Alumnus Profiled: Triantafyllos Bergelles
Graduated: Pierce 2001
Lives in: Athens, Greece
Current Role: Commercial Director, Up Hellas SA
Triantafyllos Bergeles is a proud father of two children, aged 5 & 3, and the Commercial Director of Up Hellas, a French multinational company in Employee Benefits. He holds an MBA from Aston Business School (Birmingham, UK) and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Athens.
Throughout his 18 years of experience in multinational and leading Greek companies, he has always been involved in Commercial roles (Sales, Business Development and Consulting), mainly in the Business Services sector. In his current role, he has contributed to establishing Up Hellas’ development in the Greek market, while fostering a more creative and fun working environment.
He believes that people are happier and more productive when they are more involved and share the same passion for a common goal. He tries to challenge things, create new paths for improvement, and learn something new every single day.
Q&A
Q: What are three enduring values Pierce has taught you?
Discipline, resilience, and critical thinking. The combination of studies and strong athletic abilities cultivated my personality and strengthened my character.
Q: Which is your fondest memory from your time at Pierce?
The graduation day, when all the feelings of completion flooded in, while thinking all the strong relationships we had built that would last.
Q: What do you miss most from your days at Pierce?
The energy of campus, the challenges we faced and the time spent there with my fellow students.
Q: If you could go back in time, is there anything you would do differently?
I would enjoy the moments spent there a bit more. Also, I would perhaps have been more meticulous in my French lessons…
For the last 9 years, I have been part of a French company, where foreign colleagues are not so fond of the English language and I found myself taking French lessons again in my early 40s.
Q: Who was your favorite teacher and why?
There were many teachers I could think of who offered many valuable experiences, each one of them from a different angle.
But if I had to pick one, that would be Giorgos Tziros, who introduced business and economics to us, opening my eyes to a brave new world.
Q: After graduation, have you maintained a relationship with your school and classmates?
Yes, mainly with close classmates, with whom I’ve maintained strong relationships over the past 25 years. But, funny thing… I always run into many other classmates, both in business and at social gatherings.
Q: Looking back, how did your time at Pierce help you become the person you are today?
It helped me build the foundations for personal development and a career defined by growth. The school’s motto, “Not to be served but to serve”, follows me through my life and shapes many of my decisions.
Q: What advice would you give a new Pierce student?
My son was recently accepted into Pierce’s kindergarten, so I would advise a new student the same advice I will give my son: cherish every moment there and take as many opportunities as you can to develop.
Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?
I usually get inspired by people I admire and look up to. It could be either from my family, the business world and/or even from competitive sports. I am always trying to perform at a high level and to also motivate and pull other people to reach for these standards and develop this mentality.
Q: What is your motto in life?
“Life is too short not to have fun in it”. Enjoy every moment and be the best in your field.