Coffee Chronicles 3

Peter, can you tell us a little about yourself and your company?

I was born in South Africa. I’m a Greek South African, and my grandparents were refugees from the island of Imbros in the 1920s. As a kid, I always wanted to become an architect, but that didn’t happen. When I finished university, the only thing I wanted to be, as I put it then, was a big deal on Madison Avenue, so I started working in an advertising agency in South Africa, Mechanerix, a very big agency. They sent me to Hong Kong as Regional Account Director. I worked there for two years, and I got a call one day from somebody in New York at the head office and he said to me :

-"You’re Greek, aren’t you?",
-I said “yes”
- he said “ You speak Greek”
- I said “fluently”

And they sent me to Greece as the CEO of the company here. By the way, I couldn't speak a word of Greek at the time. That was when I ordered a salad with "pantzouria" (shutters), but of course, I meant "pantzaria" (beets). I worked in Athens for about six years, then I went to Mexico as CEO, then I went to New York, and eventually returned to Greece about 20 years ago. That’s when I started my company called Felix BNI. It’s a brand consulting company. What I love about my work is the strategic part. Also, although I live in Athens, I work around the world.

Can you describe a typical day for you?

A typical day usually flows calmly, but with many intense moments throughout. I live by the sea, so most mornings, I start my day by going for a walk on the beach. Then I return home and I capture the ideas I have in my head because I usually have several projects I'm working on at the same time. I also travel a lot. Every month I find myself somewhere—New York, Australia, Europe—depending on the project I’m working on.

You chose the Athenian Riviera, specifically Voula, as your place of residence and work. Why? How would you describe the area?

I chose to live on the Athenian Riviera, by the sea, because I believe that if you live in Athens, you’ll want to see either the sea or the Acropolis. Personally, I need one or the other. Now that I live by the sea, after previously living in the city center, I absolutely love it. Walks on the beach, beautiful restaurants where you can dine by the sea in the evening, delicious food. Also, the area is very peaceful, even though it’s only 35 minutes from the center of Athens.

What is your favorite spot in your home and why?

This home has a very beautiful view. It’s not a completely open sea view, but from various spots, you can see it. I love sitting in places where I can catch a glimpse of the sea—I truly adore it.

Another thing I love about this building is that it’s essentially two buildings connected by a bridge, and I enjoy walking along it. It feels like I’m going from one space to another because, in a way, they are two different spaces—the front part has the sea view, while the back part is more private and away from the street noise.

You have lived and worked in many countries and cities around the world. What is your favorite place?

My favorite place in the world is where I live, and that’s the reason why I’m in Greece. I made a very conscious decision a few years ago in New York, as my soul and my heart wanted to be in Athens—they wanted to be in Greece.

So, I made a very deliberate choice to come live here. At that time, I considered many alternatives because, truthfully, I could live anywhere in the world, but I chose to stay here. I love living in this country for its natural beauty, for the Greek people, for the food, for the city of Athens, which I believe is a wonderful city, and for many, many other reasons.

How would you describe Greece as a brand?

In 2011, I gave a talk about Greece as a brand. Specifically, the topic was "Rebranding Greece," and I described Greece as the best brand that has never been launched as a brand. What I said then was that the most important part of rebranding Greece is to first rebrand the Greeks. Because at that moment, in 2011–2012, during the crisis, I had the sense that we Greeks did not appreciate what we have around us and that we needed to present our country in a better way by rediscovering our passion.

For me, a brand is not about clever slogans or advertisements, but about the core ethos, as Aristotle would say. I believe Greece is a reflection of the Greeks, and that’s why we must ensure that Greece fully reflects what it means to be Greek.

What project in your career are you particularly proud of?

Among the projects I’ve worked on, I think what really stands out is my participation in the relaunch of Apple with Steve Jobs in 1997. At that time, Apple had gone bankrupt, and Steve Jobs was asked to do something. He turned to TBWA, the advertising agency I was working for, and we ran the very famous "Think Different" campaign, which became legendary and was followed by Steve Jobs’ leadership until his death in 2011.

Apple, of course, went on to become the most valuable company in the history of all organizations, which is remarkable. However, what expresses Apple’s culture is, again, ethos.

The true culture of Apple is its ethos. Another thing I’m proud of is a speech I gave in 2012 at a Google conference, where I talked about the tendency we Greeks have to say, "It can’t be done." I said we need to remove the "can’t" and keep the "can" because it can be done, and it must be done. This happened during the crisis, and in fact, my speech went viral. Even today, young people approach me and tell me how much that speech inspired them, and for me, that’s very important.

What does “home” mean to you?

Home, for me, is a feeling—it’s how I feel inside it. I’ve lived in many places around the world, and many of them, at least at first, felt very foreign to me. For example, Hong Kong. When I went there, I was a young South African, just 28 years old, and I was in a very strange place, basically on my own. At that time, home for me was how I felt, and that’s why the immediate environment is very important to me.

The space I live in now is filled with almost the entire history of my life. It’s full of items that mean something to me, that hold value for me. When I walk into my home, I want to feel like I’m in my home and not in some strange place. So, if I feel comfortable in a space, then I consider it my home.

What comes to mind when you hear Engel & Völkers? Can you describe the brand in three words?

When I hear Engel & Völkers, the first thing that comes to mind is real estate—but not just any real estate, high-quality real estate.
I also think of a company with global operations, which brings to mind the word experience. So, the words I would use are:
1) real estate
2) high-quality real estate, and
3) long-standing experience in real estate.
In other words, it’s a real estate company you can trust.