Minas Tanes

Minas Tanes was born in Athens in 1940. After completing his degree at the Athens University of Economics, he went on to graduate studies at Warwick University in the UK and IMD in Switzerland.

Minas Tanes started his professional career at the financial department of ESSO PAPPAS. He then took over the financial management of Athenian Brewery SA and at the age of 37 he became its Managing Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors. At the same time, he was an independent non-executive Member of the Board of Directors of Alpha Bank SA and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ericsson Hellas SA as well as a Member of the Board of Directors of SEV (the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises).

Today he is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Food Plus SA, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Lavipharm SA, Member of the Board of Elbisco AEBE, General Secretary of the Board of SEVT (the Federation of Hellenic Food Industries), Member of the Board and Executive Committee of IOBE (the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research), Honorary Member of the Board of ACCI (the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry).

He has been awarded Manager of the Year by EEDE, decorated by the Queen of the Netherlands with the title of “Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau” for his efforts as President of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic-Dutch Chamber to bring the two peoples closer, and he has received the honorary Sales Excellence Award from the Union of Sales Executives of Greece.

Minas Tanes shared with us his thoughts for Leadership

Change is the only constant, but now even change is changing. The meaning of change is to focus your energy not to fight the old, but to build the new. The above is not easy in application, especially in today’s world that is moving fast and is difficult to forecast the future. My belief is not to be afraid that something could go wrong and start being excited about what could go right.

Above all managers have to prove in practice that they are leaders.

Do not forget the difference between the leader and the boss:

• The boss demands, the leader examples.
• The boss uses the word “I”, the leader “we”.
• The boss accepts the bonus, the leader gives the bonus.
• The boss says “go ahead”, the leader “we go ahead”.
• The boss says “my way is the only way”, the leader says “we go ahead”.

Change is the only constant, but now even change is changing. The meaning of change is to focus your energy not to fight the old, but to build the new.

Minas Tanes, Chair of Judging Committee