Μake us preferred on Google About 30% of the senior executive searches handled by Stanton Chase Athens now come with a specific requirement: the shortlist must include Greeks working abroad. Many of them left Greece during the financial crisis or began their careers overseas. Today, as they consider coming home, they have the experience for top leadership roles.
Nikos Vasilikiotis, CEO of the executive search and leadership advisory firm, and General Manager Alexis Kontis discussed the trend at a press briefing.
Greek companies value these executives for their international experience and expertise, they said. Above all, they value a perspective shaped by leading growth rather than just managing crises, a skill Greek businesses need more and more. Demand is strongest in banking and the wider financial sector, including private equity funds, followed by industry and energy, shipping, and technology.
Moving back also makes more financial sense than it once did. An executive earning a gross annual salary of £300,000 in London pays roughly three times as much rent as in Athens, along with higher private school and childcare costs. In real terms, that salary may be worth only about €150,000–200,000 gross in Athens, and Greek companies are now willing to pay that much for executives at this level. Tax incentives also help. Under certain conditions, people who move their tax residence to Greece pay no income tax on 50% of their earnings for seven years.
Kontis said the firm shares a database with the global Stanton Chase network. This lets it find Greek professionals abroad and see which countries and organizations they work in.
Experience matters again
Demand is also rising for seasoned executives who once struggled to land leadership roles because of their age or years in the workforce. Vasilikiotis said experienced managers are scarce. This generation also learned to lead through repeated crises and upheaval, which gave them resilience, sound judgment, and adaptability.
Pay on the rebound
Greece needs an estimated 1,200–1,400 executives a year in roles paying over €80,000. During the crisis, gross executive pay stagnated for more than a decade, and higher taxes and levies cut take-home pay. Salaries began recovering five or six years ago and have risen faster recently, mostly through bonuses and profit-sharing. Much of the ground lost relative to 2000–2010 has been regained, with banks leading the rebound.
The strongest candidates combine a science or engineering degree with a graduate degree in economics or business, ideally from a top university abroad. They have also worked at both a multinational and a major Greek company.
Women in leadership
On average, men hold about two-thirds of senior positions and women about one-third. The share of women in top management has grown considerably in recent years. Legal requirements and quotas have helped, and so has a gradual shift in corporate attitudes. Women are still underrepresented in some technical roles and in some entire industries.
