Executive MBA Sailing team wins the First Place at the 19th Global MBA Trophy, Competing Against Some of the World’s Top Business Schools!
A major distinction for the Executive MBA of the Athens University of Economics and Business, as its students and alumni won 1st place in Division B+ at the 19th Global MBA Trophy, an internationally recognized sailing competition with participants from leading business schools worldwide — including London Business School, INSEAD, HEC Paris, Wharton, Yale, Cambridge, Oxford, Kellogg/Northwestern, SDA Bocconi, Imperial, and many more.
The event, held under the auspices of London Business School in collaboration with the Yacht Club of Greece, once again took place at the Piraeus Sailing Club in Mikrolimano. AUEB was represented by two crews, consisting of 18 members in total, who demonstrated in practice the power of strategic thinking, teamwork, and leadership under pressure.
The winning team left strong competition behind, with HEC Paris finishing second, followed by Wharton, London Business School, and Oxford. Beyond the race result, the two crews functioned as a united, dynamic whole — a living “leadership test” that showcased the value of collaboration, adaptability, and strategy in real time.
Participants (alphabetically):
Evi Angelidou, Petros Aroukatos, Dionysis Gigantes, Fani Karageorgopoulou, Myrto Karygianni, Natalia Kivotidi, Kalypso Kranou, Spyros Kouvas, Petros Kormis, Grigoris Maros, Dimitris Megalooikonomou, Andreas Papageorgiou, Christos Smynios, Eleni Stamelaki, Katerina Tolia, Ilias Fourkiotis, Kouris Fotis, Elena Chnari.
Indicative comments from participants:
“This year’s victory was the result of a team with a shared vision and mutual trust. I am proud of my crew and the dedication we all showed.” — Fotis Kouris
“This experience gave us invaluable lessons. Two teams from the same program collaborated, supported each other, and we all came back winners, enriched with unforgettable memories.” — Elena Chnari
“In two demanding days, we faced strong opponents and difficult weather conditions, making critical real-time decisions. Solidarity, leadership, and teamwork led us to the top.” — Andreas Papageorgiou
“It wasn’t just a race. It was a living application of everything we learn at the Executive MBA: leadership, strategy, flexibility, trust, and shared goals. Even more special was the chance to connect with people from leading international business schools, opening pathways for communication and future collaborations. The feeling of succeeding against such strong competition is priceless.” — Myrto Karygianni
Professor Vassilis Papadakis, Director of the Executive MBA, stated:
“The success of our teams at the Global MBA Trophy 2025 proves that the essence of leadership and education goes far beyond the classroom. Our students and alumni demonstrated in practice what strategic thinking, teamwork, and resilience under pressure truly mean. At the same time, their participation in an event of such strong international character offered them valuable networking opportunities with future leaders of the global business community. It is our honor to see them distinguished internationally as authentic leaders with passion and integrity.”
And next year… even higher
