Don’t compare yourself to others; persevere through the hard times; learn from everyone; be thankful and recognize the people that help you along the way. These simple and valuable lessons come from top manager and ACT Alumnus Thomas Tsotsos ’01.

Thomas Tsotsos is Senior Director Merchandising – Direct to Consumer (DTC) at adidas Germany. After graduating from ACT with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Thomas started working at Tchibo, a German chain of coffee retailers and cafés known for its weekly-changing range of products including clothing, household items, electronics and electrical appliances. In 2004 he assumed the position of Senior Planning Manager at adidas Germany and currently he is responsible for the company’s global retail buying and merchandising.

In his interview, Thomas stresses the solid education that ACT offered to him and describes the institution as a “hub of education, creativity and broadening perspectives in Northern Greece”.

Did your experience at ACT prepare you for the demanding business reality?

I am proud of my studies at ACT because they provided me with the right foundations to integrate into the business world. My first professional experience after ACT was at a large international company. I felt I was 100% ready for that and in the position to contribute and improve myself. 

I have to point out that during my studies it was important to give and take as much as possible. It was not only about attending the classes. In addition to the core skills, some of the most valuable experiences came from the group work and the extra-curricular activities which simulate a small-scale business environment. These opportunities allowed me to try, fail and learn in a safe environment.

What do you remember fondly from your ACT years?

Mostly I remember the people. The long-lasting friendships and relationships with students, professors, and staff, resulted in precious memories. From an academic perspective, the small class sizes, the diverse curriculum and the intense research and project work resonated very well with me.

What are some of the greatest challenges you have overcome in your current position at adidas?

adidas Germany has been growing at an exceptional rate in the last few years. However, this positive outcome means that every year the bar is raised. It becomes harder every year to repeat past successes.

My personal challenge was that my role changed over time from heading up a regional department to leading key projects of global scope. This required a very different skill-set and I had to learn “on the job”. In hindsight, this was an often hard, but ultimately a very important challenge to take on. My key takeaway is that to grow and stay relevant in an organization of this size and reputation, you need to constantly learn and upskill yourself.

Would you like to share some words of wisdom with ACT students?

Past success doesn’t guarantee future success. You need to keep up skilling and redefining along the way. I believe that entrepreneurship is the key: a sense of ownership characterizes high achievers regardless of the role they have in an organization. In this context, I would quote my dear friend and fellow graduate Christie Kostara and urge ACT students to “find their bliss”. Your main effort should be to define clearly what you love and what you’re passionate about and then do everything possible to make it a key ingredient of your career. The term “Work-Life balance” is a term often used in corporations as a goal of successful individuals. This is much easier to accomplish when you do what you love. That’s because you can self-motivate and stay committed to personal and professional growth. It’s easier said than done, and there will be compromises along the way, but you need to think of the long-term and try always to define and stay connected to your passion. Besides that I would advise:

• Don’t compare yourself to others. Stay focused and keep building your skills for long-term success.
• Persevere throught the hard times like rejection or failure. Don’t sugarcoat them, but also don’t let them demotivate you. Self-reflect and turn them to learning opportunities that accelerate your growth.
• The professional environment is tough, it’s critical to work in alignment with your core values and maintain your integrity.
• Learn from everyone, even from people you dislike. They can offer a different perspective.
• Be thankful and recognize the people that help you along the way.

How would you describe ACT in a few words?

A hub of education, creativity and broadening perspectives in Northern Greece.

The American College of Thessaloniki celebrates the start of the spring 2018 term with the arrival of Study Abroad students from 17 different US Colleges and Universities, and the sending-off of two full-time ACT students who are studying for a year in the US at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. We also continue to celebrate the 10th year of the N.U.in Program at ACT with the arrival of the first Spring N.U.in cohort at ACT. The N.U.in Program is designed for first year students to experience a semester abroad early in their academic career to give them a broader global perspective that they can draw from throughout their university years. Our visiting students arrived despite massive snow storms across the US and Europe, and started getting involved in local events and cultural activities by attending a football match, visiting the Vergina Museum, and touring the city with ACT Professors, the Student Government Association and Staff. Academics began on the 11th of January and we look forward to an interactive semester.

