Duration

140 hours

Μοde of Delivery

Online & On demand

Language of Delivery

Greek

Start Date

2 March 2026

Location

Athens, Greece

Description

Small and medium-sized enterprises and family businesses constitute the backbone of the Greek and European economy. In Greece, 80% of businesses are family-owned, contributing more than 2/3 of GDP and providing approximately 80% of private sector jobs. However, the challenges they face today – growth, organization, financial management, modernization, digital transformation, and above all succession and transfer – now require systematic knowledge and a professional approach.

The Executive Diploma in SMEs & Family Business Management programme has been designed to provide entrepreneurs and executives with practical tools, strategic thinking, and structured solutions, enabling them to develop, safeguard, modernize, and properly transfer their business. It is a comprehensive, applied programme that combines:

  • Management and strategy
  • Financial analysis and valuation
  • Marketing and growth
  • Leadership and change management
  • Psychology of family businesses
  • Succession and transfer strategy

The goal is for participants to be able to manage, organize, develop, and – when needed – properly transfer a business.

Business Transfer & ISO/IEC 17024 Certification

The programme has been designed to prepare participants for the official ISO/IEC 17024 certification (SME Transfer Advisor). The certification is awarded by the Interchamber Certification Body – D.I.FO.P. The process of transferring a business requires a comprehensive strategy, combining legal, tax, financial, and managerial parameters. The need for specialized advisory support is now more critical than ever, as the success of the transition determines the sustainability and competitiveness of the business.

The Role and Benefits of ISO/IEC 17024 Certification

The certification provides SME transfer advisors with a clear competitive advantage, ensuring professional competence and international recognition.

More specifically:

  • Professional credibility and documented competence: It recognizes that the advisor possesses the required knowledge and skills to effectively support complex business transfer processes.
  • International recognition: It enhances opportunities for cooperation and professional mobility at a European and global level.
  • Service enhancement: Certified professionals offer higher-quality, reliable, and comprehensive services.
  • Consistency and trust: The certification serves as an indicator of professionalism, strengthening the relationship of trust between the advisor and the business.

Who it is addressed to

The programme is addressed to:

  • Owners and co-owners of small and medium-sized enterprises
  • Members of family businesses and successors
  • Business executives interested in acquiring knowledge in business management and strategic planning
  • Business consultants, financial and legal professionals
  • Those who wish to obtain the ISO/IEC 17024 certification – SME Transfer Advisor, preparing them for the official certification and acquiring professional credibility and international recognition.

Benefits of Monitoring

Participation in the programme provides a comprehensive, practical, and immediately applicable framework of knowledge and skills for the management, development, and sustainable transition of small and medium-sized and family businesses. Participants do not merely acquire theoretical knowledge, but develop a way of thinking, tools, and a management methodology that can be directly applied to their own business or professional role.

Upon completion of the programme, participants:

  • Acquire a comprehensive understanding of modern business management, combining strategy, financial analysis, leadership, and organizational development.
  • Develop strategic thinking and managerial maturity, enabling them to make decisions with a long-term perspective and sound business logic.
  • Understand the financial aspects of the business, learning how to evaluate investments, assess company value, and base decisions on real data.
  • Develop leadership skills, emotional intelligence, and people management capabilities, essential for managing teams, partners, and family relationships.
  • Acquire practical tools for managing change, restructuring, and transitions, reducing risks and strengthening business stability.
  • Become familiar with modern marketing, branding, and strategic communication practices, enhancing the company’s commercial image and market position.
  • Learn how to design and implement comprehensive business and strategic development plans.
  • Understand the legal and ethical framework of business operations, strengthening transparency, compliance, and proper corporate governance.
  • Connect with the ISO/IEC 17024 professional certification, preparing participants for the official “SME Transfer Advisor” certification, acquiring professional credibility, international recognition, and the ability to offer high-quality advisory services.

Modes of Delivery

  • Online: the monitoring of the programme can be done fully online in real time, having access to the courses and content of the programme is possible in real-time through the easy-to-use and modern platform of IST College.
  • On-Demand: The programme offers the possibility of on-demand attendance. This means that you will have access to video-recorded lessons that you can watch or refer to during the course. This means that you can access video lectures during the training.
  • Mixed : Create your own flexible study schedule using any of the above tracking modes in combination.

Structure

The programme is structured into three complementary thematic cycles, which comprehensively cover all critical dimensions of modern management of small and medium-sized and family businesses: strategy, people, finance, governance, and succession.

