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Greeks Say “Yes, But” to AI. Interest Coexists with Strong Social Reservations

Posted on November 2, 2026November 2, 2026 by focusbari_user

– Issue 2: Nationwide Survey by Focus Bari –

Following Issue 1, which documented the large-scale testing of AI and the recognition of its practical value, Focus Bari presents Issue 2 of its nationwide survey on the topic, “Social Impact & Attitudes Toward AI.”
For businesses and society, the findings highlight a significant challenge:
to harness the potential of AI by building trust through clear rules of use, human oversight, and practical support for employees and citizens.
More specifically:

Benefits and risks are evenly balanced.
More than half of Greeks (53%) believe that the social impact of AI will be equally positive and negative, compared to 47% in July 2025.

Curiosity remains strong.
53% of citizens want to experiment with AI tools. Equally widespread is the perception that AI improves daily life.

Human control is at the center of these concerns.
Concerns focus on uncontrolled social changes (64%), the restriction of creativity and judgment (63%), and risks to ethics and privacy (60%).

Three different attitudes toward the same technology.
Critical Realists (38%) make use of technology but call for limits and an institutional framework.
Open-Minded Optimists (35%) see opportunities and explore new AI applications.
Cautious Skeptics (27%) keep their distance, even though most have tried AI tools.

See the whole survey presentation here

ICAP CRIF WOMEN IN BUSINESS FORUM 2026

Posted on October 22, 2026October 26, 2026 by focusbari_user

Xenia Kourtoglou in a Fireside Chat on “Leadership in Times of Uncertainty”

For the 12th consecutive year, the Women in Business Forum brings forward the issues and challenges surrounding women’s representation in senior and top executive management, exploring them through fresh perspectives and constructive dialogue. Designed as an extended, five-hour interactive experience, the forum showcases leadership experiences, inspiring examples, and corporate case studies.

This year’s event took place on October 22, 2026, at the Athens Plaza Hotel, where Xenia Kourtoglou of Focus Bari participated in an engaging fireside chat on how effective leadership can thrive in an environment of uncertainty.

Drawing on her own leadership journey at Focus Bari, a company with 38 years of successful operation in the Greek market, Xenia shared authentic experiences of navigating successive crises and major business challenges. She explained how she managed to sustain her team’s inspiration, commitment, and enthusiasm, even under the most disruptive circumstances.

As an accomplished woman leader with a long track record and the head of a high-performing team, Xenia inspired the audience through her personal example, highlighting psychological resilience as a vital skill that can be cultivated through adversity, helping us grow and evolve both as individuals and as professionals.

AmCham Corporate Sustainability Conference

Posted on October 20, 2026October 27, 2026 by focusbari_user

Xenia Kourtoglou Discusses the Greek Consumer

The Corporate Sustainability Conference, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) at the Lighthouse of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, brought together business leaders and executives from across the market to discuss sustainability and ESG. The conference explored how businesses approach and adopt sustainable practices, the extent and ways in which these principles are implemented, how consumers perceive them, and the key directions for the future.

Representing the consumer perspective and drawing on her expertise in human and business resilience, Xenia Kourtoglou of Focus Bari participated in the panel “PEOPLE as Consumers — Trust, Behavior & Responsibility.” She offered a concise and insightful analysis of today’s consumers and their attitudes toward sustainability.

Findings from both Greek and international research indicate that, while consumers acknowledge the importance of sustainability and protecting the planet in principle, their purchasing decisions are still driven primarily by price and perceived quality. Another defining characteristic of our times is declining trust in organizations and institutions, which makes it even more challenging to foster consumer confidence and a shared sense of responsibility.

Addressing the question of how organizations can rebuild trust, Xenia Kourtoglou proposed starting with a thorough assessment of their current image and reputation, followed by a holistic approach to transformation — turning principles into authentic, tangible action. She emphasized the importance of establishing KPIs that reflect values put into practice, ensuring that these values are genuinely embedded in business decisions and actions rather than remaining mere statements of intent.

Xenia’s contribution once again made a strong impression on the audience, combining extensive research and evidence with her practical experience as a strategic advisor in leadership and resilience.

Artificial Intelligence passed the test. Now, it must earn our trust.