• Η συμμετοχή στον John & Mary Pappajohn Διαγωνισμό Επιχειρηματικού Σχεδίου του Κέντρου Επιχειρηματικότητας του School of Business of the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) σημαίνει την αποδοχή των Κανόνων και των Οδηγιών του διαγωνισμού.
• Το Business School of ACT μπορεί ανά πάσα στιγμή να ζητήσει από τους συμμετέχοντες διευκρινίσεις ή / και πρόσθετες πληροφορίες σχετικά με το υλικό που υποβλήθηκε.
• Το Business School of ACT διατηρεί το δικαίωμα να τροποποιήσει τους όρους και το χρονοδιάγραμμα του διαγωνισμού χωρίς προηγούμενη ειδοποίηση και χωρίς να αναλάβει καμία ευθύνη.
• Όλοι οι συντάκτες της σύντομης περιγραφής της ιδέας ή / και του πλήρους επιχειρηματικού σχεδίου θα πρέπει να συμφωνήσουν και να αναγνωρίσουν το γεγονός ότι υποβάλλουν πρωτότυπο έργο. Ο συγγραφέας διατηρεί όλα τα δικαιώματα σε σχέση με την ιδέα και το πλήρες επιχειρηματικό σχέδιο πριν και μετά τον διαγωνισμό.
• Μη εμπιστευτικότητα: Ορισμένες πτυχές του διαγωνισμού, όπως οι παρουσιάσεις και οι συνεδρίες ερωτήσεων και απαντήσεων, χωρίς περιορισμό του πεδίου εφαρμογής μόνο σε αυτές, μπορεί να είναι ανοικτές στο κοινό. Ορισμένες πληροφορίες ή ακόμη και όλες θα μπορούσαν επίσης να μεταδοθούν μέσω μέσων επικοινωνίας όπως η τηλεόραση, το ραδιόφωνο ή το διαδίκτυο. Επομένως, σε περίπτωση που ορισμένα από τα δεδομένα ή οι πληροφορίες θα συζητηθούν ή θα παρουσιαστούν δημόσια από τους συμμετέχοντες θα πρέπει να θεωρούνται ως πληροφορίες που θα μπορούσαν να γνωστοποιηθούν στο ευρύ κοινό και ως εκ τούτου οι συμμετέχοντες δεν θα πρέπει να θεωρούν ότι λαμβάνουν δικαιώματα σχετικά με την εμπιστευτικότητα των δεδομένων ή πληροφοριών που συζητήθηκαν, παρουσιάστηκαν ή αποκαλύφθηκαν. Λόγω της φύσης του διαγωνισμού, δεν είμαστε σε θέση να ζητήσουμε από τους κριτές, τους διοργανωτές ή το εμπλεκόμενο προσωπικό να συμφωνήσουν ή να υπογράψουν συμφωνίες εμπιστευτικότητας. Ωστόσο, το Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο του American College of Thessaloniki θα καταβάλει κάθε δυνατή προσπάθεια για να περιορίσει τη διανομή των Επιχειρηματικών Ιδεών και Σχεδίων που παρουσιάζονται στο διαγωνισμό. Δεν μπορούμε όμως να εγγυηθούμε ότι άλλα άτομα δεν θα έχουν πρόσβαση στα επιχειρηματικά σχέδια που υποβάλλονται σε έντυπη ή ψηφιακή μορφή. Οι τελικές παρουσιάσεις ενδέχεται να είναι ανοικτές στο κοινό.
• Δικαιώματα πνευματικής ιδιοκτησίας και άδειες χρήσης: Εάν ένα άτομο ή μια ομάδα χρησιμοποιεί υλικό ή εικόνες τρίτου μέρους στην παρουσίαση της ιδέας ή του επιχειρηματικού σχεδίου, θα πρέπει να έχουν την έγκριση και την άδεια χρήσης αυτού του υλικού από τους ιδιοκτήτες τους.

