The American College of Greece brought together students, faculty, and distinguished guests from business, academia, sports, and civil society for “Strong. Visible. Heard.”, a special event held on March 9, 2026, in celebration of International Women’s Day.
Organized by the ACG Office of Sustainability – Public Affairs and the Deree School of Business and Economics, the event offered an afternoon of dialogue, reflection, and inspiration, highlighting the voices and experiences of women who lead, compete, and drive change across sectors, exploring themes of leadership, confidence, resilience, and gender equality.
The event opened with welcome remarks by Rania Assariotaki, Director of the Office of Sustainability – Public Affairs and EU Climate Pact Ambassador, and Dr. Marilena Antoniadou, Associate Dean of Education and Employability at the School of Business and Economics.
In her remarks, Ms. Assariotaki invited the audience to look briefly back at the College’s history. The American College of Greece celebrated 150 years of operation in 2025, and its story, she noted, began with women. Founded in Smyrna by a group of visionary women missionaries from Boston, the institution was created with a bold mission for its time: to provide education to girls and young women at a period when such opportunities were far from the norm.
That legacy, she emphasized, continues to shape the culture of the College today. Women’s empowerment is not a recent priority for ACG but a thread that runs through its history, reflected both in the generations of graduates who have gone on to lead in many fields and in the many women who hold leadership roles across the institution today.
She also highlighted the importance of bringing student voices into conversations about leadership and equality. The student-led panel offered a platform for the next generation to share their perspectives, recognizing that discussions about the future are most meaningful when those who will shape it are part of the dialogue.
Dr. Antoniadou, in turn, reflected on the significance of International Women’s Day as an opportunity to recognize progress while continuing to advance dialogue and action around gender equality and leadership.
The afternoon program continued with an open conversation titled “Skin, Confidence & Self-Care” with Dr. Maria Giannaki–Arapaki, moderated by the Marketing Student Society. The discussion explored the relationship between well-being, self-perception, and confidence. Dr. Giannaki also delivered a presentation offering practical skincare guidance in the era of TikTok.
Students also took center stage during the panel “Heels Over Skills?”, where they examined the expectations and challenges women often encounter in academic and professional environments. The student-led panel featured Mina Bleka (ACG Sustainability Leaders), Dimitra Fourla (Maritime Transport & Supply Chain Society), Vasiliki Kofou (Management Society), Isavella Serafeimidou (International Tourism & Hospitality Management Society), and Stergiani Stratiki (Lean In Club).
Reflecting on the discussion, Mina Bleka emphasized the importance of fairness and merit in research and professional environments:
“Science should judge ideas by their evidence rather than by the identity of the person presenting them. When researchers are evaluated fairly based on their skills and contributions, science becomes stronger, more innovative, and more inclusive.”
The event concluded with the panel “Breaking Barriers: Women Who Lead, Compete & Inspire,” moderated by Haris Daskalothanasis, Executive Director of Outreach and Retention at Deree – The American College of Greece. The panel brought together speakers whose careers span leadership, sport, sustainability, and academia.
Among them was Vanessa Archontidou, Greek alpinist and sustainability advocate, who reflected on the parallels between mountaineering and leadership:
“In the mountains, you learn something simple: there is no summit without effort and no path unless someone takes the first step. The same applies to women who lead. Every woman who moves forward makes space for more women to follow.”
Sofia Papadopoulou, Olympic Bronze Medalist in Sailing (Beijing 2008) and high-performance coach, spoke about the importance of authenticity and resilience:
“Be Authentic. From the sea to the soul, discover your strength.”
Addressing the structural dimensions of gender equality, Vasiliki Kapari, Associate Director, People Business Partner at Wella Company, emphasized the importance of systemic change:
“Gender equality advances when we redesign structures, incentives, and norms — not when we ask individuals to compensate for systemic gaps.”
Reflecting on leadership in academia and beyond, Helena Maragou, Dean of the Frances Rich School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at ACG, highlighted the qualities that define inclusive leadership:
“The successful female leader is inclusive, transparent, aware of context; she is determined and undeterred, because she possesses a sense of personal dignity and self-worth.”
At ACG, leadership isn’t theoretical — it is experienced in classrooms, across campus, and through conversations that connect learning with real-world impact. Strong. Visible. Heard. reflected this commitment by bringing together leaders and students from diverse fields to share perspectives on visibility, confidence, and breaking barriers.
A special thank you to Wella Company that supported the event by providing goodie bags for participants.
The event was supported by the ACG Sustainability Leaders, Management Society, Marketing Society, Maritime Transport & Supply Chain Society, Economics Society, International Tourism & Hospitality Management Society, and Lean In Club.