- Greece
The Association of S.A. and Entrepreneurship (SAE-E)
Background
The Association of S.A. and Entrepreneurship (SAE-E) is a powerful employers’ association with more than 2000 members from all over Greece.
It was established in 1922 and was a co-founder of the University of Piraeus. It has two Institutes, the Institute of International Economic Relations, the Hellenic Mediation and Arbitration Centre as well as the Foundation of Studies and Business Development and the Mediation Academy for Mediation Training.
The general objective of the Association is to safeguard and promote the interests of its members in legal, economic and social terms, in the framework of the economic development of the country.
In particular some of the specific objectives of the Association are:
- The study, promotion and support of issues of interest and concern of its members whose resolution contributes to the
development of themselves and the Greek economy. - The representation of the members at courts etc. for the safeguarding of common interests.
- The training of executives of companies and the organization of conferences, seminars, etc.
- The implementation of Government, European, Development and other programs in general.
The Association is based in the center of Athens and has branches in Thessaloniki, Αlexandroupoli and Heraklion. The headquarters in Athens consist of a conference room for 100 persons, 2 meeting rooms and work stations for 20 persons. In the General Board and the Legal Board of SAE-E participate representatives of the Union of Greek Chambers, the Union of Greek Industries, the Confederation of Greek Commerce, as well as representatives of most business sectors. In this respect, the Association has two ways of access to SMEs operating cross-borders: directly through its members (individual companies) or indirectly through the sector’s representatives.
The Association employs 5 full time staff and its financial accounts are audited yearly.
Experience
SAE-E is committed to the promotion of the Greek companies and recognizes the importance of education and training in order to achieve this.
In the past it has participated in EU funded projects from DG Education, DG Enterprises and DG Employment related to training for company representatives in subjects such as quality management systems, stress prevention, legal aspects of exports, trade unionist training, awareness of workers regarding European and national legislation on information and consultation rights etc.
Moreover, the Association recently successfully concluded the implementation of an Operational Programme within the sector of Human Resources Development – Education and Life Long Learning Operational Programme financed by the Partnership Agreement for the Development Framework 2014-2020 which constitutes the main strategic plan for growth in Greece with the contribution of significant resources originating from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) of the European Union. Specifically such Operational Programme of a total budget of apprx. 1,5 mil. euros consisted in the training and certification of employees in environmental issues (code no 5002563).
Experts
Ioanna Anastassopoulou
A law graduate in Athens (University of Athens), Ioanna obtained her PhD (Doctorat d’Etat) in Paris at the University of Paris 2 on International Private Business Law after having studied European Law at the College of Europe in Bruges (Belgium) under a scholarship of the College, and TradeMark and Patent Law (DESS de Propriété Industrielle) at the University of Paris 2. Ioanna qualified at the Athens Bar in 1981 and practiced in Athens until 1991 when she joined PPT Legal Law Firm as a partner. Ioanna practices in the field of shareholder and partnership disputes/corporate governance, EU Law, Mergers & Acquisitions, Distribution & Agency Agreements, Competition Law, Investment Protection, Trademarks & Copyright, General Labour Law, Patents, Intellectual Property Law and General Corporate/Commercial Law. Ioanna wrote numerous articles on her field of activities published in Greece and outside Greece and the chapter on Hellas Corporation and Partnerships in International Encyclopedia of Laws, ed. Kluwer, 1992 (in English). Ioanna is the General Secretary and Legal Counsel of SAE-E. She is fluent in English, French and German.
Styliani Millioti
She has a BA in Political Science and Public Administration and Master Degree in Communication and financing. She has been working since 2000 for the Association in the position of Public Relations Manager. She is responsible for public relations, organization of events, conferences and training seminars and the coordination of co-funded projects. She speaks English and French.
Androniki Tsiamalou
She holds a Master of Science in International Negotiations from Athens University of Economics and Business and a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences. Her international exposure includes participating in the ERASMUS+ program in Political Sciences at Universidad de Salamanca, Spain, and completing a course in International Relations, Diplomacy, and Media at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. Currently, she is working as a Project Manager at the Association of S.A. and Entrepreneurship in Athens, Greece, and has previously served as an Intern Researcher at the Institute of International and Economic Relations. Her language proficiencies include English, Spanish, and French.