Έχεις την ιδέα; Φτιάξε το πλάνο!
300 λέξεις αρκούν.

O διαγωνισμός επιχειρηματικού πλάνου του Κέντρου Επιχειρηματικότητας του School of Business of the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT),  χρηματοδοτούμενος από τον John Pappajohn, απευθύνεται σε νέους και νέες που ενδιαφέρονται να ξεκινήσουν τη δική τους επιχείρηση.  Ο Διαγωνισμός προσφέρει 5 βραβεία των €4.000 στα 5 επιχειρηματικά πλάνα που θα αξιολογηθούν υψηλότερα από όσα θα κατατεθούν και θα παρουσιαστούν στον διαγωνισμό.

 Οι διαγωνιζόμενοι θα κριθούν βάσει της ιδέας που θα καταθέσουν αλλά και των προσωπικών τους επιχειρηματικών χαρακτηριστικών και δεξιοτήτων.  Συγκεκριμένα, θα κριθεί η καινοτομία, η βιωσιμότητα και το αναπτυξιακό δυναμικό της κατατεθειμένης πρότασης, η γνωστική επάρκεια, η αφοσίωση, η επικοινωνιακή ικανότητα των διαγωνιζομένων καθώς και ο τρόπος αξιοποίησης του χρηματικού επάθλου (σε περίπτωση νίκης).

Ο διαγωνισμός επιχειρηματικού πλάνου John & Mary Pappajohn αποτελείται από 4 φάσεις:

Πρώτη Φάση : Όλοι οι ενδιαφερόμενοι μπορούν να καταθέσουν την ιδέα για το επιχειρηματικό πλάνο τους μέχρι και τη Δευτέρα 23 Απριλίου μέσω της online φόρμας. Στο τέλος Απριλίου θα ειδοποιηθούν οι προκριθέντες.

Δεύτερη Φάση : Συνέντευξη στις αρχές Μαΐου με προκριθέντες της πρώτης φάσης, μέσω τηλεφώνου ή Skype.  Αξιολόγηση ετοιμότητας για την συγγραφή του επιχειρηματικού σχεδίου και εκπόνηση αυτού.

Τρίτη Φάση : Ανάπτυξη και ολοκλήρωση των προκριθέντων από την δεύτερη φάση ιδεών, σε επιχειρηματικό πλάνο. Κατάθεση των τελικών, λεπτομερών επιχειρηματικών σχεδίων μέχρι αρχές Ιουνίου (σε ημερομηνία που θα ανακοινωθεί στους προκριθέντες σε αυτή τη φάση) . Θα μεσολαβήσει σεμινάριο με θέμα την συγγραφή και παρουσίαση του επιχειρηματικού σχεδίου.

Τέταρτη Φάση : Παρουσίαση των προκριθέντων σχεδίων για την επιλογή των 5 καλύτερων στα μέσα Ιουνίου (σε ημερομηνία που θα ανακοινωθεί στους προκριθέντες σε αυτή τη φάση) [i]

Για να δηλώσετε συμμετοχή:

1. Σχηματίστε μία ομάδα 1 έως 5 ατόμων.  Κάθε άτομο μπορεί να συμμετέχει μόνο σε μια ομάδα.

