Ideagen Radio
Ideagen Radio
2025 Global Impact Summit: Alexandros Costopoulos and Peggy Pelonis
What does it take to stay credible when outrage travels faster than facts? We sit down with Alexandros Kostopoulos—Secretary General of the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce and founder of Foresight—to unpack how leaders navigate toxic narratives, collapsing silos, and a digital sphere where deepfakes and polarization test every message. The conversation moves from first principles to practice: why truth beats spin, how to build teams that can handle ambiguity, and where consistency matters more than viral applause.
We trace the evolution of communication strategy as diplomacy, business, and technology converge, forcing executives to understand geopolitics and diplomats to master market dynamics. Alexandros opens the aperture on US–Greece collaboration, highlighting opportunities that stretch well beyond New York and D.C.—from advanced manufacturing in the heartland to joint research, tourism innovation, and agri-food excellence. The throughline is narrative: the stories we tell shape who finds us, who partners with us, and where investment flows.
Drawing on Repower Greece, Alexandros shows how two people and a clear thesis reframed global perceptions during the financial crisis, activating universities, think tanks, and allies across continents. We revisit the lasting economic impact of the Marshall Plan and the often-overlooked chapter of American philhellenism, grounding today’s cooperation in shared history. As AI accelerates and social media distorts, we dig into essential skills—empathy, active listening, critical thinking—and make the case for “smart power” as a blend of credibility, coalition-building, and follow-through. If you care about leadership that endures, partnerships that compound, and truth that travels, this conversation delivers a practical, hopeful roadmap.
If this resonated, follow the show, share with a friend who leads teams across borders, and leave a quick review to help others find it. What’s one essential skill you’re doubling down on this year?
Good evening, good morning, good afternoon, wherever you are in the world, everyone. I'm Peggy Ballones, and this is Ideogen Athens, and we have today with us Alexandros Kostopoulos for our Ideogen Impact Summit. Um Alexandros is Secretary General for the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce in Athens and founder and CEO of Foresight, which is a strategy and communications public relations firm. So welcome, Alexandros.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you. Thank you for having me. Hello.
SPEAKER_01:Good to see you. So let me start right off by asking you you've spent your career helping leaders and institutions navigate high-stakes communication challenges. In today's era of misinformation and polarization, what does it truly mean to build and maintain credibility?
SPEAKER_00:It's a constant, uh excellent question. Uh it's a it's a constant marathon uh that uh dictates to run like a spread, watching continuously your sex or or your back, uh for whatever challenges, crises will get from behind, from everywhere. It's a very difficult period. Uh for uh I would say it's a very difficult era for credibility, for truth, for uh the basic principles that uh for many many years we were taking for granted, and perhaps we we didn't uh safeguard them as we should have been. Um I think everyone has to sort of find their own truth. They have to be consistent with the the things that they want to pursue and the resources that they have and the capacity that they can unleash from within. Um uh you know, uh we always listen, uh, especially in these days, that is a sort of a serious sum game for uh for credibility. It's not actually, it has something, it has to be built, and you obviously you need to maneuver and to balance different uh interests and power centers and uh uh relations, but I think at the end, the people that choose to invest in creating a credible uh measures and to be credible in essence, um at the end are the ones that uh they they reach their objectives. I think more and more we feel that, and we see every day that people in every level across the board, regardless if we are talking about our employees, our uh clients, our partners, even our competitors, um are feeling more and more uh that uh that uh weaponization of uh false messages and of toxic narrative, it's something that uh at the end it backfires for everyone. So I'm actually hopeful that gradually people are returning to the fundamentals, and uh it is that at that level that the credible messages, the credible people, the credible businesses can um can sort of have a better future than what we are fighting for today.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you know, it's it's challenging for someone like you with your experience and your background and so on and so forth. I can imagine, we can imagine how challenging it is for the younger generations, but I I agree with you that uh people are just tired of that toxicity and and uh you know uh information that is in many ways useless. So hopefully we will be looking for more authentic ways to put out uh the information. But in the meantime, I want to make it a little more specific and see how has the role of communication strategy evolved in diplomacy and global affairs over the last decades and what core principles still remain essential.
