Now more than ever it is time for brain gain to move from general planning to effective implementation. How can the private sector actively contribute to brain gain and what does it have to gain?
Moderator: Elena Papadimitriou Journalist
Experts:
Agapi Evangelinaki, Head of Talent Acquisition, Kaizen Gaming
George Filtsos, HR Strategy Manager, Kaizen Gaming
Maria Biquet, Executive Coach and Management Consultant
Location
Fondazione, Spyros Loverdos Foundation
In the Experts Talk "From brain drain to brain gain" we identified the causes, the concerns and fears of Brain Drain. We focused on the established strategies, we talked about the reasons that young people and high qualified employees choose to leave our country and the political decisions that have started to play a very important role.
Now more than ever it is time for Brain Gain to move from general planning to effective implementation. How can the private sector actively contribute to brain gain and what does it have to gain? The private sector seems to have almost exclusively the status and the opportunity to entice people who have left to come back. With what motives can we change the direction of the route?
What we like to discuss in theory, Kaizen Gaming has already put into practice. Before going on to describe the ways in which the company succeeded, we analyse whether an explicit adoption of such a strategic goal is necessary; that is, "let's get them back". How did Kaizen Gaming manage to lead the way in Brain Gain? What were the difficulties faced? How could the Kaizen Gaming's best practice be followed by other companies and organisations?
What ultimately weighed on the executives' decision to return to Greece? Was it the salaries, the return to Greece itself, possibly the challenge to set up the market from the beginning and consequently the overall mentality?
What specific steps have been taken that can inspire other Greek companies in the same direction? What does Kaizen Gaming promise to returning young people and how is that promise delivered? What is there to gain from the success story of Kaizen Gaming's Brain Gain project?
Elena Papadimitriou was born and raised in Thessaloniki. She studied Journalism and Mass Communication at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, including a semester of studies in The Hague under the European Erasmus program. She completed her postgraduate studies in Political Science and Sociology at the University of Athens. She has been working in the press and electronic media since her student years. From 2003 to 2006 she worked as an editor of free and cultural reporting in the newspaper CITYPRESS. During the period 2006 - 2014 she was a member of the journalism team of the morning news program of MEGA, writing at the same time as contributor for five years in protagon.gr. In July 2014, she started working in SKAI television and radio, covering international reporting in the main newscast and presenting news bulletins and shows. She has covered important events of European and international affairs in recent years, sometimes with long television broadcasts, in journalistic missions to places like Moscow, Turkey, Italy and Belgium. Maintaining to this day the longing for major festivals and concerts, she has traveled to dozens of European cities for cultural events, writing articles in a number of media. She speaks English, French and Italian.
Agapi Evangelinaki is an experienced talent search leader with an internationally established experience. She has been working at Kaizen Gaming since 2020 as Head of Talent Acquisition. She has been an active professional in the field of Human Resource Management since 2008 and now specialises in recruitment management, strategic recruitment, search and selection of talent. She holds an MSc in Strategic Human Resources Management from ALBA Graduate Business School and a degree in Business Administration from American College of Greece.
Maria Bike is a Business Consultant and Executive Coach specialising in Neurocoaching. She works as a Consultant, Coach and Instructor on issues related to the change and development of executives and teams. With great experience in multinational companies and banks, since 2010 she has been working as an Executive Coach & Consultant with individuals and teams. She designs and implements programs for the development of executives and teams that aim to improve teamwork, climate and efficiency of organisations. She holds an MBA in International Marketing (University of Sunderland - UK), a degree in Greek Language and Literature (University of Athens), a Diploma in Coaching (Coaching Institute - UK), specialising in Neurocoaching (NBG Boston-USA) and is a Certified Master Coach (Center for Advanced Coaching - USA). She’s also Vice President of EMCC Greece, Coaching Ethics Researcher at EMCC Global and Accredited Senior Practitioner by EMCC Global. She’s certified in specialised diagnostic tools for individuals and groups and trainer - supervisor of professional coaches.
George Filtsos is a professional human resources manager with strong international experience and strong commercial mentality. He is passionate about building trustworthy and realistic relationships (from entering C-Level) in order to offer business value and employee growth. The main purpose of his job is to create workplaces where people are effortlessly productive. After eight years of experience in this field in the UK, since 2020, he has been working at Kaizen Gaming as HR Strategy Manager. He holds an MS in Business Administration and Management, a General from Cass Business School in London, a degree in Business Administration from the University of Macedonia and a diploma in Managing the Learning & Development faction from CIPD. In 2015 he was awarded the Best New Provider of Internships (Shortlisted in the Top 5) by the National Undergraduate Employability Awards.
* We warmly thank Fondazione, Spyros Loverdos Foundation and Mr. Georgos Carabellas for his generous hospitality.
The Spyros Loverdos Foundation and Library is a unique historical, architectural and cultural landmark. It was built in the '30s, designed by the great philhellene Ernst Ziller, and houses a rich collection of rare books, as well as the crème de la crème collection of Byzantine icons of Spyros Loverdos' brother, Dionysios. After a long period of inaction, the building is now revived and regenerated, and has reopened as an aesthete and eclectic venue.
