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Alumnus Profiled: Evangelos Charatsis
Graduated: Deree’84
Lives in: Athens, Greece
Current Position: Partner, BETA Securities
“When there is a will, there is a way.”
EVANGELOS CHARATSIS was born in Athens in 1962 and studied Business Administration at Deree from 1981-1984 with a concentration in Accounting and Finance. In 1986 he graduated from London’s City University Business School with an MSc in Shipping Trade and Finance. His first job took him to the dealing room of Barclays Bank. After Barclays, Evangelos spent two years with the chartering department of Tsakos Shipping and Trading. In 1990 he took a big step: he joined Nicholas Ritsonis, a former professor of economics at Deree to start offering investment consulting services. In 1995 the two partners founded BETA Securities which today is one of the largest privately owned brokerage companies in Greece. Evangelos is married and has one daughter.
INTERVIEW
Q.: What are three enduring lessons you learned during your studies at Deree?
- Hard work brings rewards
- The business of business is business
- Life is a marathon, not a sprint
Q.: Describe Deree in three words.
International, innovative, competitive
Q.: One of your favorite Deree memories?
My first day on campus. It was when I realized that I was in an environment ideal for learning and growth.
Q.: What do you miss most from your days at Deree?
The fact that every day was different in the sense that we had something new and exciting to learn
Q.: What was your favorite spot on campus?
Definitely the gym and, of course, the cafeteria where I interacted with my fellow students.
Q.: Who was your favorite professor and why?
Lila Mordochae because she had a way of teaching accounting and finance that could make a boring subject exciting.
Q.: Have you kept in touch with any of your classmates?
Yes, with many. With some we have also done business together
Q.: How did Deree help prepare you for your professional life?
Deree gave me the foundation that helped me adapt quickly in the real world of business, understand a lot of things better and chart the course of my career.
Q.: What’s the greatest piece of advice you’ve ever received?
To always keep my word regardless of the cost.
Q.: What (or who) inspires you most?
I have always been inspired by people who succeed in business by their own means, without having a family background or tradition.
Q.: Your motto in life?
When there is a will, there is a way.
ACG Alumni: We Stay Connected!
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