Posted on October 19, 2026October 26, 2026 by focusbari_user

– Issue 1: New Nationwide Survey by Focus Bari –

Artificial Intelligence is no longer the preserve of a select few.
The first issue of Focus Bari’s new nationwide survey, titled “Use, Value, and Concerns,” paints a picture of a Greece that is discovering the practical value of AI, without, however, ignoring its potential impact on the workplace.
More specifically:

From curiosity to widespread adoption:
90% say they have used at least one TN tool, compared to 50% in November 2024 and 60% in July 2025. This represents a 40-percentage-point increase in less than two years.

ChatGPT is leading the way:
79% have tried ChatGPT, and 53% have tried Gemini.
Among ChatGPT users, 65% use it at least once a week, while 87% use the free version.

Digital skills are becoming a key asset for career advancement:
76% of Greeks recognize that knowledge of and use of digital tools can improve their career prospects, up from 58% in July 2025.

Perceptions of the future of professions and personal employment vary:
62% of Greeks express concern about jobs being replaced by AI.
However, 54% believe that their own job is not at risk of being replaced, a percentage that has increased from 46% in 2025.

See the whole survey presentation here

EASE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT IN THESSALONIKI

Posted on October 6, 2026October 27, 2026 by focusbari_user

Xenia Kourtoglou Presents “FAILURE PARADOX”

On October 6, 2026, EASE held a special event titled “The Failure Paradox – Redefining Success Through Setbacks,” which took place in the auditorium of the Anatolia Educational Group. The central question was: “What happens when the path to success doesn’t go according to plan?” This time, the EASE Leadership Summit was held in Thessaloniki, bringing together top executives, board members, and business leaders from Northern Greece.

With the theme “The Failure Paradox – Redefining Success Through Setbacks,” the event explored how setbacks and difficult decisions can be transformed into opportunities for learning, resilience, and growth. Leading entrepreneurs and C-level executives spoke at the event about their experiences with “failure” and how they overcame them, while Xenia Kourtoglou of Focus Bari presented the results of a study designed and conducted as a sponsorship for the Hellenic Association of Entrepreneurs (EASE), which reflects current attitudes toward failure, the fears and stigma it still provokes, as well as ways to overcome them, as an expert in Mental Resilience.

View the full presentation of the research here

Greeks Facing Fear: Two out of three are holding up, but the pressure is taking its toll.

Posted on October 5, 2026October 26, 2026 by focusbari_user

New Nationwide Survey by Focus Bari on the Launch of the KYKLOS365 Experience

The first KYKLOS365 event, focused on the topic of fears, took place on September 24 at Atraktos with strong participation and an interactive format, bringing together distinguished business leaders, academics, and market experts.

Xenia Kourtoglou, founder of Focus Bari, Resilience Expert and founding member of KYKLOS365, presented the four personas from the nationwide survey and, drawing on her expertise in mental resilience, highlighted self-leadership as a key strategy for overcoming fears, identifying the different pillars that each persona needs to cultivate in order to move from fear to appropriate action.
More specifically, the survey findings revealed:

Resilience coexists with stress:
Although 68% feel they have the strength to persevere through difficulties, 60% of Greeks experience intense uncertainty about the future, while 52% often feel mentally exhausted at the end of the day. The fact that they keep going doesn’t mean they remain unscathed.

The fear of failure weighs heavily on young people:
66% of young people aged 18–24 fear failure, compared to 38% of the general public. Young people need space to experiment, express themselves, and learn, without the fear of making mistakes holding them back.

Corporate support remains a challenge:
Only 24% say that their company’s culture strengthens their mental resilience, while 42%–45% take a neutral stance on the various aspects of corporate support. Neutrality is not a positive experience. Organizations are called upon to offer meaningful support and encourage open communication about any difficulties, moving beyond a culture of silence.

Explore the full research findings and profiles of the 4 “personas” here.

ALPHA FORUM

Posted on October 2, 2026October 26, 2026 by focusbari_user

Xenia Kourtoglou Discusses the Future of Media

The ALPHA FORUM – 1st Athens Media & Communications Summit brings together leading figures from the worlds of media, business, technology, strategic communications, and academia to explore the forces reshaping information, influence, and trust.

As part of the event, Xenia Kourtoglou of Focus Bari participated in a panel discussion entitled “The Media–Brands–People Triangle: Who Shapes Communication Today?”

