By Demetrios Rhompotis
Eager to start the new season with a full slate of activities, Ms. Mouzakis Tavlarios is well aware that many members have been affected by last year’s financial melt down. “Clearly a variety of challenges have emerged among HABA members and their families by the nature of their careers in financial services,” she told NEO. “To address this, HABA hosted its first ‘networking’ breakfast last spring …It was so successful that we’re planning another event this fall which we will co-sponsor with the Hellenic Lawyers Association.” Her priorities will also include boosting membership and cooperation with other major Greek American entities. She is optimistic that as things get better, a year from now HABA will have more members and an expanded scope.
Ms. Mouzakis Tavlarios joined Citi Private Bank in 1996 and is a member of Citi Private Bank’s Art Advisory Investment Review Committee and Citi Alternative Investments Advisory Council. She was awarded Citi Private Bank Chairman’s Council membership in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. She has been with Citi since 1984 when she began her career at the firm as a management associate and held a variety of positions in the New York marketplace including branch manager, service director, and Citigold sales director prior to joining the Private Bank.
In addition to HABA, Ms. Mouzakis Tavlarios is a member of The Michael Bolton Charities Women’s Advisory Council. She has also volunteered with the New York City Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence on a special committee for a Family Justice Center. She is also interested in helping to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s research.
The Hellenic American Bankers Association, Inc. is one of the premier Greek-American organizations in the New York metropolitan area. A not-for-profit organization, it was established in 1982 to promote the professional and educational interest of Greek-Americans in the banking and finance industries. Over the past years, HABA has organized a variety of events and had many distinguished speakers and lecturers. It also sponsors an annual charity event for the Cyprus Children's Fund. Its current active membership consists of over 200 professionals representing more than 50 institutions across the financial spectrum.
Upon assuming your duties as president of HABA, what will your priorities be? Where do you want to see the organization going a year from now?
My priority as President of Hellenic American Bankers Association (HABA) is our members. To expand on that point, one key reason HABA was formed in 1982 was to gather and disseminate useful information of professional interest for Greek Americans working in the financial services industry. HABA has had the honor of many notable speakers including and not limited to, Peter G. Peterson, Dr. P. Roy Vagelos, John P. Calamos, Michael Dukakis, Dr. John Brademas, the late Paul Tsongas, Nassos Michas and many more. My predecessors have done an excellent job and now it will be my honor to carry-on.
My hope is that this time next year we increase active membership in HABA. We invite all professionals of the financials services sector, Hellenes and Phil-hellenes to apply for membership in HABA by visiting www.haba.org.
The financial collapse of last year had a heavy toll on HABA members as well. How are you planning to address that? Is there an unofficial HABA network that helps members who lost their jobs to find a new one or assist them in other ways?
Clearly a variety of challenges have emerged among HABA members and their families by the nature of their careers in financial services. To address this, HABA hosted its first “networking” breakfast last spring where, for the first time, we had no speakers. Instead, we brought together HABA members and friends of HABA to meet, exchange information and establish new relationships. It was so successful that we’re planning another event this fall which we will co-sponsor with the Hellenic Lawyers Association. It is face-to-face interaction that aids the exchange of not only information, but also connections that can be very personal in nature.
As a banking business professional, what is your take on the situation in your sector right now? Are things looking better or more promising?
In the past eighteen months, we witnessed an unprecedented time in financial markets, the global economy and our industry. Given the unpredictability of events over that period, it's impossible to know exactly how things will unfold from here. However, many of us hope and believe that the worst days of the financial crisis are behind us. That's not to say the road to recovery will be quick or easy--because it won't. Many challenges still lie ahead. But in speaking with clients and fellow bankers, I get the sense that things are now at least moving in the right direction.
One of the victims in last year’s collapse was the integrity of many financial institutions in particular and of the industry in general. Are you planning to address that through HABA events or other kind of public activities?
Our upcoming events in the fall include an economic panel discussion on currency and the effects of recent government intervention in October, a networking event mentioned earlier in November, and a macroeconomic forecast discussion on December 17th. I hope to see many of our HABA members there.
Would you be open for closer cooperation with other major Greek-American organizations such as L100 or AHEPA? Also, would you as president seek closer ties with counterpart institutions from Greece and Cyprus with which as American Hellenes you share a special affinity?
Of course we keep an open dialogue with many other Hellenic organizations and will continue to do so. My mission is to identify and bring to bear information and organizational relationships that add value. Further, our by-laws state as part of HABA’s objectives, to promote and strengthen the economic, cultural and intellectual ties between the US, Greece and Cyprus.
I believe you are the first woman to lead HABA. Are you thinking of using this very encouraging fact as a way to attract more women to the organization from the banking and finance sectors?
Actually, I am the second. The first woman President was Eftihia Pylarinou-Piper formerly of First NY Bank for Business who served during 1989-1990 before relocating to Greece when she was invited by the Greek government to become President and CEO of the largest investment bank in Greece and the first woman in that type of position. She’s made us very proud.
At present, our membership is broken down as 24% Women and 76% Men. I look forward to a membership which is more reflective of our financial sector meaning an increase in our membership or professional women.
Why should a successful, or on his or her way, to success American of Hellenic descent join HABA, especially as he or she is able to join countless other non- ethnic groups from the industry?
HABA is one of few professional Hellenic organizations focused on a specific industry. In conjunction with other “non ethnic groups” as you describe, HABA offers the added value by bringing together people of like cultural backgrounds. HABA offers the opportunity for younger people to meet senior and seasoned professionals in the industry that they would otherwise not have access to via our events and our organization. A perfect way to “test drive” HABA is to attend one of our upcoming events in the fall. If we deliver, I am certain our 2010 membership applications submitted in December will increase.
A message to your members and the American Hellenic community in general.
This is a key time to for our community to come together and leverage on our empowerment to assist and enhance the opportunities of our members.