2. Συμπληρώστε στην φόρμα αίτησης: σύντομα βιογραφικά στοιχεία για τα άτομα που συμμετέχουν στην ομάδα (όνομα, επίθετο, email, τηλέφωνο, ιδιότητα, οργανισμός, εκπαίδευση, βραβεία, επαίνους και προηγούμενη επαγγελματική εμπειρία εάν υπάρχει) και καταθέστε την επιχειρηματική σας ιδέα στην online φόρμα  μέχρι τη Δευτέρα 23 Απριλίου. Η περιγραφή της ιδέας δεν πρέπει να ξεπερνάει τις 300 λέξεις.  Στο περιεχόμενο πρέπει να συμπεριληφθεί η περιγραφή:

• Του προτεινόμενου προϊόντος/ υπηρεσίας
• Του αγοραστικού κοινού (πελάτες) που στοχεύει το προσφερόμενο προϊόν (υπηρεσία)
• Του μοντέλου εσόδων της προτεινόμενης ιδέας (business model)
• Του νεωτερισμού/καινοτομίας που χαρακτηρίζει την ιδέα

Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες απευθυνθείτε στην κ. Αθηνά Νουσιοπούλου στο τηλ. 2310 398347 (καθημερινά 10π.μ – 4 μ.μ), ή στείλτε email στο This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Δειγμα ιδεας

Δηλωστε συμμετοχη 

A well-attended and informative event, organized by ACT and SBBE.

The critical issue of Competition was discussed by leading speakers from Greece and abroad during the event “Business Strategy: Competition Demystified”. The successful event which attracted more than 300 people was organized by the ACT School of Business and the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece (SBBE).

The event took place on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, at Porto Palace Hotel with the support of the Greek International Business Association (SEVE) and the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI).

The audience was welcomed by Anatolia College President Panos Vlachos and the President of SBBE, Mr. Athanasios Savvakis.

Mr. Jan Hummel, founder, and CIO of Paradigm Capital, based in Germany, argued that each company should seek to specialize either geographically or on a product-driven basis and not rely on any "comparative advantage" as this is often lost. "It is not always true, that great companies are opportunities for investors because of the high price of their shares," said Mr. Hummel, while the rating of a company should be done with "filters" such as return on capital, its growth, its balance sheet, corporate governance, the relationship between the value of the company and its share price.

Mr. Vassilis Antoniadis, Senior Partner, and Managing Director, The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)in Athens, said that "Your strategy needs a strategy", emphasizing its importance in a time characterized by speed and unimaginable technological progress taking place in the United States and even more impressively in China. Mr Antoniadis argued that "there must be a distinct and different strategy for each product”, and emphasized the importance of keeping a balance between the daily operation of a business and the need to continually reinvent itself.

Mr. Christos Tsentemeidis, Customer Development Director of South East Europe, Johnson & Johnson Consumer, said that in order to succeed in the FMCG's industry you have to love competitiveness and speed. In recent years, the Greek consumer has changed his consumer habits due to the financial crisis.

Companies had to adapt to the new reality and adapt their strategy. Through examples, he showed that those companies that managed to correctly diagnose changes in consumer wishes, found the competitive advantage of the business and implemented their strategy quickly, managed to gain market share. Most of them were smaller companies that were more flexible than the larger ones.

The event was moderated by Jack Florentin, President, and CEO of Sarah Lawrence SA, who focused on the losses that companies which don’t adequately deal with their competitors might face.

The Greenhouse workshop in Xanthi received great interest and participation. 93 individuals applied for the free, intensive, three-day entrepreneurship workshop, while 32 people were finally selected and participated. The event took place during the weekend 16-18 of March 2018, in Hotel Elisso, Xanthi.

VentureGarden in collaboration with Democritus University of Thrace and Xanthi Chamber of Commerce & Ιndustry organized Greenhouse. VentureGarden is The Hellenic Initiative’s entrepreneurship education program co-created with ALBA Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece in Athens, and the Entrepreneurship Hub of the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT).

The purpose of Greenhouse is to familiarize participants with entrepreneurial thinking and action, encourage the development of their ideas, and offer them useful tools in their first business steps. The participants formed 9 groups, each proposing a different business idea. During the weekend each idea was examined in depth and on the last day the teams had the opportunity to present their ideas to an evaluation committee.

The local business community embraced the event which was supported by companies Sunlight, MeatCompany – Ap. Papadopoulos & Co, Ena Business Consultants, Speakt, More than (just) themes.