She explored how Greek citizens and consumers access information, connect with others, and entertain themselves today; how their relationship with the media has evolved over recent decades; and how technology and mobile internet have transformed the way people consume media and information. Drawing on her 30 years of experience in the media industry and her strategic perspective, Xenia highlighted key directions for media businesses and the evolving communication strategies that brands need to adopt to remain relevant and connected with their audiences.

Her contribution to the discussion was particularly well received by the audience, underlining the value of a broader perspective grounded in the systematic study of human behaviour and social change.

THE KYKLOS365 EXPERIENCE

Posted on September 24, 2026October 26, 2026 by focusbari_user

Xenia Kourtoglou Presents the Fears of Greeks

With participants from a wide range of industries and businesses, the launch of the KYKLOS365 Experience was held with tremendous success at Atraktos on September 24, 2026. KYKLOS365 is an initiative launched by Stathis Sachinis and a team of leading executives, including Xenia Kourtoglou of Focus Bari.

KYKLOS365 aims to foster continuous personal and professional growth through a year-long mentoring journey, launched with an inaugural conference. This year’s conference, held on September 24, 2026, explored the theme “Fearless.”

Together with her team at Focus Bari, Xenia Kourtoglou designed and conducted an extensive nationwide quantitative study investigating the fears experienced by Greeks. The research identified and profiled the “Four Fear Personas of Greeks,” which she presented at the conference.

Drawing on her expertise in psychological resilience, Xenia went on to analyze each persona and explain how the pillars of self-leadership can help people overcome their fears, empowering them to move forward in both their personal and professional lives with courage and confidence.

See the full presentation here

Climate Change: The Global Paradox of Proximity Citizens view it as a more serious issue for the planet than for the place where they live.

Posted on September 22, 2026October 26, 2026 by focusbari_user

– “Global Public Confidence” International Survey in 20 Countries
by the IRIS Network and Focus Bari for Greece –

Focus Bari, as the exclusive member of the international IriS network in Greece, presents the findings of the IriS “Global Public Confidence Study 2025,” which captures citizens’ attitudes toward climate change in 20 countries worldwide.
The findings show that personal action is widespread, despite a decline in concern, which remains at high levels. Nevertheless, citizens primarily expect governments to take the lead.

More specifically:

Concerns are easing, but action remains a priority: 75% are very or somewhat concerned about climate change, down from 80% in 2024. 80% report taking at least one action in the past year, with recycling leading the way (48%).

The gap between the global and local levels: 82% consider climate change a serious problem for the planet, 78% for their country, and 68% for their region.

Social engagement lags behind: Only 28% participate in social activities or initiatives related to climate change.
Although citizens are taking individual action, public and collective mobilization lacks the same momentum, creating an opportunity for brands and organizations to step in.

Clean/renewable energy remains important: 93% consider it an important or top priority, but only 41% consider it a top priority, compared to 50% in 2023. Governments are most frequently cited as having the primary responsibility for addressing climate change (37%).

Five profiles, different ways of participating and taking responsibility:

The “Pioneers” (11%) are concerned, take action, and assume personal responsibility.

The “Followers” (54%) are concerned and take action, looking primarily to institutions to take the lead.

The “Consistent” (15%) act out of values and habit without intense concern.

The “Confused” (10%) are concerned but do not take action, while the “Detached” (10%) are neither concerned nor do they take action.

In Greece, the “Followers” account for 58%.

See the whole survey presentation here

ANTONIO MEUCCI INTERNATIONAL TELCO AWARDS CEREMONY

Posted on September 16, 2026October 26, 2026 by focusbari_user

Xenia Kourtoglou Serves on the Judging Panel

The fourth edition of the AMA — Antonio Meucci Telco Awards — was held in Madrid, bringing together leading telecommunications executives from around the world for a highly successful awards ceremony. The awards are conceived and organized by Morethan160.

The ceremony recognized outstanding initiatives and achievements across the various specialties and sectors of the telecommunications industry. Xenia Kourtoglou of Focus Bari presented the “Avant Garde Marketing” award to the winning team.

The awards continue to grow in success and international recognition, celebrating leading professionals in the global telecommunications industry while reinforcing a fundamental principle: the human factor comes before technology.