The necessity of productive cooperation between the Public Administration and the Private Sector, with the ultimate goal of strengthening the national economy and the country’s competitiveness, was highlighted at the 2nd Dialogue Forum of ACEO, attended by more than 300 senior executives from the public sector as well as top executives from the business community. The event was held at the Benaki Museum Auditorium and took place under the auspices of His Excellency the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos.
In his opening address, the President of the Republic emphasized, among other things, the following:“It is evident that dialogue and the exchange of views and experiences between senior executives of the Public Sector — and primarily the Public Administration — and the Private Sector facilitates the planning and completion of reforms in the Public Sector […]. This is largely due to the valuable experience previously acquired by successful executives in the Private Sector, which can equip Public Sector executives with corresponding and essential managerial tools. […] The exchange of ideas and experiences, particularly in the form of best practices, benefits both sides, but above all the Public Administration, where for various reasons the adoption of innovation and progressive initiatives occurs more slowly compared to the immediacy of action characterizing the Private Sector. Here, the role of senior executives in the Public Administration, as well as that of managers in the Private Sector, is decisive.”
The Forum was moderated by Mr. John Anastasopoulos, Management Consultant of ACEO. Welcome addresses were delivered by the Minister of Administrative Reconstruction, Ms. Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou, and the Vice President of New Democracy, Mr. Kostis Hatzidakis, Member of Parliament for Athens B.
The President of ACEO and CEO of Xerox Hellas, Mr. Vassilis Rabbat, noted in his speech:“This Forum, which is being held for the second consecutive year, reflects the commitment of the country’s top leadership to contribute with all its strength to the economic reconstruction of Greece. We believe that this EASE initiative responds to a very important contemporary need, as what unites executives of the Public Administration and the Private Sector is more than what divides them.”
Mr. Dimitris Argyriades, Professor of Public Administration at New York University and Honorary Doctor of the Universities of Athens and Panteion, along with Ms. Dorina Oikonomopoulou, General Manager of MARSH LLC Insurance Brokers, spoke about technological developments and their integration into both the Public and Private Sectors.
The prospects for developing a functional Public–Private Partnership were addressed by Mr. Nikos Michalopoulos, General Director, General Directorate of Public Organizations, Ministry of Administrative Reconstruction. Furthermore, Mr. Apostolos Papatolias, PhD in Constitutional Law and ASEP Advisor, and Ms. Elena Papadopoulou, Chief Human Resources Officer of the OTE Group, discussed criteria for career advancement and personnel selection for positions of responsibility.
The event continued with valuable insights into crisis management, presented by Vice Admiral Nikolaos Tsounis HN, Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff, and Mr. Konstantinos Yazitzoglou, CEO of GEOVELLAS AMMAE. This was followed by a session dedicated to a different approach to everyday burnout, delivered by Professor Dimitris Karagiannis, Child Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, PhD of Democritus University of Thrace.
The Forum concluded with remarks by the Moderator and Management Consultant of ACEO, Mr. John Anastasopoulos, who emphasized: “No one expects the Public Sector to be transformed overnight or to become systematically better in everything it does. It is a complex process that requires time. What is needed, however, is a clear vision, proper organization, defined roles, goal-setting, and accountability. […] And all of us, each from our own position, can change things for the better — as long as we do not come to terms with distortions and mistakes, and do not become absorbed by systemic shortcomings. Not because we are forced to, but because we choose to.”
The Forum was attended by senior executives from the Public Administration and the broader public sector, as well as executive members of ACEO, with the aim of strengthening cooperation and discussing feasible solutions.
