George Athanasopoulos
George Athanasopoulos – Athanasopoulos Will Lead a New Global Family and Institutional Wealth Unit at UBS Group AG
George Athanasopoulos is an econometrician who specializes in forecasting. He’s currently creating more complex models for governments to assess the effects of policy shifts on national economies.
He is an Associate Professor at Monash University in Australia and his research focuses on multivariate time series analysis, forecasting, wealth and tourism economics.
Early Life and Education
Early childhood education is a crucial period in the brain’s development. What children experience during this period will shape their future learning, health and success.
Early environments, relationships with primary caregivers, and quality of caregiving interactions all play an important role in a child’s education. A strong school-family partnership is paramount for success during these crucial early years.
Early childhood education provides the foundations for academic success, economic productivity, responsible citizenship, lifelong health and strong communities. Additionally, it can reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes while opening up more economic opportunities for families and communities.
Professional Career
George Athanasopoulos is the owner of Henry’s Diner in Boston. This grand establishment from ’60s-era retains all the trappings of a classic diner – black and white checkered floors, long lunch counter topped with corrugated tin wall – but also boasts plenty of ’80s pop memorabilia as well as an eight foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man on display.
George has been with UBS for many years, and is now their global head of foreign exchange distribution – the company’s first to hold this title. Working alongside fellow Zurich-based colleague Chris Vogelgesang in this challenging role overseen by Roberto Hoornweg, co-head of securities, and Rajeev Misra, head of fixed income, currencies and commodities trading, will prove no easy feat.
Achievements and Honors
George Athanasopoulos has made a significant impact in the field of cognitive ethnomusicology. With a doctorate degree in this area, he has conducted research on music perception, free-drawn representations and cross-cultural musical performance.
He has extensive experience as an engineer in civil engineering, soil dynamics, geotechnical earthquake engineering and foundation design; additionally he has published on municipal solidwaste (New South Wales) mechanics and soil reinforcement. A member of the International Association for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering as well as an associate member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and affiliate member of the Australian Institute of Engineers, his expertise also extends to municipal solidwaste mechanics and soil reinforcement.
In 2006, Dr. Joanna Athanasopoulos Owen and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Human Resources Constance Dierman honored him with the Distinguished Service Award by Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide at a special ceremony.
Personal Life
George was an intensely dedicated family man, always prioritizing his three daughters. Additionally, he had a generous heart, often helping those in need around him when possible.
He was an active member of the Order of Elks and held leadership roles in numerous clubs and organizations, such as Waterford Police Department and Pasco County Sheriff’s department. Additionally, he enjoyed bowling, golfing and boating with friends.
George was a proud Michigander who made his home in New Port Richey, Florida. He enjoyed his new environment and became involved with his homeowner’s association. George took pride in even the smallest details like picking up newspapers and trash on trash day – an act that brought him great joy.
Net Worth
On April 4, UBS Group AG of Zurich, Switzerland announced the appointment of George Athanasopoulos as head of its global family and institutional wealth unit. This move is part of UBS Group AG’s larger effort to renovate their high net worth business and tie it closer to investment banking division. Athanasopoulos will report directly to Michael Barnett – CEO of UBS Group’s investment bank.
For nearly a century, the net worth method has been employed to calculate changes in someone’s net worth over time. Forensic accountants frequently apply this technique during tax fraud investigations but it can also be employed in divorce and shareholder/partnership disputes as an effective tool in proving that an individual’s increased assets were due to hidden income sources.