In the presence of ministers, senior banking executives, business representatives, and investors, an introductory event was held today in a friendly atmosphere, following the initiative of the Chairman of the Athens Exchange Group, Mr. George Handjinicolaou, to welcome the new CEO of the Athens Exchange Group, Mr. Yianos Kontopoulos, while also bidding farewell to the outgoing CEO, Mr. Sokratis Lazaridis.

The Chairman of the Athens Exchange Group, Mr. Handjinicolaou, pointed out that the leadership change comes at a pivotal moment for both the Athens Stock Exchange and the Greek economy. "After a prolonged crisis, the country is entering a period of growth, which is more necessary now than ever to regain the wealth lost over the past decade. Our ambition is for the Athens Stock Exchange to become an even more significant source of financing for growth, especially for the business sector," he stated. He emphasized that: "our goal is to make the Athens Stock Exchange a key source of capital for Greek businesses, an attractive environment for investors to allocate part of their savings, and a reliable means for foreign investors to invest in our country."

The new CEO of the Athens Exchange Group, Mr. Yianos Kontopoulos, shared his initial thoughts on the next chapter for the Athens Exchange Group, highlighting that the upcoming initiatives should revolve around three critical pillars:

1. Ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the Athens Stock Exchange, as the ASE is a strategic pillar essential for the optimal functioning of both the market and the economy, with the key objective being to maintain its stability and reliability.

2. Investing in technology, aiming to develop services and products that, by providing added value to the Athens Exchange Group’s clients, will meet their needs and expectations.

3. Expanding business activity by attracting new companies and new investors – the third and perhaps most important goal, as outlined by the new CEO. Mr. Kontopoulos stated emphatically: "We must find a way to make the capital market environment more attractive, creating a continuous flow of new listings and capital inflows while overcoming the vicious cycle of low liquidity and the lack of IPOs. For this critical change, we need catalysts and unwavering focus on the goal, flexibility, and creativity, along with the joint effort of all capital market and economic participants."

In this context, he also referred to the importance of supporting Greek small and medium-sized enterprises through the transformation of the Alternative Market (ENA). Concluding, Mr. Kontopoulos stressed that: "Now is the right time to take urgent action. That is why I am here. I firmly believe in the prospects of the Greek Stock Exchange, the Greek capital market, and the broader Greek economy."