SPEAKER_00:I think um when I started my career 26, 27 years ago in Washington, everything was sort of compartmentalized uh with uh you know solid lines separating uh the business uh uh spectrum from the political spectrum, from the diplomatic spectrum, uh, even from the military spectrum. Um different worlds. Uh in many cases that they weren't uh um messing with each other. Um I think uh for a number of reasons and for a number of uh um issues that we had to tackle with over the last uh 20 years, these lines became thinner and thinner, and now we see that politics and business and diplomacy and um geostrategic relations or geoeconomic relations are actually interrelated with each other. Um I remember I had many conversations with uh uh CEOs from amazing companies that um they have now to face a new reality, um, having to deal with issues that for many many years they were only watching them on the news or reading them on books. Now they have to be experts on foreign affairs, they have to be experts in international relations, they have to be experts on uh communications and uh the new environment, the new landscape of uh digital media and social media. So it's everything has become so difficult and like a constant labyrinth that we have to navigate uh through. Um, however, I do believe that one way or the other, um if you uh if you are true to yourself, uh if what you're doing is uh based on uh clear values and clear objectives, and if you can communicate it with your team and bring them together in your endeavor, whether you are uh the chief of the US Army or whether you are the CEO of a huge corporation, or whether you are um you know um the owner of a small family business with five or ten people, which is actually the majority of the companies that we have in Greece. Um if you can if you if you can communicate your message, your vision, your concerns, your your problems, if you can, if you can build a solid team uh based on uh human values and on truth, I think one way or the other uh we we find a way to to navigate our challenges and move forward.
SPEAKER_01:You know, as a Greek American, I'm always interested in uh US and Greek relations, and I know that you're someone who's deeply involved in US-Greeze relations. Where do you see the most um strategic opportunities or bilateral collaborations today in both the public and the private sector?
SPEAKER_00:I think it's everywhere. I I know that it sounds too positive or too cheesy, but it's actually everywhere because the depth of the opportunities that the US has for a small country like Greece, who is uh um uh it includes within its uh its essence uh an amazing human capital, resourceful, uh uh capable to overcome amazing challenges, and uh with an amazing level of creativity and innovation in whatever they do, from uh we see innovation flourish from our research uh centers and universities to major corporations to a small bakery in an island that they found an amazing new way to do amazing new stuff. So uh I think for for people like us, doers, fighters, amazingly resourceful, uh, when we decide to pursue our endeavors, uh, the US uh has a tremendous capacity of opportunities. What is important is to see the US in its in its full length, uh to appreciate uh the opportunities that exist from Montana to Louisiana, from California to uh Vermont to whatever. Um it's not only New York, it's not only uh the DC, it's not only those uh uh big cities on the uh east side that uh they have a vibrant Greek American community, and so we feel closer and more um uh it seems to us easier to approach them. Opportunities exist everywhere. We have seen that uh in industrial uh goods, we we've seen that in innovation technology, we've seen that in tourism, which is a huge industry for us. Uh we've seen that uh to uh the uh amazing products uh that uh that our land produce here in Greece. And equally, we find now at a number of Greek companies, not so small, that they are starting to explore the United States as an investment destination. So you see more and more Greek companies investing um in building either small production or facilities or opening offices or even uh uh participating jointly with uh uh universities and research centers in in the states for their innovation projects and for uh for research. So it's a new landscape, and in my opinion, it's something that uh uh we should uh we should capitalize with all our resources. The US for us has a strategic interest. Uh if we as a as Greece, um given our amazing geography, uh have a strategic importance for geostrategic importance for the United States. Um I wholeheartedly believe that for us, the US has a geo-economic interest. Uh, we should explore it, we should seize those opportunities, we should find ways to work with our diaspora, uh, with our Greek American community, which is everywhere, uh, but also with the amazing number of fillings and people that appreciate uh what we can offer.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and really capitalize on the love that the Greek Americans have for this country as well. Um, it does sound very optimistic, and it's really good to know because it sounds like the sky's the limit when the you when you're open to these possibilities or we're open to these possibilities. But you've done a lot of work with uh Repower Greece, and um you've addressed uh international misconceptions during Greece's economic crisis. What lessons did that initiative teach you about the power of narrative in shaping a country's global reputation?
