Mr. George Koutsolioutsos, CEO of the FF Group, Receives the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015 Award in Greece

New York, NY, March 24, 2016 --(PR.com)-- Mr. George Koutsolioutsos, CEO of the FF Group, received the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015 Award in Greece. The Awards ceremony was held at Megaron Concert Hall on March 16, 2016 in the presence of important members of the Greek entrepreneurial world.

The winner and the other three finalists were selected by an independent panel of judges, chaired by Mr. Spyros Theodoropoulos, CEO of Chipita S.A. and Entrepreneur Of The Year 2011 winner. Their decision was based on the following criteria: financial performance; entrepreneurial spirit; strategic direction and global impact; and the entrepreneur’s contribution to the society.

The winners of the individual categories are:

Mr. Nikolaos Goulis, CEO, e-Travel S.A. (pamediakopes.gr), received the "Self-made Entrepreneur" award.

Mr. Georgios Koutsolioutsos, CEO, FF Group, received the "International Entrepreneur" award.

Mr. Ioannis Tserepas, Chairman & CEO, Lariplast S.A., received the "Dynamic Entrepreneur" award.

Ms. Eleni Polychronopoulou, Vice President, Environmental Protection Engineering S.A., received the "Pioneer Entrepreneur" award.

Mr. Panos Papazoglou, Country Managing Partner, EY Greece, after thanking the participants and the members of the Judging Panel, noted:

“There is a clear mission for us here at EY and this is to help create a better world. Showing commitment to this mission, we organized this competition through which we aim to explain and highlight to Greek society the crucial role of entrepreneurship. The strong effort our country is making to overcome the financial crisis, can only be effective within a framework of principles and rules that enhance the rule of law, excellence and innovation at all levels, including entrepreneurship. At this point, and for all these reasons, we give our sincere congratulations to the Greek 'Entrepreneur of the Year' 2015 and all of this evening’s winners.”

Mr. George Koutsolioutsos, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year, while receiving his award, noted, "I feel really honored and proud with this Award. I also feel great responsibility to continue to offer a high quality product and to set even higher goals. I would like to express my gratitude to my family who supports me and to my parents that still inspire me with their vision: if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today. I also dedicate this award to the 5,000 employees in the 30 countries working for the FF Group.”

Mr. George Koutsolioutsos will represent Greece in the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award on 7-12 June, in Monte Carlo, where over 60 of the world’s entrepreneurs will celebrate the energy and ideas they bring to advance world’s economies and generate positive change.

About FF Group:

The FF Group is a leading global force in the fashion world operating in more than 30 countries. FF Group designs, produces and markets on a global level its own brands, Folli Follie and Links of London. The Group maintains a leading presence in designer jewelry and clothing both in the retail and wholesale segments of Greece and the Balkans; “attica” department stores and “Factory Outlet” are the Group’s major own retail distribution channels in Greece. In addition, the FF Group has started the strategic development of its own multi brand concept stores, Collective and Kix.

Brands such as Ermenegildo Zegna, UGG Australia, Juicy Couture, Ted Baker, Vilebrequin, Guess Jeans, Scotch & Soda, Calvin Klein Jeans, Nike, Converse, Franklin & Marshall, G-Star Raw, Samsonite and Technogym belong to the Group’s local brand portfolio, whereas the Group has exclusive wholesale and retail distribution rights for the Juicy Couture brand in Continental Europe, UK, Ireland and Cyprus. The activities of the FF Group in the Beauty & Cosmetics sector are significant and involve the exclusive distribution of the globally acclaimed brands of Procter & Gamble Prestige (Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci, Escada etc) and the exclusive representation and distribution of Shiseido products in Greece and Cyprus. In 2016, the FF Group achieved an entrance to a wider distribution channel, through the exclusive representation and distribution of the Max Factor make up products in the Greek market. The FF Group also undertook the distribution in the Greek market of internationally known cosmetics brands such as: Molton Brown and Annick Goutal, amongst other, in its own beauty and lifestyle boutique Heaven on Earth.

The FF Group maintains a key role in the global travel retail sector through its strategic alliance and participation in the shareholding capital of the Swiss Dufry AG, which acquired the Hellenic Duty Free Shops from the Group.

The FF Group creates fashion globally and has established a strong presence with more than 980 points of sale and employing almost 5,000 people worldwide.