GLOSMARC Thought Leaders Series

Building Success: From the Olympics to Global Brands
A GLOSMARC Thought Leader's Talk with Ilias Malamas, Managing Director, Inditex Zara Greece

Overview
On 19 June, the Global and Strategic Marketing Analytics Research Centre (GLOSMARC) at Leeds University Business School hosted Ilias Malamas, Managing Director of Inditex Zara Greece, for a Thought Leader's Talk in the Tweed Room at Cloth Hall Court. Around 85–90 students, faculty and guests attended a session that wove together elite sport and global retail leadership.

About the Speaker
Ilias Malamas leads Inditex Zara Hellas, overseeing the Zara, Bershka, Massimo Dutti and Pull & Bear brands across 160 stores, more than €700 million in revenue, and a workforce of over 4,000 people. Earlier in his career he held senior roles at McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Diageo. He holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA. Before leading global brands, Ilias represented Greece as a swimmer at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games, a grounding that still shapes the discipline he brings to business.

On the Day
Professor Constantine Katsikeas, GLOSMARC Founding Director, opened the session and introduced Ilias to the audience. Ilias then delivered his talk, “From Olympian to Managing Director,” to a packed room of around 85–90 attendees.

Afterwards, Ilias was photographed with GLOSMARC Founding Director Professor Constantine Katsikeas and GLOSMARC Director Professor Sourindra Banerjee, marking a successful close to the event.

The Golden Triangle
Ilias framed his career around what he called the “Golden Triangle” — education, sport and work — describing how each pillar reinforced the others throughout his journey from Olympic swimmer to managing director.

Career Lessons Across Global Brands
Drawing on his time at Diageo, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Inditex, Ilias shared several professional experiences, two among them are worth mentioning:
•    Neo Greek Mac at McDonald’s — a product he helped develop and market that demonstrated the importance of local relevance within a global brand.
•    Inditex’s no-advertising model — his support for Inditex’s policy of investing in large, flagship Zara stores in prime locations instead of traditional advertising.

Five Leadership Lessons
Ilias closed his talk with five leadership principles drawn from his career:
1.    Discipline beats motivation
2.    Pressure is a privilege
3.    Stay humble
4.    Learn fast
5.    Consistency builds success