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 Yiannis Koutrakis
General MBA, ALBA Graduate Business School
University previously attended University of Piraeus, Greece
Degree obtained Bachelor's degree in statistics and insurance sciences
Country of origin Greece
Age 37 years
After starting out as a computer programmer,Yiannis Koutrakis changed career direction into human resources. Having worked for DHL, Coca-Cola and Adecco, he is now the Human Resources Manager at Microsoft Hellas.
"It was an experience that I will not forget."
Why ALBA?
There are some moments in our lives that mark our future and differentiate the path that we will follow in certain areas. One of these moments for me was back in 1994 when a friend of mine talked to me about ALBA. We were drinking our coffee, discussing several topics around business and our future professional steps, when he turned to me and told me that the Federation of Greek Industries, in co-operation with some gifted people, had established ALBA as the first private educational organisation in Greece to offer an MBA degree. The rest is history. I searched all possible sources to find out more about ALBA and, in February 1995, I decided to apply for the full-time MBA programme, which I finally started in the same year. Prior to my attendance on the ALBA MBA, I was trying to decide the next steps of my professional career. I already had three years of experience in the area of computer programming and analysis. My bachelor's degree in statistics and insurance sciences from the University of Piraeus was a good "weapon" for my entry in the Greek labour market, but, for sure, it was not enough for a career in the area of businesses, or at least this was what I was thinking at that time and now I know that I was right. My experience in the area of computer programming was not as satisfactory as I was expecting since I was missing interaction with people. Talking and dealing with people was very important for me, and the fact that, as a computer programmer, I couldn't have this type of interaction was an important factor in making me decide to have a shift in my career.
Making a difference
Here is where my MBA degree at ALBA made the difference. It gave me the opportunity to explore the area of human resources and, as a result, I decided to search for a job in this area right after my MBA degree. It was during the ALBA career forum that I had the chance to discuss with a lot of employers the possibility of working for their human resources department. It was finally DHL international that made me a very attractive proposal and this is how I started my career in the area of human resources. During my MBA degree, I changed a lot of my perceptions. It was an experience that I will not forget. And this was not only on the educational level. During my one year of studies at ALBA, I learned about co-operation and teamwork, the way I should work in a multinational company, how important planning and execution is, and, most importantly, I understood the contribution of people in creating great companies. This was the main reason for me in deciding to follow a career in human resources.
After my MBA
My career in the area of human resources is fascinating. Working for companies like DHL, Coca-Cola, Adecco and Microsoft gave me the opportunity to work with very important and remarkable people using the latest human resources systems and programmes. Reflecting back to my ALBA studies, I can now better understand the value of the discussions we had with our professors on people motivation, business ethics, organisational behaviour and change management. ALBA continues to play an important role in my everyday life. As part of the ALBA Alumni Association Board, I am very close to the school, my ALBA colleagues and the students. This is something that gives me the opportunity to keep alive all these dreams and efforts for a better future in the Greek business community. Because, at the end, this is what ALBA represents. It is the effort that comes as a result of a collective vision. It is a vision of better business environments, better community programmes and better people. I will continue to work inspired by this vision.
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