Mr. Spyros Theodoropoulos is the new President of SEV and managed to prevail in the election "battle" against Ms. Ioulia Tseti. A record number of members participated, which also demonstrates the great interest that was shown in this electoral process in which there were two candidates and not just a successor.
Mr. Theodoropoulos will be joined on the new Board of Directors as Vice Chairman by Mr. Eftihis Vassilakis of Aegean Airlines, Mr. Andreas Siamisis of Helleniq Energy, and Mrs. Rania Aikaterinari of Elvalhalcor. In the event that he wins the board presidency, Mr. Theodoropoulos has stated that he will ask Mrs. Aikaterinari to serve as Chairman of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee has an advisory role in all matters within the competence of the Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Alexandra Papalexopoulou, a member of the TITAN Group and the sister of outgoing Chairman Mr. Dimitris Papalexopoulos, will hold the position of General Secretary on the new Board. Also, Mr. Markos Veremis from Upstream was elected as the only candidate for the position of Treasurer of the Board.
The battle for the election of the ordinary members of the Board was also intense, as the number of candidates for the 14 elected positions had reached 24. It is important to note that the presidents of the regional associations (Association of Industries of Attica and Piraeus, Association of Industries of Central Greece, Association of Industries of Thessaly and Central Greece, Association of Thessalian Enterprises and Industries, Association of Enterprises and Industries of Peloponnese and Western Greece) always fill the other five board positions.
After the conclusion of the SEV General Assembly, Mr. Dimitris Papalexopoulos said:
"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve SEV in the position of president.
Today, SEV is bigger and stronger. It has more members, more areas of action, and a larger footprint in critical dimensions of economic life. SEV is, at its core, an independent, open, and diverse organization with a constant renewal of individuals and ideas. I wish the newly elected Board of Directors to continue the steady upward course of our association in the complex and ever-changing business environment."
The new President of SEV, Mr. Spyros Theodoropoulos, made the following statement: "My election as President of SEV is a great honour for me. I would like to thank all the members who have entrusted me with the continuation of the work of our association. For 21 years, I have served SEV as an active member of the Board of Directors, and now, from the position of President, I feel that I have been able to serve SEV as an active member of the Board. even greater responsibility to continue the very successful course of our association. I am committed, together with the newly elected members of our Board of Directors, to give all our efforts to strengthen entrepreneurship for the benefit of employees, businesses, our members, and the Greek economy as a whole."
PRIORITIES
The largest employer group, social partner, and government interlocutor are anticipating more dynamic initiatives to go along with the new era that the new SEV President has announced in order to enhance business conditions and, above all, to promote production by addressing important issues like the energy and digital transition, finding human resources, redefinition of labor relations, the creation of new industrial sites, and, ultimately, to improve productivity.
The central message with which Mr Theodoropoulos was elected is that "the successful course of SEV must be continued", while one of the key priorities of his term of office, if elected, is the conclusion of "a new social contract" between employers and employees that "will lead to simplification of labour legislation, better pay for employees and greater flexibility for businesses". Then, a better framework of government support for industry, a stable and favourable environment for business development and support for start-ups.
In general, the call for accelerating reforms in the country, which had been put forward by the Presidency of Dimitris Papalexopoulos, is expected to intensify. This is because Mr. Theodoropoulos stresses the need for the country to shift towards production and not be an economy that even today relies 75% on consumption! "With such a given, the question is not whether we will relive the crisis, but when", he had said recently!
In this context, more pressure is expected to be put on the government, including the creation of a Ministry of Industry, reduction of non-wage costs for businesses and the reopening of technical schools in the country, as there is a huge shortage of technicians for manufacturing.