It focuses on modern leadership and organizational management. Skills in decision-making, human resources management, communication, motivation, and team management are developed.

It presents the basic tools of strategic analysis and planning. Participants learn how to analyze the environment and transform vision into a concrete action plan.

It focuses on the strategic positioning of the business in the market, on branding, and on the use of digital marketing tools.

The course introduces the principles of innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development and focuses on the design of integrated business plans with a long-term developmental and socio-economic impact.

It focuses on the design and implementation of organizational changes, transformations, and restructurings.

Participants learn how to evaluate investments and assess the value of a business using financial tools.

It presents the basic legal and ethical framework of business operations and the importance of compliance.

It focuses on the human, emotional, and organizational dimension of businesses, especially family businesses.

It examines how businesses grow through partnerships and networks.

It develops skills in conflict management, negotiation, and mediation.

It presents the methodology, stages, and tools for the successful preparation and implementation of business succession or transfer.

Lecturers

Panagiotis Velissariou has over 30 years of experience in large Greek and multinational companies across the fields of sales, customer service, marketing, trade marketing, and new market development.
He has more than 15 years of experience as a lecturer in postgraduate programmes and specialised seminars (trainer / coach / mentor) and is a certified trainer by SEV, EOPPEP, EKDDA, EEDE, and other institutions.
He holds a degree in Economics from the City University of New York and an MBA from NYIT, New York.

Dimitris Thanopoulos holds a degree in Biology from the University of Patras and a degree in Business Administration from the Hellenic Open University.
He has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having worked at Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Hellas in roles such as Business Unit Head, Brand Lead, Product Manager, and Medical Education Expert. His expertise includes strategy, team development, partner coaching, digital innovation, product management, and the implementation of patient support programmes.
He is currently the co-founder of the startup 4fluids, aiming to cultivate a long-term culture of health and wellbeing in organisations, with a focus on innovation, team leadership, and the enhancement of patient and partner experience.
He holds a degree in Economics from the City University of New York and an MBA from NYIT, New York.

Dimitris Kallos holds a BSc in Economics from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and an MBA from Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom.
He has over 33 years of experience in senior management roles in major Greek and multinational companies across the retail sector, dairy and beverages, foodservice and entertainment, frozen foods, the construction industry, and business consulting.
He specialises in smooth succession planning for family businesses, strategy, leadership, crisis management, cultural transformation, and business process redesign (Change Management / Business Process Reengineering).
He is a Certified Trainer with more than 15 years of experience in executive education programmes for senior executives and Managing Directors.

Dimitris Kalogeropoulos holds a Master’s degree in European and International Law from Keele University, United Kingdom.
He has over 25 years of experience as a lawyer in commercial, civil, and family law, representing individuals and businesses at both national and international level. He has collaborated with organisations such as JP Morgan and the United Nations and is a recommended lawyer of the British Embassy.
He is an accredited lecturer specialising in GDPR, commercial, maritime, labour, and administrative law, with extensive experience in executive training, promoting legal compliance and operational security.

Konstantinos Manetas is a business consultant and the owner of Finance Skills Consulting. He is a graduate of the Department of Business Administration of the University of Piraeus and holds an MSc in Banking and Money Management from Adelphi University, New York.
He began his career at the investment bank Dean Witter Reynolds in New York and has worked for major multinational consulting firms such as Arthur Andersen, PwC, and Planet Ernst & Young, as well as in banks and companies including FAMAR and ATTICA BANK.
He has been teaching for over 15 years in postgraduate programmes and MBA courses, focusing on finance, strategy, and business development.

Konstantinos Belsis holds degrees in Business Administration and Human Resource Management, as well as an MBA from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom.
He has over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, and human resources in Greece and abroad, with a strong focus on the pharmaceutical sector. He has held positions such as Product Manager, Marketing Manager, Human Resources Manager, Business Excellence Manager, and Director, and teaches communication and sales techniques based on internationally recognised methodologies.

Eleni Plessa is a lawyer (Athens Bar Association member since 2003) and an accredited mediator (CIArb, 2010). She holds an MA in European Politics, Business and Law from the University of Surrey and an MBA from the Hellenic Management Association (EEDE).
She has extensive experience in mediation in commercial and family cases, as well as in the training of lawyers and mediators. She actively contributes to the promotion of entrepreneurship and the empowerment of women and is the author of the book “Mediation in Civil and Commercial Disputes.”
She specialises in commercial and civil law, mediation, and executive training, providing services in both Greek and English.

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