Victoria Alexandratou, President & CEO at WRE GROUP

For her contribution to green development and environmental protection, as well as for her penetration and recognition in a particularly competitive male-dominated energy sector in Greece, she was honored in 2007 with the “European Solarprize” award by the European organization Eurosolar in Berlin. In January 2023, she received international recognition during the “COP28 Sustainable Week” global climate event in Abu Dhabi, where she was awarded the international “Special Lifetime Achievement Award 2023”. Victoria is actively involved in professional and industry organizations. She is a founding member of the Hellenic Association of Electricity Producers from Renewable Energy Sources (ESIAPE) and from 2001 until now she has served as a member of its board of directors, as well as an active member of the Hellenic Scientific Association of Wind Energy (ELETEN). She actively contributes to promoting clean sources of electricity production. In June 2022, she was elected as the First Vice President of the German Hellenic Chamber of Industry and Commerce, of which she has been a member since 1998.

For Victoria, the distinctions began during her university years. It was August 1991 when as a student at the Polytechnic University in Germany she won the prize in a competition organized by the Association of German Industrialists (BDI) for male and female students, with the subject of constructing a power plant titled “Das kleine Stadtwerk in Idar-Oberstein,” and was chosen by a panel of judges that was comprised of renowned managers. Her future was bright. This romantic girl put into practice what she had envisioned 30 years ago. She utilized and transformed her scientific discoveries and innovations into tangible technical solutions with commercial applications. Thirty years later, she is at the top, as the only self-made woman in the field of green energy. The WRE group of companies is among the first companies that were founded in Greece in 1997 with the objective of producing electricity from renewable sources. It is an innovative, healthy, and privately-held enterprise, the only one in Greece, with a self-made woman as a shareholder and founder, successfully navigating the crisis and unfair competition practices. For 25 consecutive years, it has been an example to follow, operating even during the period of the economic crisis with a continuous upward trend, effectively contributing to the fight against climate change and to the development of the national economy, creating new jobs for young people.

You have innovated and succeeded in a male-dominated and highly competitive industry. What is the secret to your success?

In the field of electricity production, women entrepreneurs are underrepresented. The entire market in Greece is male-dominated, and women face significant challenges in getting a fair shake and having the same opportunities as their male counterparts. This is the reason we see very few self-made women in positions of responsibility and influence unless they are heirs. Because women realize the overwhelming difficulties that dominate Greek society, they seek positions of power and recognition, with great success, in the judiciary. As for my own career, it was obviously a combination of luck and Kefalonian madness* (craziness, inspiration, courage).

Why did you choose the energy sector?

The energy sector is a crucial and determining factor for the development of a country’s industry and economic prosperity. The growing climate crisis requires a shift towards renewable sources to ensure the development of the national economy based on forms of electricity production that do not harm the environment, which is necessary for the survival of humanity. As a young person, I felt it was my duty and I had a strong desire to contribute with my work and existence to make this world a better place.

You come from Kefalonia. Would you live there for the rest of your life?

Kefalonia is the birthplace of my ancestors and parents and is an integral part of my DNA and existence. I dare say that it would be very difficult for me not to live there. If Kefalonia didn’t exist, I would have to invent it. Kefalonia is not just an island, it is a mini-continent. While in Northern Europe, one has to travel hundreds of kilometers to see a different landscape, in Kefalonia, you turn the corner and find yourself in another world. From the wild horses of Mount Ainos and the unique fir trees, the Abies Cephalonia Loudon, and the incredible mountain landscape reminiscent of a Swiss resort, just a few kilometers away, exotic beaches emerge, enchanting caves, and archaeological sites that transport you to another time, which take days to visit and understand.

What do you love most about the island?

Kefalonia is a special place of mystery, intimately connected to the depths of mother earth and the cosmic forces of the heavens, with unique people whom one can either love or hate, but one would be hard-pressed to find someone who would say that Kefalonians are boring or uninteresting. Not only do I love my homeland, but I cannot resist influencing friends and acquaintances from all over the world and infecting them with the virus of love for Kefalonia. My Swiss, Austrian, and English friends, who got to know and love Kefalonia through me, not only visit the island regularly but have also bought and built houses on the island and support it financially by making donations for charitable purposes. Just a few years ago, one of my friends, who was not born a Kefalonian but became one, loved Kefalonia so much that he made a significant donation for the new icon of Panagia Fidousa in Markopoulo and regularly visits the island, even having his spiritual guide there.

You are an active female entrepreneur, as well as a mother. How do you manage it?

Women are the temple of life and our God endowed us with a complex personality, resilience, and an inherent talent to do many things at once. It’s a difficult balancing act, but when you do what you love, you have inexhaustible powers and serve as an inspiration to children who look up to their parents with admiration to also become worthy and especially to their mother with whom every person has an irreplaceable, close existential bond.

Advice for your child?

Words and advice cannot play a decisive role in a child’s education. What matters is the example we give. Our children do not become what we tell them, but what we are. Our example, both as a positive and negative model, is recorded, and this is what largely determines the message we ultimately convey to our children.