The Executive MBA Celebrates the Annual New Year’s Cake-Cutting Event with Students and Alumni, Featuring Guest Speaker Mr. Nikolaidis, Board Member of PeopleCert

On Tuesday, February 18, 2025, the Executive MBA celebrated its 2025 New Year’s cake-cutting event with students, alumni, professors, and friends of the program. More than 200 guests honored us with their presence, making the evening truly special.

The keynote speech by Mr. Nikolaidis was titled “From Dream to Impact: The PeopleCert Way.” He shared the remarkable journey of PeopleCert, a company that, starting from Athens, has achieved a global presence today in over 200 countries. PeopleCert has certified millions of professionals worldwide in fields such as IT, project management, and language proficiency, and has become the first Greek-origin “unicorn” — a company valued at over 1 billion dollars.

His talk offered invaluable lessons for modern business, highlighting the importance of strategy, timing, innovation, and social responsibility. Beyond his corporate success, Mr. Nikolaidis emphasizes positive societal impact through corporate social responsibility initiatives, leaving a lasting cultural and social footprint.

The event was honored by the presence of the Rector of the Athens University of Economics and Business, Professor Vassilis Vasdekis; the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Personnel, Professor Leonidas Doukakis; the Vice-Rector for Research and Lifelong Learning, Professor Georgia Siougle; and the Vice-Rector for International Cooperation and Development, Professor Nancy Pouloudi, along with faculty members and Executive MBA professors.

The event was once again covered by Alpha TV and Naftemporiki, whom we sincerely thank. Business leaders close to the Executive MBA also attended, including Mr. Nikos Koutsianas and Ms. Niki Koutsiana, co-founders of Apivita and Symbeeosis; Ms. Dimitra Karakosta, Vice President, People & Culture at PeopleCert; Ms. Popi Charami, Pharmacist and Editor-in-Chief of Pharmacy Management magazine; Mr. Giannis Kolovos, former Board Member of Edenred; Mr. Nikolaos Koskolethos, Chief Financial Officer at Athens Exchange Group; Mr. Thomas Kougoulos, HR Director at AbbVie; Ms. Katerina Polizois, Senior Manager Family Business Services at KPMG; and many others.

We sincerely thank everyone who made this event even more special with their presence!