ICAP CRIF’s Risk & Compliance Forum 2026 returned to Thessaloniki with an event that stood out for its content, participation and energy. More than 140 executives from the industry, financial services, technology and business community of Northern Greece filled the hall of The MET Hotel, in an evening dedicated to contemporary developments around Risk, ESG and Compliance.
The event was held under the auspices of SEVE, H.A.RI.MA and Alexandria Innovation Zone, and was supported by the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Greek His presentation set the tone for the evening, which combined strategic thinking with technological innovation and practical applications.
The Forum was opened by Serko Kouyoumjian, Executive Director, Sales & Business Development of ICAP CRIF, who set the tone for the discussion, highlighting the role of Northern Greece as an emerging hub of resilience and business development. His remarks set the tone for the evening, which combined strategic thinking with technological innovation and practical applications.
This was followed by the keynote speech of Professor Panagiotis (Panos) Ketikidis, President of the Alexandria Innovation Zone and Executive Board Member of EBAN, who presented the vision “Northern Greece 2030”. With clarity and documentation, he highlighted Northern Greece as a dynamic hub of innovation, extroversion and industrial development, laying the foundations for the dialogue that followed.
The first panel of the evening, entitled “Risk as Opportunity: Building Resilience in Volatile Times”, was moderated by Nikolas Gouzelos, Director of the Risk Training Institute of ICAP CRIF and President of H.A.RI.MA. The speakers—Xanthi Giali (EURIMAC), Kostas Sarmadakis (Kri-Kri) and Argyrios Tsaknis (A. Hatzopoulos S.A.)—analyzed how businesses in Northern Greece manage credit, business and export risks in an environment of geopolitical instability and technological change, transforming challenges into strategic advantages.
Next, Argyris Kaldiris, Director, Product Marketing & Development of ICAP CRIF, presented “Data Driven Risk Management: From Signals to Strategic Decisions”, showing how technology and data are transforming the way businesses assess risk and make decisions.
The evening became interactive with the “Risk & ESG Challenge”, a live quiz with leaderboard and prizes: an ESG Performance Report worth €2,250 and a Risk Management Expert (ERM) Certification worth €1,850. The prizes were awarded to the two winners by Vasilis Papachristos, Director of the Northern Greece branch of ICAP CRIF, in a special highlight that added special excitement and positive energy to the evening.
The second thematic part focused on ESG, through a meaningful fireside chat between Aikaterini Stachtari, Head of Communications & Sustainability at ENAON and Eleni Vidaki, Manager, Product Marketing & Development at ICAP CRIF. The discussion highlighted how ESG assessment enhances partnerships, financing and operational maturity, presenting real-world examples of implementation.
The third part of the event was dedicated to Compliance. Zefi Nikolaou, Ethics, Compliance & ESG Senior Expert and Chair of ASCO Greece, highlighted compliance as a foundation for credibility and sustainable development, while George Chlomoudis, Director / Head of Compliance & Risk Management of Comply.Data, presented “Compliance as a Competitive Advantage”, showing how KYC, AML and compliance frameworks enhance the competitiveness of businesses.
The evening concluded with a networking cocktail that provided the opportunity for discussion, exchange of ideas and new collaborations — the ideal closing of an event that highlighted Northern Greece as a reference point for the future of resilience, governance and sustainable entrepreneurship.