SPEAKER_00:The biggest lesson was this, and uh thing it's something that I'm trying to pass every day to my to my daughters, is that uh regardless of how uh unbelievably huge the task is uh in front of us, or the obstacle, uh, or uh regardless of how uh uh you might get hit for one way or the other, uh if you decided to stand up to do something, not waiting to uh uh gather a huge team or everyone around you, even uh a few friends, a few people that share uh your vision, your drive, your beliefs, your values, uh are enough to create change. Uh Repower Greece has been an amazing uh journey when we did it. Uh it started uh with uh uh uh my associate back then, uh uh Iris Yenimata. We were only two people, and uh we end up uh in the um that uh cafeteria that uh it's on the basement of the US State Department, and we started discussing with friends from uh the State Department. Um and suddenly uh there were more people joining us, and uh the the whole report of Cree's project has been developed in uh napkins and uh uh discussions like that. And uh we ended up with something that uh uh gradually the the biggest tanks in the states, the biggest universities, but also universities and organizations from everywhere around the world, from Japan to Brazil, have joined, decided to organize events to discuss not how Greece could overcome the challenges that we were facing back in 2010 with the socioeconomic crisis that we had to face, but most importantly, discussing about the true competitive advantages of Greece, about the the solutions that we here in Greece sometimes we overlook. So uh we we end up with an amazing community of people that back then, uh on our darkest hours, they were actually believing more in Greece rather than what we have been believing. Uh, and it was an amazing inspiration, it was an amazing project. Uh, it taught me uh to everyone that it was participating in uh amazing things. Uh, most importantly, that we have so many friends that we don't realize it, and we have to pay attention to our friends, we have to cultivate these friendships, not letting them fade away. The same thing exists with the Greek diaspora, with the Greek Americans or the Greek something everywhere. Um, it's uh we we as Greeks have uh quite a few flaws, but the fact that uh we have so many friends throughout the globe, I think it's a competitive advantage that from any perspective, any point of view, we have to um empower it and uh and make sure that it will never uh go away.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, sustain it somehow. Um, you've also authored two books, The Marshall Plan. Uh one was on the Marshall Plan and American Philinism. What inspired you to focus on those historic themes and how do they continue to shape the US Greek dialogue today?
SPEAKER_00:Well, um it all started with uh a discussion with an amazing friend and an amazing friend of our country, former ambassador in Greece, Charlie Reese. Um and in that discussion uh we we both end up to the same uh uh conclusion that there are key parts of um the the history of Greece uh where the United States have uh played a critical role. Um and uh no one actually knows about it. One uh has to do with the uh the the Marshall Plan. And uh if you if you take away the um political aspect of it, uh keeping in mind that unfortunately, in contrast to all the other countries in Europe, that the Marshall Plan has been used in a way to um reinvent their economies and their industrial uh power after the after World War II. In in Greece we had to face uh uh uh political stability, political issues, the civil war, uh tackling uh the uh the problem of communism back then, uh trying to keep Greece on the Western front rather than to be absorbed in the Eastern uh front uh back in the Cold War years. Um so if you take that out of the discussion and take account of the economic impact of the Marshall Plan, you will realize, anyone can realize, that uh we live today on key pillars that they have been placed back then. Our economy has grown. Um uh even my business in a way, uh the cornerstones are cornerstones that have been placed with the Marshall Plan. It did an amazing, an amazing job in revamping our economy, in repairing our people, in giving immediate solutions, but also strategic solutions, in rebuilding our public governance back then. Um, and it's funny because the issues that the Marshall Plan or the people that they have been working with, the Marshall Plan back then didn't manage to tackle are people are issues that we still had to fight with. And actually, many of them have we were able to overcome them uh during the the fiscal consolidation program of 2010 and beyond during the economic crisis. So um it started uh with a pleasant discussion with uh our former ambassador, your former ambassador here in Greece, but it ended up with a very, very inspiring and uh uh amazing journey back into history with uh with messages that I think uh everyone uh everyone should know. And then we would definitely be able