George Bakos - Partner & CCO

Q: Where is George based?

George is based in Athens, Greece .

Q: What languages does George speak?

George speaks the following languages: Greek (Native), English (Advanced), German (Elementary) .

Q: How many years of experience does George have?

George has at least 36 years of experience. During this time, George has worked in at least 8 different roles and for 8 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 5 years and 6 months . Note that George may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is George's latest experience?

George's most recent position is Partner & CCO at Verallis .

Q: What companies has George worked for in recent years?

In recent years, George has worked for Verallis , Strategize , Premia Properties REIC , and Zeritis Group .

Q: Which industries is George most experienced in?

George is most experienced in industries like Automotive , Professional Services , and Retail . George also has some experience in Real Estate and Manufacturing .

Q: Which business areas is George most experienced in?

George is most experienced in business areas like Sales , Strategy , and Operations . George also has some experience in Marketing , Human Resources , and Project Management .

Q: Which industries has George worked in recently?

George has recently worked in industries like Professional Services , Real Estate , and Manufacturing .

Q: Which business areas has George worked in recently?

George has recently worked in business areas like Finance , Operations , and Strategy .

Recommended expert

Athens, Greece

Experience

Jan 2024 - Present

2 years 3 months

Partner & CCO

Verallis

Led commercial strategy and international expansion in Greece and Romania.
Designed and implemented cost optimization and ESG transformation programs for listed and multinational clients.
Built pipeline of >€2M in 12 months through consultative B2B sales.

Jan 2021 - Present

5 years 3 months

Managing Partner

Strategize

Advisory boutique focusing on strategic transformation, governance, and succession in family businesses.
Advised CEOs and boards on operating models, KPI frameworks, and turnaround strategies.
Built Legacy360° platform – a family governance tool adopted by leading chambers and clients.

Jan 2021 - Dec 2024

4 years

COO & Head of Asset Management

Premia Properties REIC

Managed operations, property management, HR, ESG, and digital transformation for a €500M real estate portfolio.
Structured €100M bond issuance and led strategic repositioning of core assets.

Jan 2018 - Dec 2021

4 years

President & Group’s General Manager

Zeritis Group

Managed three paper manufacturing and one paper recycling operations in Egypt, Bulgaria, and Hungary.
Executed turnaround across three countries, including debt restructuring of €80M and M&A exit strategy.
Streamlined operations, optimized logistics, and delivered an EBITDA improvement of €40M.

Jan 2010 - Dec 2018

9 years

Director, Management Consulting

KPMG

Reported to the Deputy Senior Partner.
Headed Training and People Development Services.
Led Family Business Services in management consulting to family businesses.
Headed business events.
Member of the M&A and transformation team.
Designed, implemented, and delivered over 200 projects.

Jan 1998 - Dec 2007

10 years

General Manager – Multiple Business Units

Sfakianakis Group

Built and operated a 45-site retail and service network across Greece, Bulgaria, and Cyprus, including flagship facilities in Sofia and Nicosia, achieving €280M annual turnover.
Launched Chevrolet, Hummer, Corvette, and Cadillac brands in Greece, achieving a market share from 0 to 4% within three years.
Launched Executive Lease and Enterprise Rent a Car operations and network, obtaining a leading market position within three years.

Jan 1992 - Dec 1998

7 years

General Manager – Fleet & Rental

Toyota Hellas – Inchcape PLC

Grew corporate fleet and rental sales to the number one market position.
Introduced the Toyota Certified Used programme.

Jan 1988 - Dec 1992

5 years

General Manager Commercial Activities & Network Expansion

Enterprise Rent a Car

Industry Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.

Experienced in Automotive, Professional Services, Retail, Real Estate, and Manufacturing.

Automotive

Professional Services

Retail

Real Estate

Manufacturing

Business Area Experience

See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.

Experienced in Sales, Strategy, Operations, Marketing, Human Resources, and Project Management.

Sales

Strategy

Operations

Marketing

Human Resources

Project Management

Summary

Senior advisor and interim executive with over 30 years of leadership in strategy, operational turnaround, and business transformation.

Proven track record in Big4 advisory, listed companies, and family business ecosystems.

Expertise in P&L leadership, market expansion, M&A integrations, ESG, and executing strategic turnarounds.

Adept at scaling businesses in new markets, leading cross-functional teams, executing complex transformations and forging high-level stakeholder partnerships while maintaining high-level client relationships.

Skills

Interim Executive Leadership (Ceo, Coo, Gm)
Strategic Transformation & Turnaround
Esg & Sustainability Strategy
M&a, Carve-outs & Post-merger Integration
Cost Optimization & Procurement Efficiency
Family Business Governance & Succession
Board & Advisory Roles (Reics, Industrials, Automotive)
Consultative Advisory Sales & Business Development
Cross-border Market Expansion & Scaling
Turnaround & Cost Optimization
Team Coaching & Cultural Alignment
Advanced User Ms Office
Crm
Wordpress
Social Media
Chatgpt
Vibe Coding Using Python
Github
Streamlit

Languages

Greek

Native

English

Advanced

German

Elementary

Education

Canterbury University

MBA · Marketing Management · United Kingdom

Deree College – The American College of Greece

BA · Business Administration · Athens, Greece

Hult Ashridge Business School

International Management Diploma · United Kingdom

Certifications & licenses

Certified Family Business Advisor

ESG Practitioner – CSE

Extended DISC Facilitator

Sandler Sales Coach

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 8

Experience in Automotive 20 y

Avg length 5 y 9 m

Longest experience 9 y 11 m

Expertise

Recent roles Partner & CCO, Managing Partner, COO & Head of Asset Management

Main industries Automotive, Professional Services, Retail

Main business areas Sales, Strategy, Operations

Qualifications

Highest degree Master

Certifications earned 4

Profile

Created

January 2026

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

Where is George based?

George is based in Athens, Greece.

What languages does George speak?

George speaks the following languages: Greek (Native), English (Advanced), German (Elementary).

How many years of experience does George have?

George has at least 36 years of experience. During this time, George has worked in at least 8 different roles and for 8 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 5 years and 6 months. Note that George may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would George be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, George would be well-suited for roles such as: Partner & CCO, Managing Partner, COO & Head of Asset Management.

What is George's latest experience?

George's most recent position is Partner & CCO at Verallis.

What companies has George worked for in recent years?

In recent years, George has worked for Verallis, Strategize, Premia Properties REIC, and Zeritis Group.

Which industries is George most experienced in?

George is most experienced in industries like Automotive, Professional Services, and Retail. George also has some experience in Real Estate and Manufacturing.

Which business areas is George most experienced in?

George is most experienced in business areas like Sales, Strategy, and Operations. George also has some experience in Marketing, Human Resources, and Project Management.

Which industries has George worked in recently?

George has recently worked in industries like Professional Services, Real Estate, and Manufacturing.

Which business areas has George worked in recently?

George has recently worked in business areas like Finance, Operations, and Strategy.

What is George's education?

George holds a Master in Marketing Management from Canterbury University and a Bachelor in Business Administration from Deree College – The American College of Greece.

Does George have any certificates?

George has 4 certificates. Among them, these include: Certified Family Business Advisor, ESG Practitioner – CSE, and Extended DISC Facilitator.

What is the availability of George?

George is immediately available for suitable projects.

What is the rate of George?

George's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.