30 YEARS OF SOEL 1993-2023 & METKEL Title Award Ceremony
In a highly moving event, the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Greece (SOEL) celebrated its 30th anniversary at the Manor House & Garden of Golf Privé, within the historic Glyfada Golf Club, on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.
The event was honored by the presence of 350 distinguished guests from the fields of Business and Economy, as well as representatives from Greece’s leading auditing firms.
During the evening, under warm applause from attendees, 58 graduates of METKEL (Postgraduate Professional Audit and Accounting Qualification) were awarded their diplomas, while 47 new Chartered Accountants received their professional licenses.
The event was opened by Mr. Charilaos Alamanos, President of SOEL and IESOEL, who warmly congratulated the successful graduates and emphasized the importance and prestige of the Chartered Accountant profession, along with SOEL’s significant achievements over the past 30 years. Among other things, Mr. Alamanos highlighted:
“One of our greatest achievements is the high-level professional education we provide to our members and other finance professionals. We are the only professional body in Greece, and among the few in Europe, to offer a master’s level postgraduate program. We collaborate with leading academic institutions in Greece, such as the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the University of Macedonia, on joint academic programs. Additionally, on a professional level, we work with Europe’s two largest institutes, ACCA and ICAEW, on joint programs—the JES and AMP, respectively.”
The celebratory evening featured insightful speeches from prominent figures, including:
- Mr. Panagiotis Giannopoulos, President of ELTE
- Mr. Stefanos Pantzopoulos, Vice President of SOEL’s International Relations Committee
- Ms. Asmâa Resmouki, President of IFAC
- Mr. Giorgio De Giorgi, President of FCM
- Mr. Mark Vaessen, President of Accountancy Europe
- Ms. Anastasia Chalkidou, FCCA, Member of ACCA Global Council
- Ms. Christianna Diola, FCA, ICAEW Europe Director
All keynote speakers emphasized the extensive knowledge and in-depth education Chartered Accountants receive to fully meet the demands of their highly responsible role—ensuring the robust development of businesses and the sustainability of both the Greek and global economy. They also extended their best wishes to the new Chartered Accountants and METKEL graduates, encouraging them to pursue a bright future and a successful career in one of the most respected professions, both in Greece and internationally.
The event was expertly moderated by Mr. Georgios Samothrakis, Advisor to SOEL’s Supervisory Board.
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The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Greece (SOEL) is a Public Interest Professional Institute representing Greek auditors. The Institute is currently comprised of 62 audit firms active in the Greek market and has approximately 8618 registered members. SOEL’s objectives include analyzing and contributing to professional, regulatory and economic developments of relevance to auditors, ensuring Member Bodies’ timely information and offering leadership in representing the audit sector. SOEL is also a founding Member Body Organization of IFAC, ACCOUNTANCY EUROPE (former FEE) and the FCM. The Institute has been active in the adoption and implementation of European Union legislation and the adoption of International Audit and Accounting Standards as well as in establishing educational and training programs to create more pathways to the profession through the Institute of Education of SOEL (IESOEL), which was founded in 1997. IESOEL is responsible for the professional formation of Certified Public Accountants just entering the profession as well as the professional development and continuous education of auditors over the course of their careers.