to appreciate better the depth of the US Gree relations. The same thing occurs also with the American filialism during the uh years of the Greek Revolution and the Independence War. Uh again, um in our history books, uh the the the the Phililinic movement from uh Russia, from uh United Kingdom, Britain, from France, it's something that we we actually learned in schools. Uh it's something very everyone is familiar with. Uh, on the contrary, not so many people know about the amazing support that we had from uh the United States, which was important, it was critical, and it played a very important role in our independence. Uh, I think this is something that we have to remember. Throughout history, the United States has always played a critical role on our dark on our darkest hours. And somehow, um maybe perhaps because uh then other things from the United States you know capture the the public sphere, and uh um uh we we might uh think that other things that uh Disappoint us, perhaps, from the United States foreign policy in some parts of history are more important. We tend to forget those those periods in our history where the United States stood right next to us and helped us overcome unbelievable challenges and unbelievable crises. So I think there is there has to be a better knowledge of every aspect of our joint history, which is amazing. And I think once someone grasps that knowledge, then they can truly appreciate what the US relations are.
SPEAKER_01:And you're certainly doing a lot to make sure that we don't forget, which is wonderful. In your writing, many times in your speeches, you often emphasize smart power. Now, how can today's leaders apply this concept in addressing global challenges such as conflict, inequality, or even climate change?
SPEAKER_00:I think this is an excellent question. We need a couple of podcasts just to agree on who actually is a leader today. So I think the first thing that it is very important before we discuss about smart power is uh really to sort of um revisit the idea of whether I am a true leader and what actually that what actually that means. Uh if the outcome of that uh questioning and of that quest is is positive, then I think the most important thing that leaders have to have to focus on is uh I'm sorry that I'm repeating myself, it's truth. It's to to to find a way not to be fear of truth. You find a way not to fear to admit that they don't know everything, uh to trust their people, their team. Um if they see something that it's better in their competitors, try to learn from it instead of trying to look the other way or try to break it down. Um one way or the other, the challenges that you mentioned, whether it's the climate crisis, whether are the huge uh societal issues that uh one way or the other, regardless of where we are, or regardless of how protected we feel we are, affects us all and impacts on the life of everyone. Uh, those challenges are so huge that one way or the other, we are in these all together. We have to find collective solutions. We have to we have to synthesize from the beginning practical uh answers to those uh to those challenges. Um it's not an issue nowadays, in my opinion, of a company or of an organization, of a leader to just uh you know um say an amazing amazing stuff in his speech, in a TEDx or in a conference, that they will inspire people and they were you know get headlines. Um but next day it will be just a nice memory and just a nice uh footage in their social media posts. I think uh we have to realize that we have to be consistent on our effort. We have to work every day, find a way to engage your people, find a way to engage your family, find a way to keep engaging yourself, your own self. I mean, I'm I'm running with a zillion things every day. My concern is to find a couple of moments to spend with my daughters on a very selfish way, actually, just because they empower me to move forward. Um so in my mind, I have uh an excuse of not being able to pay attention to those issues that we have to consider and we have to find a way to work together. But this is actually wrong. This is actually a mistake because we have to find the time to deal with these huge issues. We have to find the time to see what we can do on our tiny little level on climate crisis, on uh tackling uh uh extreme poverty or the fact that many people around us lack opportunities, uh, to tackle issues on uh on the lack of respect or trust on basic institutions. Um, there are so many issues that someone can you know look at and decide, okay, I will try to do something with that. You don't have to fix everything, you don't have to deal with everything. You have you don't have actually to to find the actual solutions to but but we have to try, we we should try. I think it's very important not to rely on our successes, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And as you say, stay authentic and uh you know not pretentious or uh or you know go with the flow, but have the courage to stay with the truth.
