On Monday December 1, 2014, as part of the 16th Annual Capital Link Invest in Greece Forum entitled “Investing on Growth”, the “2014 Capital Link Leadership Award” was presented to Mr. George Logothetis, Chairman and CEO of Libra Group for his contribution to numerous educational and philanthropic initiatives globally including the Libra Internship Program and the Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award.
The Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award, conceived and managed by Libra with a $10 million commitment, seeks to create opportunity for both experienced and budding entrepreneurs in Greece through the provision of funding, mentoring and a wide range of business support services.
The Capital Link Leadership Award is presented annually to a person or an organization for outstanding contribution in fostering closer business ties between Greece and the global business and investment community. The 2012 Capital Link Leadership Award was presented to Mr. Andrew N. Liveris, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Dow Chemical Company and the 2013 award was presented to Mr. John Calamos, Chairman, CEO & Global Co-Chief Investment Officer of Calamos Investments.
The Award Ceremony took place after an Official Dinner.
H.E. Christos Panagopoulos, Ambassador of Greece to the United States presented the Award to Mr. Logothetis. The welcome greeting was made by Mr. Nicolas Bornozis, President of Capital Link and the Introductory Remarks by Mr. Panos Papazoglou, Country Managing Partner of EY.
Honored guests who made brief remarks were:
- Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, Minister of Shipping, Maritime Affairs & the Aegean
- Christos Staikouras, Alternate Minister of Finance, and
- Assimakis Papageorgiou, Deputy Minister – Environment, Energy & Climate Change
Mistress of Ceremony was Ms. Alexis Christoforous, former CBS News Anchor
Mr. Nicolas Bornozis, stressed the unique and multifaceted contribution of George Logothetis not only in fostering closer relations between the US and Greek business communities but also by enhancing the perception of Greece as an investment destination among international investors. At the helm of an organization with a global reach, activity and recognition, he sets an example by making significant investments in Greece. At the same time, the Libra Group implements many programs encouraging entrepreneurship, helping youth improve their education and work prospects, and contributing to society at large through multiple other philanthropic endeavors. Furthermore, he has a unique ability to motivate and inspire hope and confidence for a better tomorrow.
Mr. Panos Papazoglou stated: “The recent stress tests by the ECB proved that all 4 systematic banks are well capitalized. These changes are being reflected in growth figures, but also in increasing business and consumer confidence. The coming months will determine whether Greece will remain on a course of sustainable growth, reduce its debt / GDP ratio, return to the markets and gradually restore jobs. Greece is set to grow by 2,1% in 2015, well above the Eurozone average and needs to retain a level of political stability. Our trading partners, which means primarily the Eurozone, must start growing at faster rates. According to EY’s Eurozone Forecast, by 2017 the US economy will have grown by 20% compared to pre-crisis levels, whereas the same figure for the Eurozone will be a mere 3%. Our lenders need to realize that there is a limit to how much austerity a society and a political system can sustain”. In reference to George Logothetis’ award, Mr Papazoglou noted: “His career and achievements at the age of 39 are remarkable. The Libra group is active today in shipping, real estate and construction, leisure and hospitality, aerospace and energy. This expansion has been achieved through persistent dedication to the principles of internationalism, local insight, attention to detail, high standards of service and partnership. George Logothetis and Libra also stand out for their remarkable sense of corporate responsibility”. In closing, Mr Papazoglou added: “It is worth stressing how important Capital Link’s initiative in organizing this conference is. Indeed, this effort is as praiseworthy as it is unique, given that it builds a bridge between Greek entrepreneurship and the US”.
Business Executives, Government Leaders of Greece and the United States, as well as a group of distinguished Greek American businessmen were among the participants such as: Μ. Angeliadis – Angeliadis Inc., John Calamos – Calamos Investments Inc., John Catsimatides – Red Apple Group, Nick Gage, Dean Dakolias – Credit Funds Fortress Investment Group LLC, Andrew Liveris – Dow Chemical, Nick Lazares – Admirals Bank and M. Denis Mehiel – Four M Investments LLC.
Στη φωτογραφία διακρίνονται:
κα Όλγα Μπορνόζη, Αντιπρόεδρος της Capital Link – Πρεσβυς κ. Γεώργιος Ηλιόπουλος, Γενικός Πρόξενος της Ελλάδας στη Νέα Υόρκη – κ. Stefan Jekel, Managing Director-Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA), NYSE Euronext – κα. Alexis Christoforous, former CBS News Anchor – κ. Νικόλαος Μπορνόζης, Πρόεδρος της Capital Link – κ. Χρήστος Σταϊκούρας, Αναπληρωτής Υπουργός Οικονομικών – κ. Γιώργος Λογοθέτης, Πρόεδρος & Διευθύνων Σύμβουλος του, Ομίλου Libra – κ. Μιλτιάδης Βαρβιτσιώτης, Υπουργός Ναυτιλίας & Αιγαίου – κ. Πάνος Παπάζογλου, Country Managing Partner Greece, CSE South Cluster Leader της EY, – κ. Ασημάκης Παπαγεωργίου, Αναπληρωτής Υπουργός Περιβάλλοντος, Ενέργειας & Κλιματικής Αλλαγής – κ. Χρίστος Παναγόπουλος, Πρέσβης της Ελλάδας στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες – κ. Χρήστος Σκλαβούνης, Πρόεδρος του Ελληνικού Ταμείου Χρηματοπιστωτικής Σταθερότητας – κ. John P. Calamos Sr., Chairman, CEO & Global Co-Chief Investment Officer, Calamos Investments – κ. John S. Koudounis, President & Chief Executive Officer of Mizuho Securities USA
Photo Caption:
Mrs. Olga Bornozi, Vice President of Capital Link – Hon. George Iliopoulos, Consul General of Greece in New York City – Mr. Stefan Jekel, Managing Director-Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) of NYSE Euronext – Ms. Alexis Christoforous, former CBS News Anchor –
Mr. Nicolas Bornozis, President of Capital Link – Hon. Christos Staikouras, Alternate Minister of Finance – Mr. George Logothetis, Chairman and CEO of Libra Group – Hon. Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, Minister of Shipping, Maritime Affairs & the Aegean –
Mr. Panos Papazoglou, Country Managing Partner of EY – Hon. Assimakis Papageorgiou, Deputy Minister – Environment, Energy & Climate Change – H.E. Christos Panagopoulos, Ambassador of Greece to the United States –
Mr. Christos Sclavounis, Chairman, Hellenic Financial Stability Fund (HFSF) – Mr. John P. Calamos Sr., Chairman, CEO and Global Co-Chief Investment Officer of Calamos Investments – Mr. John S. Koudounis, President & Chief Executive Officer of Mizuho Securities USA
