Interview with Mrs. Eleftheria (Rita) Moraitaki – Pikrou in grtraveller

 

“In the Region we need people who have proven that they stand by their fellow citizens. Those who serve, not those who seek servants.”

With a sense of service to her fellow human beings and the belief that everyone should have opportunities, the President and Managing Director of EKAPTY S.A., Mrs Eleftheria (Rita) Moraitaki – Pikrou, having already had a successful career in positions of responsibility, speaks to grtraveller for herself and for her decision to be for the first time candidate for Regional Councillor in Attica with the candidate for Regional Governor of the New Democracy, Mr. Nikos Chardalias.

 

 

 

 

Ms. Moraitaki, you are for the first time a candidate for Regional Councillor in Attica with the candidate for Regional Governor of the New Democracy, Mr.Nikos Chardalias. Tell us a few words about you.

 

I am Eleftheria (Rita) Moraitaki-Pikrou and I grew up in a home where the values of love and giving to our fellow man were in our daily life. I was born and raised in Athens, with a grandfather who was an admiral, the Cretan Admiral of the Navy Yakoumakis, and a family whose “scoop” has been in the capital since the siege of the Acropolis against the Turks. I am married to Alexandros Moraitakis, former Member of Parliament of the New Democracy, who was born and raised in Byron and Pagrati and together we have two children.

 

From downtown Athens, you found yourself in Boston. Tell us a little bit about that and about your professional steps.

 

I started, like many of us, believing that studying is the best way to build a better life. So, I studied at Boston College (BSc) and there in Boston I completed my postgraduate studies (Masters) in Business Administration at the Boston University.

Then, having experience in International Finance, I was certified by the Capital Market Commission as a Stock Exchange Representative & Investment Advisor. Since then I have held positions of responsibility in large financial institutions.

 

Today you have a very successful career as President and CEO of EKAPTY S.A. How easy is it for a woman to hold such a position of responsibility?

 

Indeed, for the last three years I have been President & Managing Director of the National Center for Quality and Technology Assessment in Health Care, a body that has as its objective the certification of integrated quality systems and the quality control of individual medical devices.

 

 

 

And I feel really proud of my work there, because when I took over it was an “unsustainable” institution in the opinion of the chartered accountants and today it is not only profitable, but with the right organization and targeting, with teamwork and the spirit of cooperation, it has managed to become an institution that offers services to foreign clients as well, honoring the name of Greece.

Beyond that, to be perfectly honest, I believe that positions of responsibility are not divided into “women’s” and “men’s”. They have to do with the personality, the skills and the commitment of each person to their goal. But also the support, I think, that one finds at home, whether it is a man or a woman. I have been very lucky in this regard.

 

I understand that when you talk about the institution you head, you speak with emotion. Why?

 

Because the ECDC has undertaken a great national mission: It is the only Greek licensed body for the evaluation and certification of medical devices, in accordance with what is required by national and European legislation, in order for them to be freely distributed to clinics, hospitals, medical practices, pharmacies, medical supply stores, etc.

In Europe there are 51 institutions with the same scope of work and our job is to prove every day that Greek expertise in this field stands up to this informal “competition”. I feel proud, because not only do we stand up to this competition, but we are leading.

 

However, although you are a technocrat, you are known in Athens for your voluntary work. How important is volunteering and community service in your life?

 

It is my center of balance. Giving back to my fellow man, believing that everyone has the right to opportunities and knowing that not all people have been lucky and therefore we have to do something about it, is for me the reason to try to be a better person.

 

 

So, over the years I have been in many Associations, always active and always rolling up my sleeves. I was President of the Youth of the Women’s Association “PANATHINAIKI” and I am an active member of associations such as “ELPIDA” Association of Friends of Children with Cancer, the Panhellenic Women’s Sports Association “KALIPATIRA”, the “Make a wish“, member of the Lyceum of Greek Women and of the Board of the Parents’ Association of Psychiko College, of which I have been President. I am also an active volunteer member of the Hellenic Red Cross and a member of the Friends of the Greek Police of West Attica.

 

And now you’re ready for the next step. How did your decision to run for Regional Councillor in Attica in the Central Sector come about?

 

 

Throughout the years of my professional and voluntary career, I have always supported people and ideas that have at their core the effort for a better, fairer and more dignified world for all. In 2006 I was elected as a district councillor in the Municipality of Athens, where I became President of the 1st District of the Municipality of Athens and President of the Municipal Committee of Education.

 

 

So I felt very happy when a few months ago the current Regional Governor, George Patoulis, saw in me a man of commitment and proposed me to be a candidate for Regional Councillor in the Central Sector of Attica. And I felt even more honoured for this recognition when Nikos Hardalias confirmed my candidacy with his personal phone call, thus giving the message that my personal values can find a collective ground.

So now I am here ready and determined to give the good fight for Athens, Vyronas, Galatzi, Daphne and Ymittos, Zografou, Ilioupoli, Kaisariani, Nea Filadelfia and Nea Chalkidona to find their own voice in the Region.

Those who know me know that I can be a support to anyone in need.

Eleftheria (Rita) Moraitaki-Pikrou in two words

Eleftheria (Rita) Moraitaki – Pikrou is a certified Investment Advisor by the Hellenic Capital Market Commission and has held positions of responsibility in major financial institutions. Currently, she is President and CEO of EKAPTY S.A., the certification body for health care services in Greece. Educated at the Moraitis School, she continued her academic career at Boston College and received her Masters from Boston University. She is married to the former Member of Parliament of the New Democracy, Alexandros Moraitakis, and together they have two children. With the belief that no one should walk alone, Rita Moraitaki has a strong volunteer and community presence, being an active member of the “Elpida”, “Kallipateira”, “Make a Wish”, EES, Friends of the Greek Police, etc. In local government, she was a district councillor in the Municipality of Athens and President of the Municipal Education Committee. Today, she is for the first time a candidate for Regional Councillor in Attica in the Central Sector.