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18
Dec

Alumni Success Story: From Global Challenge to Transformational Leadership

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Blog > Alumni Success Story: From Global Challenge to Transformational Leadership

At SSBM Geneva, we take pride in alumni who challenge conventions and lead with purpose across global industries. One such inspiring example is Alexandros Athanasiou, whose professional journey reflects the powerful combination of academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, and real-world impact.

With extensive leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Alexandros pursued the Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) at SSBM Geneva to deepen his strategic thinking and bridge the gap between academic research and practical business leadership. His journey through the DBA program not only strengthened his analytical and research capabilities but also profoundly reshaped his approach to leadership—placing empathy, critical thinking, and innovation at the center of decision-making.

SSBM Geneva Success Story

What motivated you to pursue your DBA at SSBM Geneva, and how has the experience reshaped your approach to leadership?

I decided to pursue my DBA at SSBM Geneva because I wanted to bridge the gap between academic rigor and practical business leadership. After several years in marketing leadership roles, I felt the need to step back, question established models, and explore new ways of thinking about influence, branding, and decision-making, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry. The experience fundamentally reshaped my leadership philosophy. It taught me to approach challenges with a research-driven mindset, questioning assumptions, and leading through curiosity and empathy. I now focus more on enabling innovation and critical thinking in my teams rather than simply driving performance.
 
 
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Looking back, my studies at SSBM have been instrumental in this journey. The BA program gave me the essential foundation in business and management, while the DBA equipped me with the strategic thinking, research mindset, and confidence to challenge conventions.

What was the most transformative insight you gained during your DBA journey, something that continues to guide you today?

Realizing how much emotion drives even the most “rational” professional decisions. In industries like pharma, we often assume physicians and healthcare professionals in general act purely based on data, but emotions, like trust, confidence, and connection, play a critical role. This realization continues to guide me daily. It shaped how I lead teams, design strategies, and build engagement: logic convinces, but emotion moves people to act.
 

How did your DBA research topic align with your work in the pharmaceutical industry?

My research focused on emotional branding in pharmaceutical marketing and how it influences prescribers’ decision-making. Through the DBA, I was able to explore how emotional resonance can coexist with scientific rigor, and how marketing in pharma can evolve from being purely informational to being truly inspirational, anchored in empathy, authenticity, and trust.
 

Would you recommend the SSBM Geneva DBA experience to other professionals?

Absolutely. The DBA at SSBM Geneva offers the perfect blend of academic structure and practical relevance. It’s not just about earning a title. It’s primarily about reshaping how you think, lead, and make an impact. For professionals who want to challenge conventions and bring real change to their organizations, it’s a challenging but incredibly rewarding journey.
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What I would like the SSBM community to take away from my story is that growth rarely follows a straight line. Unexpected opportunities, especially the ones outside our comfort zone, can unlock new opportunities, skills, and milestones we could not have imagined at the beginning of our careers.

For the SSBM community, Alexandros’s story is a powerful reminder that true leadership goes beyond titles or achievements. It is about embracing challenges, questioning assumptions, and leading with empathy, creativity, and strategic insight. His path continues to inspire current and future alumni to pursue growth boldly, think critically, and make a meaningful impact in their industries and beyond.

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