SPEAKER_00:Peggy, I think we're spending too much time every day uh disagreeing with each other, fighting with each other. Uh and we might have good reasons to disagree or to fight with each other, but um uh the the day has only 24 hours. It will always have only 24 hours. If we spend most of the day uh tackling challenges, confronting people, uh I think that will lead us nowhere. We we we start every day from the same point. We have to find a way to find common ground on some issues and jointly uh move forward.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, there's no time for problem solving or creativity or growth if when we're always arguing. Um, in a in a world increasingly defined, you know, let's talk about something really uh at the forefront right now. In a world defined by digital communication and AI, how do you see the role of soft skills, which I don't think are soft skills at all? I think, in fact, these are essential skills like empathy, active listening, uh diplomacy, you know, how do you see how do you see these evolving in leadership?
SPEAKER_00:I think it has but it has become it has uh uh the all the all the magic words that you mentioned are now our only weapons to face this new landscape where uh social media, uh deep fake uh news and uh the toxic uh narratives, ultra-toxic narratives prevail. Uh I think uh if we find a way to rediscover the power of uh critical thinking, of critical listening, of critically speaking, uh it will be a huge step. Uh uh we are dealing uh uh in a world where the the basic fundamental principles that uh we grew up with and we tried to pass to our to our children uh are constantly under attack, directly or indirectly, uh whether we admit it or not. Uh we we have to we have to safeguard them. There is nothing, in my opinion, there is nothing without them, there is nothing without respect, there is nothing without decency, there is nothing without justice, there is nothing without common sense. So uh I think we we have to find a way to keep our uh uh soft skills, uh which I really think we should find a way to make a campaign about changing that uh title to essential skills or to critical skills nowadays, um but really have to find a way to keep them alive, sustain them, uh empower them, and make good use every day of them because uh to me it's it's the only way we can uh we can sustain that um unbelievable new new reality.
SPEAKER_01:And sustain our humanity in many ways, right? That's what makes us human, so to speak. Um, you you have advised a lot of individuals across politics, business, academia, what are the common traits that you've observed among the most effective global change makers that um that you've worked with?
SPEAKER_00:I think uh I I would separate them in in two categories, uh, although it's not very polite for them. They are those people that, in my opinion, and with your respect to the fact that they have been our good clients, um they could actually do something else in their life. Maybe they are not that great politicians, that great business leaders, that great whatever, educators, uh strategists, name it. Uh, we are we we can find everywhere from every category uh in this uh in this pile. Um, and then there are the other people that uh um you know that they they actually care more about um leaving something good behind. They try to find solutions, they fight uh with uh huge challenges, uh they try to navigate uh in troubling and uncharted waters, uh, and they need help. And um I think we should find a way to help them. Um uh I have met with politicians that uh I wish I could uh go and work for them, uh pro bono, just to uh contribute with my part of the equation, with my insight, with my expertise, my experiences. I have met with business leaders that they had an amazing vision, they had solutions, and they had no one to serve them. The rest of their ecosystem, the rest of their of their company wasn't at that level. So um I think it's very important for today's leaders to realize that uh getting getting into that position, uh, getting that chair, regardless if you are the president of a country or the minister or uh CEO or whatever, um doesn't mean that uh you reach the end of the journey and now you are in paradise and you will only be served cocktails with little umbrellas and nothing to worry. It's actually something, in my opinion, that it's even worse. Now you have to now you have to prove anything, everything that you said uh on your way up. Now you have to to face uh challenges that uh are not actually yours, but are your people's and that makes them yours. You have to find a way to respect uh uh their fears, even their incompetence in some cases, and try to make them better. Because if the if you know that that chain breaks, eventually the whole the whole team, the whole company, the whole minister, the whole government will break into pieces. So it's a huge issue, uh, it's a huge challenge. I understand that many people fail. Okay, we we fail even in our in our businesses every day. But uh I think just like we said uh in uh you said in you saying your students, or I say in my team with my colleagues here in Foresight. Um