Emerging entrepreneur and Greek businessman Byron Vassiliades has been recently selected by the World Economic Forum as one of the 121 Young Global Leaders (YGL) for 2016.

Every year, innovative, enterprising and socially-minded personalities are selected for their ability to use their collective skills in order to tackle the world’s most complex challenges.

“It is a great honour and challenge to be selected as a YGL because I will have the opportunity to interact with phenomenal people worldwide,” says 39-year-old Byron, who has also received many awards and accolades in the areas of environment, development and enterprise, both locally and internationally.

The Forum of Young Business Leaders is an international community that consists of academics, entrepreneurs, scientists, researchers, artists, members of humanitarian organisations and politicians under 40 years of age. Greek chief of science and researcher Eleni Antoniadou was also selected in the Young Global Leaders Class 2016.

During the five-year leadership journey, the YGL’s aim is to influence and re-shape the global political, social and economic agenda by pushing boundaries and rethinking the world around us.

Recognising the value and responsibility the title brings, Byron aims to enhance the forum’s efforts using the experience he has gained while running his businesses in Greece. Vassiliades’ group of companies (Vassiliades Group) employs more than 300 people in total and reported a turnover of over €85 million with zero bank borrowings.

“From my end, I believe my self-discipline and hard work, which has previously led a bankrupt operation to a successful business model, could inspire my fellows at YGL to ‘dare for the difference’ and promote the greater good,” says Byron, who feels that the awards have come to him as the ultimate recognition of his commitment to providing beneficial solutions to the wider community.
“I believe that my service with YGL will give me a wider perspective and way of understanding the development of new trends and situations on a global scale.”

Vassiliades started off working in his family shipping-related business.

In 2011, Byron and his brother Filippos set up GREEN S.A. (Greek Environmental & Energy Network S.A.) that focuses on investments in renewables worldwide. In 2015 GREEN S.A. won the Global Business Excellence Award, and today, the fast-growing environmental and energy company is regarded as the largest Greek electricity trading company in the region.

According to Byron, the inception of GREEN S.A. was based on two pillars; safe and affordable energy, which in a time of national instability and financial turmoil could be achieved by moving beyond Greece’s borders.

“GREEN S.A. was set up at a time when businesses and consumers began seeking new sources and lower costs of energy.
“Actually it was a necessity for my country especially, which was carrying the repercussions of severe financial downturns, affecting the lives of most Greek families,” the successful businessman explains.

The Vassiliades brothers’ other businesses include KAFSIS Bio-Industries S.A. and Antipollution S.A, which is one of the leading environmental waste management companies in Greece and the springboard to Byron’s success and recognition.

“It was indeed a milestone in my life, and the beginning of a great journey,” Byron says.
“Throughout the years, Antipollution S.A. has become one of the most innovative companies in its sector throughout the region.”

Vassiliades is young, successful and extremely self-motivated at a time when the rest of Greece is facing serious financial and social challenges.

“We invested in infrastructure and provided integrated solutions to the continuously evolving environmental and energy sectors in order to meet the expectations of a really demanding and diversified market.
“My companies survived the storm of the crisis and we even managed to maintain the number of our employees during the hard times,” Byron explains.

The entrepreneur aims to achieve social, financial and environmental sustainability through motivation, creativity and hard work. At the same time, he appears very conscious of the fact that success is a collective effort.

“I see the educational and financial advancement obtained by my employees and colleagues as part of my personal career advancement and achievement.”

As to what’s coming next, the sky is the limit for the ambitious entrepreneur, who plans to expand his activity to the busiest business hubs around the world, by offering high-quality services to the environmental, shipping, and energy industries.

His golden rule in business is simple.

“Behave to others around you as you would wish others to treat you,” concludes Vassiliades, as he prepares to embark on his exciting YGL journey to change the world.

* Byron Vassiliades is a member, among other organisations, of Franco-Hellenique Chambre, the Hellenic-Dutch Association of Commerce and Industry, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Arab-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Greek-Turkish Chamber of Commerce, Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and industry, CEO clubs International, Port Bureau and DESMOS non-profit organisation.