Ulysses Kyriacopoulos (1959-2022), dynamic and multifaceted, had a diploma in mining engineering from Newcastle University and conducted postgraduate studies in Business Management at INSEAD in France. He had worked in New York and London in the banking sector before returning to Greece in 1979 to oversee the management of the family’s mining and commercial businesses alongside his mother Kitty Kyriacopoulou. In 1982 he became the CEO of Eliopoulos Brothers Limited – later named “MOTODYNAMICS S.A.”. A few years later, assuming the directorship of Bauxites Parnasse Mining Co. S.A. and the Silver & Baryte Ores Mining Co. S.A., he introduced what at the time were pioneering policies in contemporary professional management and corporate governance. Under his leadership, the two Greek companies founded by his ancestors in 1934, merged and became the large multinational S&B Industrial Minerals, which would then grow rapidly with the creation of subsidiaries and activities on 5 continents. Further, in 2000, he was elected President of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) and in 2002, Vice-President of UNICE, the Union of Industrial and Employers’ Confederations of Europe, now known as Business Europe.
Known for his skillful abilities in negotiating collective and other agreements, he was always distinguished by his moral fibre and decisiveness. He served as the Vice-President of the Hellenic Exchanges S.A. and was a member of the General Council of the Bank of Greece. He was also Vice-President of the Foundation for Economic & Industrial Research (IOBE). From 2006 to 2009 he was President of the Greek National Opera. He was among the founders of the ALBA Graduate Business School. Along with his mother, he financed the School’s first academic chair in Economics. In addition, he was a founding member of Junior Achievement Greece (SEN/JA), giving dynamic support to the Association’s educational programmes with the aim of helping young people create their own job placements through global programmes of experiential and collaborative learning.
With his developed sense of social responsibility and broad humanitarian and cultural work, primarily in the domains of health, environment, education and music, Ulysses Kyriacopoulos was elected many years ago as one of INSEΑD’s 50 graduates who changed the world. He was bestowed the Kouros Award for Corporate Social Responsibility by the President of the Hellenic Republic. He was also honoured by the President of the Portuguese Republic with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit and by the French Republic with the Legion of Honour.
Much beloved by friends, associates and employees, he stood out for his larger than life personality, his tireless energy and his hearty laugh.