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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Xenia Kourtoglou Presents the Members Research Findings

The first Members Day of the Propeller Club Port of Piraeus was held on September 14, 2026, at the “Pharos” Lighthouse of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, attracting a large turnout of Club members. The event marked a new chapter for the Club under its newly elected Board of Governors, led by its newly elected President, Danae Bezantakou.

As part of the event, Xenia Kourtoglou of Focus Bari presented the findings of an extensive quantitative and qualitative research study she designed and conducted to assess the Club’s current image and standing within the shipping industry and among public institutions, as well as to explore members’ views and relationship with the Club.

All members had the opportunity to participate in the research and share their valuable insights. Their feedback will serve as a key guide for the new leadership’s strategic planning of initiatives and activities, with the aim of further developing and strengthening the Propeller Club in Greece and internationally.

View the full research presentation here

Xenia Kourtoglou Keynote Speaker at Applause Summit 2026

This year’s Applause Summit took place on May 8th and 9th at the Pierce College Theater in Agia Paraskevi, attracting an impressive audience of young people, university students, and numerous business executives. The event featured distinguished speakers from Greece and abroad, offering a holistic approach to the important fields of communication and public speaking. As part of the summit, Focus Bari designed and conducted an exclusive nationwide survey exploring the communication culture of Greeks, as well as their attitudes toward public speaking and self-expression.

During her keynote presentation, Xenia Kourtoglou revealed and analyzed the survey’s remarkable findings, highlighting the critical importance of communication skills in today’s world. Her presentation also shed light on the current reality of communication in Greece, including vocabulary use, non-verbal behavior, and the key needs and pathways for improvement. The audience responded enthusiastically, sharing exceptionally positive feedback for both the speaker and Focus Bari.

See the full presentation here.

Focus Bari Maps the Destination Wedding Market in Greece

With outstanding success and the participation of destination wedding professionals from around the world who specialize in weddings in Greece, the Destination Wedding Forum 2026 was held at Aigli Zappeiou.

For the occasion, Focus Bari designed and conducted an exclusive research study that, for the first time, captured the size and structure of Greece’s destination wedding market.  Xenia Kourtoglou, Founder of the company, presented the findings of this important research project, revealing both the scale and significance of the market for Greece, as well as the key conditions and opportunities for its further growth and development.

The insights presented strongly resonated with attendees and institutional leaders, offering valuable inspiration for strategic thinking and action, with the shared goal of establishing Greece as an even stronger global destination for couples seeking to transform their wedding into a truly unforgettable experience.

See the full presentation here

Xenia Kourtoglou Keynote Speaker at Pet Congress 2026

Pet Congress 2026 was successfully hosted at OTE Academy, bringing together professionals from across the entire companion animal and pet care industry. Xenia Kourtoglou, founder of Focus Bari delivered a compelling keynote presentation on “Resilience in Entrepreneurship,” sharing valuable insights into the evolving pet market while exploring the unique relationship between Greeks and their companion animals.

Her speech also emphasized the strategic importance of customer experience as one of the most powerful and enduring USPs for organizations operating in times of uncertainty and intense competition. The audience highly appreciated the presentation, which concluded with practical and actionable tips on how businesses can build, nurture, and further develop a customer-centric culture that truly places the customer at the heart of the organization.

See the full presentation here.