Earlier this month, ACS Athens welcomed some of the brightest minds in Greece and beyond as co-host of the Ideagen Global Impact Summit. Together with Ideagen and ALLILON.net, ACS Athens co-hosted a multi-panel event with a focus on sustainable development and how various sectors, including the education community, are moving toward empowering real and meaningful change. 

ACS Athens alumni Katerina Stathopoulou and Leo Charitos joined a panel that also featured ACS Athens President Dr. Peggy Pelonis to discuss agility and skills needed to navigate and succeed in this transformational environment.

Ms. Stathopoulou, who serves as the governor of the Port of Piraeus chapter of the International Propeller Club, offered insights from her perspective as both an ACS Athens alum, as well as an accomplished executive in the finance and shipping industry where she is passionate about enhancing gender equality.

“I believe you should love your profession. To be successful, you should have passion in your work.”

When discussing why young people should consider shipping as a career, she explained, “the beauty of shipping is that you can study whatever your passion is and then come to the industry.”

Wealth management expert and ACS Athens alum Leo Charitos addressed the goal of eradicating poverty as part of the panel discussion and underscored a message of being open to finding solutions where they are versus where you (or others) expect them to be. 

He shared a lesson learned at ACS Athens as a guiding principle.

“When you see everybody zigging, try to zag. Don’t be afraid to build your own path.”

The panel discussions will be aired globally in September where we can cheer on and learn from these ACS Athens alumni among the broader group of experts.