Panagiotis Chormovitis was born in Athens, Greece and graduated from Deree in 2003 with an undergraduate degree in Economics, and an MBA from the Graduate Business School at ACG, where he was Class Valedictorian. Panagiotis also received the ACA qualification, a premium accountancy qualification both in the UK and globally, from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.
He started his career at PwC as a Corporate Finance consultant for the last 9 years he works at Deloitte’s Financial Advisory Services, focusing in M&A Transaction Advisory with specialization in Banking. Panagiotis is married to Christina Fotopoulou and is the father of two daughters ages almost 4 and 2.
Q&A
Q.: What are three enduring lessons you learned during your studies at Deree?
- Always thinking strategically & innovatively, literally the key elements of differentiation.
- Deliver top quality resulting from hard & team work.
- Lead & inspire people as the key elements of long term success.
Q.: Describe Deree in three words.
Intellectual & educational superiority.
Q.: One of your favorite Deree memories?
During my MBA, one of the professors was handing out our marked papers from a case study analysis we submitted, and for which I hadn’t slept the whole night in order to prepare. He returned the papers to all my colleagues, went back to his desk and asked if he missed anyone. Panicked that he had lost my paper, I told him that I hadn’t received mine. He looked worried, checked his bag again and said with a smile, “You are correct, I missed yours because it is the best of the class, top mark, and comes with a chocolate bar as a prize” and he gave me both my paper and a chocolate! It’s one of the best memories.
Q.: What do you miss most from your days at Deree?
My professors who were, and always will be, the light that ignited a new way of thinking, which proved to be valuable in my professional career.
Q.: Where was your favorite spot on campus?
The library. Literally, my second home during my studies at Deree.
Q.: Who was your favorite professor and why?
Economics professors were by default my favorite! I had the honor and unique privilege to have had top professors such as Albert Arouh, Dimitris Doulos and Annie Triantafillou. My favorite was Annie because she inspired me to think, read, learn, differentiate, and create.
Q.: Have you kept in touch with any of your classmates?
I have kept in touch with very few, but one of them is now my best man and godfather of my second daughter.
Q.: How did Deree help prepare you for your professional life?
Even when I was in Deree, it seemed to simulate actual professional life and, looking back, I see that it did. Learning to work in teams, and deliver top quality work under pressured deadlines; to communicate with people, think fast, and solve complex problems even with minimal information; to persuade and negotiate, think strategically and innovatively; these are some of the most valuable skills I earned in college and have successfully applied in my professional life.
Q.: What’s the greatest piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Enjoy the victories, but be proud of learning from the failures.
Q.: What (or who) inspires you most?
My family, because they are my source of power to keep fighting for everything, for the best.
Q.: Your motto in life?
Refuse to follow a road map that might get you somewhere, and instead design your own map that will definitely get you where you belong.
