By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Vassilis Parthenopoulos received the 2023-24 Gianluigi Porelli EuroLeague Executive of the Year award.
On Thursday, Euroleague Basketball announced the president of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos Aktor as the Executive of the Year winner.
Per the press release: “Euroleague Basketball is pleased to announce that Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens president Vassilis G. Parthenopoulos has been chosen as the 2023-24 Gianluigi Porelli EuroLeague Executive of the Year.
Parthenopoulos played an integral role behind the scenes in helping Panathinaikos end its 13-year wait to win the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship, while the club also reached the Final Four for the first time in 12 years.
The Executive of the Year award honors the person and club whose management decisions have best exemplified the EuroLeague’s commitment to excellence in all facets of club direction during the previous season. Among the categories considered before casting votes are sporting merits, game-day revenues, fan experience, and marketing and communications.
Last summer, Panathinaikos had come off a season in 2022-23 that saw the Greens finish in 17th place in the EuroLeague with a 9-23 record. A complete reset was needed, and Mr. Parthenopoulos was the person tasked by Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos to bring the Greens back to the top.
Panathinaikos’s revolution started as early as June 2023 by appointing a serial winner as head coach, as Ergin Ataman – winner of back-to-back EuroLeague titles in 2021 and 2022 – left Anadolu Efes Istanbul to join the Greens. Then the next big dominoes to fall were the signings of All-EuroLeague First Team center Mathias Lessort from Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and Kostas Sloukas, who decided to depart Olympiacos Piraeus, Panathinaikos’s biggest rival, after finishing as a runner-up in the EuroLeague. Panathinaikos Sports Area, managed by Basketball Director, Dimitrios Kontos and Technical Director, Sani Becirovic brought a total of 12 new faces who brought back optimism to OAKA.
That was reflected in Panathinaikos averaging 14,526 fans per home game, the fourth-highest average attendance in the regular season in 2023-24 and an increase of 45% compared to the previous campaign. The good results were a big driving factor, with the various improvements made by the directorate having a positive impact not only on the roster but also with the activations put on by the club before, during and after the games. Together, this helped the Panathinaikos fans stay engaged all season long.
Parthenopoulos, who formerly held the position of CEO at Panathinaikos, is the current president at the club and has an impressive background with experience in various industries and roles. His tenure as CEO of Ferrari Greece & Cyprus, General Manager of Panathinaikos FC, and membership on the Board of Directors of major private sector companies highlights his extensive leadership experience. Additionally, his involvement in entrepreneurial ventures and co-founding of companies in communication/international business advisory and environmental EU projects showcases his diverse skill set. Furthermore, his involvement as a member of the SAS regiment special forces as a major highlights his exceptional leadership skills and experience in high-pressure environments. His educational background, including a BA in Economics Business Studies from Melbourne University, Australia, and a Diploma in Marketing & Management from Royal Melbourne College, Australia, further underlines his qualifications.
The Gianluigi Porelli EuroLeague Executive of the Year has been awarded annually since 2005 and is handed out once the season has come to an end. The executive award recognizes those whose efforts build Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs into success stories. Mr. Porelli, who served as president of Virtus Bologna for more than two decades, was among the founders of ULEB and later its president. He passed away in 2009. This is the second time that a Panathinaikos executive has earned this honor after Pavlos and Thanasis Giannakopoulos secured the award in the 2010-11 season.”