The Dukakis Center at ACT launched its twentieth anniversary season of public events on March 13-14 with two round tables dedicated to elections and voting in America.

The main event was co-hosted by the Dukakis Center and the Hellenic Institute for Foreign and European Policy (Eliamep) at the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens.

Mere hours after voters in Pennsylvania voted in a special Congressional election, American election experts Charles Stewart, Professor of Political Science at MIT, and Michael Ertel, Supervisor of Elections in Seminole County, Florida, shared their insights about what happened in the elections of 2016, and what observers should expect in 2018. Their comments covered the nature of the American political system, the election in 2016 of Donald Trump, the question of Russian hacking and meddling, and the role of social media in election campaigns.

Fellow panelist Aristides Hatzis of the University of Athens focused his remarks on the balanced character of American political institutions and the long term vision of the American founding fathers. Tom Ellis, Editor-in-Chef of the Kathimerini English Edition, moderated the round tale and shared his reminiscences of the political career of Michael Dukakis, the namesake of the Dukakis Center.

A large audience including senior diplomats, political leaders, academics, representatives of the national media, and Americans living in Greece attended and interacted with the speakers in lively fashion. In the words of one of the participants, it was the best election panel he had ever attended.

The round table inaugurated what is hoped to be an annual Dukakis Center event, to take place at a venues in Athens. Thanos Dokos and David Wisner, Directors of Eliamep and the Dukakis Center, respectively, also shared their vision of value of their collaboration to kick off the debate.

On March 13, Mr Ertel and Professor Stewart appeared at round table on similar subjects in the Bissell Library at ACT. They had previously spoken via Skype to an audience at the US Consulate General of Thessaloniki in October 2016.

Mr. Constantine Spanos, Associate Professor of Surgery at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, recently completed his MBA at the ACT School of Business. Mr Spanos was born in Baltimore, Maryland and moved to Greece at an early age. He is a graduate of the Aristotle University School of Medicine, and has pursued postgraduate medical training in the United States. He was a resident in General Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. He completed a fellowship in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He joined the ACT MBA program in 2015.

How would you describe your overall experience as an MBA student at ACT?

I have only positive things to say about my experience as an MBA student. The curriculum was of the highest quality, and all of our professors and instructors were well-prepared. The classes were focused and oriented towards interaction and discussion among students and faculty. The emphasis was on teamwork; excellent collaboration between students of varying backgrounds was the result. The teaching facilities and library are second to none. All in all, I found this to be a stimulating experience. 

In addition, I found the faculty to be characterized by a high level of professionalism.  All faculty are from the "real-world" of local and international business, with exceptional education and training. 

Why did you decide to pursue an MBA and what value do you think it will add to your professional development in your field? 

The main reason for pursuing an MBA was  to familiarize myself with basic disciplines in business. My family owns a major company associated with the hospitality industry, and I thought that an MBA would be of great value. It has really helped in the understanding of basic and complex concepts that pertain to most interactions and transactions of individuals and teams in the business world. 

My real "day-job" is that of a full-time academic surgeon who practices in both the public and private sector. In addition, I am a University Professor. The business concepts that I mentioned previously are applicable to my profession as well. Of note, several  medical schools in the United States have combined MD-MBA programs, such as Tufts and Boston University. I believe that an MBA is of great help to professionals who deal with a combination of decision-making, administration, as well as allocation of funds and resources. My profession is such an example.  

Was it difficult to combine your MBA studies and a demanding profession?

The ACT MBA curriculum is a demanding and high-quality program. Even if you committed yourself to it full-time, it is not easy. I pursued the part-time route, over two years. I had to combine my studies with a busy teaching and operating schedule. What made this possible was that, in the end, the MBA program was a lot of fun!  I couldn't wait to get to school, and I did not miss a single minute of class. 

If you were to describe ACT in a couple of words what would you say?

ACT: exceptional education in an exceptional setting.