoted from Visual Merchandiser after just six months at the ISC Kiprianidis Group.

Ms Kalagani earned her bachelor’s degree in Marketing from DEREE-ACG in 2008 (3.28 GPA), where she played on the basketball team and was a member of the Marketing Society. She also earned her master’s degree in Communication in 2011 from DEREE, with a 3.44 GPA.