A Brief Introduction of Myself and the Goals of this Blog

Been active during the last 3 decades in the field of Sales and Marketing, in Greece - but abroad as well (having visited more than 68 countries around the world doing business) - I consider useful to start presenting some of the principles and ideas having used in my job during the years, with the hope of contributing in a constructive dialogue with other marketeers, sales managers and salesmen, business development managers and business strategists, customers or academics or simple people, who like the topic and they want to explore it further.

Most of the topics will refer to Relationship Marketing and B2B (Business to Business) marketing, but not only.

Either my ideas or useful ideas or articles of academics, managers and enterpreneurs around the world about this, related books, magazines etc. but also other interesting material about management, marketing, information managemnt, financial resources management, strategic direction, business transformation and other topics of common interest will have room here in this blog.

Please feel free to comment, advise or contribute in the dialogue, keeping always a civilized, constructive, interactive communication.

Before any post, I will try to give a brief background of myself (in the form of a CV).

CURRICULUM VITAE

George D. Papadopoulos

e-mail : GDPapadopoulos@gmail.com

PERSONAL

Name : George

Surname : Papadopoulos

Place of birth : Athens - Greece

Date of birth : 10^th of June, 1956

Nationality : Greek

Family status : Married (since 1983, with V. Tsigou), no children

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

GUARDIAN EUROPE S.A. – GUARDIAN GLASS S.A. (Luxembourg)

(2003/8^th-2015/2nd) Marketing Manager Greece and Cyprus in Guardian Europe S.A. – Guardian Glass S.A. (http://www.guardian.com) (glass manufacturing industry, affiliate of Guardian Industries Inc. – U.S.A., with 55 facilities in 5 continents worldwide and over 19,000 employees)

Responsible for Sales and Marketing of the company in Greece and Cyprus (based in Athens)

(2003/8^th-2012/12^th) Marketing Manager Greece and Cyprus in Phoenicia American-Israel Flat Glass Ltd. (http://www.phoenicia-ltd.com)

Responsible for Sales and Marketing of the company in Greece and Cyprus (based in Athens)

EXTRAL S.A.

(2002/8^th – 2003/7^th) Export Director in EXTRAL S.A. (http://www.extral.gr) (aluminium extrusion company) (Athens)

Responsible for Export Sales.

Other: Project Manager for the selection and implementation of the company ERP system.

SATO S.A. Group of Companies

(1998/9^th- 2002/7^th ) Export Sales Director in SATO S.A. (http://www.sato.gr) (office systems) (Athens)

The company is the Greek market leader in office furniture, seating and wall-to-wall partitions, having a market share of 48.5%, while its shares are traded on Athens Stock Exchange since 1990.

Responsible for all Export Sales and Marketing and affiliate companies (General Manager of SATO Romania Srl, SATO Bulgaria Ltd.), having first signature rights, Project Manager for the transition of the company in EURO, Technical Safety Manager of Athens and Patras premises, Member of the E-Business Strategic Group of the company.

(2001/10^th – 2002/7^th ) Business Unit Director in SATO RAMLER S.A. (http://satoramler.hypermart.net) (contract furniture) (Athens)

The company is a joint venture between SATO S.A., the leading    Greek company in Office Systems and Ramler Group of Companies (Australia), a leading Australian furniture business, Provider of Sydney Olympics.

Responsible for the establishment and the fast growth of the new company in Greece and neighboring countries (Sales and Marketing), aiming in one hand in the Athens Olympics 2004 projects and in the other hand in the supply business of furniture to Hotels, Resorts, Casinos, Restaurants, Fast Food and Cafes.  

SUCCESS International DEvelopment Associates S.A.

(1994/8^th- 1998/8^th ) Director of SUCCESS INTERNATIONAL S.A. (management, marketing and engineering consulting firm), (Athens).

The company was acquired by SATO S.A. in 1999.

(1992/11^th – 1998/8^th ) Involvement on a part time basis in Insurance Business Sector in Sales, starting as an Insurance Agent of INTERAMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE Co., then as a Unit Manager of ALLIANZ LIFE INSURANCE Co. and finally as an Agency Manager of GENERALI LIFE INSURANCE Co.

(1991/9^th -1995/10^th ) National Representative of Greece in IRDAC (Industrial Research & Development Advisory Committee for the European Union), position ”a titre personnel” after referred by the Federation of the Greek Industries (S.E.V.)

ERGON S.A. Group of Companies

(1987/1^st -1994/7^th ) Administration, Sales & Marketing Director, Member of the B.o.D. in ERGON S.A. (machine manufacturing company for the construction and wire industries, 100% exporting company),  (Athens)

(1990/4^th -1992/12^th ) Member of the B.o.D. in PAN DRIVE S.A., (electronic car navigation systems developping company, affiliate company of ERGON S.A.), (Athens)

MOTIVO S.A. Group of Companies

(1984/7^th -1986/12^th ) Managing Director & Factory Manager in  MOTIVO EXPORT S.A. (ready to wear clothes industry, affiliate company of MOTIVO S.A.), (Μessolonghi)

(1982/3^rd -1984/6^th ) Production Manager and Publishing Sector Manager in  MOTIVO S.A. (http://www.motivo.com.gr) (ready to wear clothes industry), (Athens)

(1980/1^st -1982/3^rd ) Bureau of Studies in the Salamis Naval Base, Greek Navy (Athens)

                                                                                                                         

PARTICIPATIONS – PUBLICATIONS – OTHER INFORMATION

-    Chairman of the IRDAC PanEuropean Working Group in Brussels for the Small and Medium Enterprises in Europe and their participation in the 4^th Framework Programme for Industrial Research & Development (1994-1999)

-        Member of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) since 1979

- Member of Varvakios Business Network (VBN) since 2014

-        Ex-Member of the American Management Association Europe (ΑΜΑ),  Industrial Marketing Research Association (IMRA),  Greek Institut of Marketing (ΕΙΜ),   Greek Management Association (E.E.D.E.), Hellenic Export Managers Association (H.E.M.A.), Council for the Promotion of Greek-Turkish Business Cooperation, Greek-Israeli Chamber of Commerce, Pefki Municipality Embellishing & Cultural Club, Pefki Municipality Asia Minor Club  etc.

