Two exceptional DEREE alumni shared their personal success stories with potential students seeking to learn more about the College during two Discover DEREE Days, held over the summer.

Elly Andriopoulou (DEREE ’97) spoke at September’s Discover DEREE Day about her College Days, the invaluable financial assistance she received at DEREE, her involvement in extracurricular activities, including debate, as well as her fruitful career that has taken her all over the world.

Ms Andriopoulou serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, after working as co-COO at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Previously, Ms Andriopoulou worked at Citibank for several years, becoming Marketing Director at Citi Greece / Citigroup before joining the charitable foundation. She has also worked for Oliver Wyman in Boston, MA, consulting Fortune 500 companies on strategy, revenue growth, restructuring, and organizational design.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from DEREE in 1997, followed by her MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 2001. Ms Andriopoulou, who studied at Athens College High-School (1987–1993), told students to “make time for the extracurricular activities which will help build the skills required for a successful career and where you will meet your best friends for years to come.”

Speaking at the Discover DEREE Day held in July at the Agia Paraskevi campus, Makis Kosmatos (DEREE 1990, BA in Marketing Management) shared his personal story about the skills DEREE afforded him to embark on and sustain his successful career.

“ACG creates a dream, which students can turn into reality if he/she really tries to,” Mr Kosmatos told students, adding, “Nothing is easy in life and nothing is gained without passion and I would say Greek passion, which the College combines along with entrepreneurship and the American curriculum and this is a unique opportunity to study in such a very organized institution that gives these two opportunities in Greece.”

Mr Kosmatos also underlined that  “Here is where the entire foundation is created. And I have really lived it, as well as a lot of my friends, colleagues and acquaintances have lived it. We are one of the companies, where we are top 20 employers that hire people from The American College of Greece. We value people a great deal, we appreciate the way they work and we’re a difficult company to work at and so it is the right thing to do…”

Mr Kosmatos is Managing Director of South Eastern Europe for Johnson & Johnson as well as Managing Director of Johnson & Johnson Hellas, and has also worked in top management positions in Spain, Italy and Romania for Johnson & Johnson. He also holds an MBA from North Carolina University.

Currently Johnson & Johnson offers a study abroad experience combined with a local internship, part of ACG’s International Internship and Study Abroad Program (IISAP)

Discover DEREE Days afford potential students and their parents the opportunity to explore the DEREE campus, learn about academic programs, financial assistance and scholarships – and even take a class!

If you are interested in sharing your student and work-life experiences in order to inspire future DEREE students at a Discover DEREE Day, please contact the Office of Development & Alumni Relations.

Next Discover DEREE Day October 7.

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