On Friday September the 30th Hellenic American University students had the opportunity to meet and talk with George Logothetis, the founder, Chairman and CEO of the Libra Group, a privately-owned international conglomerate with subsidiary companies active in fields such as shipping, aviation, real estate, hospitality services and renewable energy.
During his talk, Logothetis talked about corporate social responsibility, and the key role it occupies in Libra's mission. In addition to its business activities, the Group has also developed several ambitious education and philanthropic projects. One such project is the Seleni Institute, which Logothetis and his wife founded in New York in 2011 and which provides mental and reproductive health services for women.
In another initiative, the company offers 100 annual internship opportunities for undergraduate students to work at one of the firm's international locations, including New York, Miami, London, Athens, and Buenos Aires. Logothetis noted that the internships were created to "help deserving Greeks during the crisis to achieve their goals." Three Hellenic American College students have been awarded internships to date.
During a Q&A session moderated by University Provost Triant Flouris, Logothetis talked about how Hellenic American University students can continue to benefit from this project and fielded questions from the audience on running a business and managing people, including what he looks for when hiring people.
"Loyalty, self- awareness and untraditional intelligence", he said, are qualities he particularly values, and added that empowering the underdog leads to results. "Every team member brings something unique—exploiting uniqueness leads to strength. Being different is a good thing since difference can define you."
When asked about the current economic crisis and the lack of opportunities for Greek youth today, he pointed out that crisis provides opportunity. "Struggle," he noted, "can be a gift because it makes people work hard, focus on their dreams and achieve a lot." He encouraged the students to "keep faith" with what they believe and continue striving to realize their goals.