- Publications :

a. Marketing Magazine "Scientific Marketing" , article  titled “Time Management”

b. Marketing Magazine "IMRA Newsletter", article titled "A postcard from Greece"

c. Construction Industry Magazine "Betonwerk und Fertigteil-Technik", article titled  “InProRos, a BRITE - EURAM Research & Development Project"

d. Wire Industry Magazine "WIRE INDUSTRY" , article titled "Mesh reinforcement research project"

e. Wire Industry Magazine "DRAHT/BLECH/UMFORMTECHNIK", article titled "The BRITE - EURAM Research Project InProRos "

f. Wire Industry Magazine "WIRE & CABLE ASIA", article titled "The BRITE - EURAM Research Project InProRos"

g. Wire Industry Magazine "Wire Industry News" , article titled "1995: Greek Wire Industry – Time for decisions”

h. 2^nd Seminar Insurance Conference, presentation titled "The art of interviewing"

i. Aluminium Industry Magazine “Profil Panorama”, article titled “Alternative sources of finance for the Greek Small & Medium Enterprises”

j. Construction Industry Magazine “SouthEast Asia Construction”, article titled “An innovative building system”

k. Greek – Italian Chamber Symposium “Exports Marketing Plan”, presentation (21-01-1999) on *Exports Marketing Plan”

l. Glass Industry Magazine “World of Glass”, various articles in every issue during the last years related with glass (coated glass, decorative glass, safety & security glass etc.)

m. Aluminium Industry Magazine “Profil Energy International” and website “Profilnet.gr“, various articles related with glass

n. Architectural Magazine “Domes” and website “DomesIndex.com”, various articles / advertorials related with glass.

EDUCATION

Henley Management College, U.K.  (2010 ), Diploma in Management (3 years course)

National Technical University of Athens (1979), Mechanical Engineer 7.2/10.0 (Very Good) – Diploma Thesis 10.0/10.0 (Excellent)

University of Athens , Law School (1983), Law Studies (4 years studies - unfinished just before the degree, due to professional priorities and demands)

Varvakios Model School (1968-1974)          18.2/20.0 (Very Good)

Various seminars in Greece, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Israel and Germany in Management, Marketing, Market Based Management (MBM), Finance, Law, Personnel etc by EL.KE.PA. (Greek Productivity Center), E.E.D.E. (Greek Management Association), S.E.V. (Federation of Greek Industries), Athens Chamber of Commerce, American Embassy in Athens, European Union (B), Ernst Sonderhoff GmbH (D), Guardian Europe S.A. (LUX), Wilson Learning etc.

Also online seminars via Iversity (Contemporary Architecture, Public Privacy) and Coursera (Globalization of Business Enterprise) etc.

Foreign Languages : English, (and less fluently French, Italian, German etc.).

Computer literacy: Excellent use of Internet in every aspect, various operating systems (Windows, Mac), browsers (Explorer, Chrome, Mozzila, Safari etc.), MS Office

OTHER INFORMATION

1.     Self motivated, ambitious, result oriented, responsible, flexible, creative, honest, smart. Able to build and coach winning selling teams, opening new business routes, equally strong in driving and analytical business needs.

2.     Trainer in various corporate intra-muros seminars (ERGON S.A., SOFLOLENS S.A., ALLIANZ AEAZ, GENERALI LIFE AEAZ etc.) and K.E.K (Institutes for Professional Training).

3.     Israel Trade Awards (State of Israel, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor) in 2003, offered by his Excellency Mr. Ehud Olmert, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor and in 2006, offered by his Excellency Mr. Eliyahu Yishai, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor

4.     Member of IRDAC (Industrial Research Development Avisory Committee of the European Union) (1991-1995), appointed by the European Commission – after the proposal of the Federation of Greek Industries (S.E.V.)

5.     Major achievements :

a.     Solving pre-existing labour conflicts and re-engineering the production and operations process of a ready-to-wear clothes company, having as a result the significant increase in productivity (1984-1986)

b.     Globalization (100% export sales, 45 countries) of a machine manufacturing company (1987-1994)

c.      Securing A’ class Venture Capital (approx. 6 millions EURO) for a machine manufacturing company, a car navigation systems manufacturing company and a franchising for car repairs (1990-1998) / Business Plan, search for venture capital, final negotiations

d.     Extensive travelling wordwide (W. & E. Europe, N. & S. America, Asia) in over 68 countries

e.     Young Greek Championist in Chess (1975) and winner of various medals in chess tournaments

f.     Winner of Championship of Championists’ tournament of the tv game “Letters & Numbers” (1977 & 1979) 

Motivational Qualities Report
For
George Papadopoulos

The items in this report are based on results of the 71-question MAPP assessment. You will find your top six motivations written in "I" statements (www.Assessment.com).

• I thrive on change, and know how to capitalize on it. It is important that I have enough change and variety.

• I am motivated to assertively engage others with the intent to cause them to hear what I say, accept it, and act on it.

• I am excellent at developing and executing strategies designed to win over opponents.

• I have a strong preference for activity resulting in prestige, status, recognition or reward relative to others.

• I understand the meaning of ideas and words, and use them effectively in written or oral communication. I have the ability to express key concepts.

• I naturally enjoy providing leadership that serves the needs of others. The emphasis is on creating beneficial results for people.