Topic: Companies & Environment in the times of the “Comm – Boom” and the “eco2soc” crises
Synopsis: Yannis Freris is examining the relation between companies and the environment, taking into account parameters as the global “eco2soc” (ecologic, economic & social) crises, the expansion of communication and its means (“The Comm-Boom”), corporate citizenship and sustainable civic involvement. From the point of view of a communicator and a CSR practitioner, he is describing his experience of being at the same time the official spokesperson of GEFYRA S.A. (Concessionaire of the Rion – Antirion Bridge / Western Greece) and an active self-invested implementer of the company’s CSR policies. He is analyzing the paradigm of the creation of common action platforms (between the citizens, eco-scientists and the company’s employees), the synthesis between environmental care and international social solidarity and the use of a landmark as the bridge as the symbol and the amplifier of worldwide messages of eco-responsibility. At the end he is trying to answer if communication can change the world.
Yannis Frerisleads the communication and corporate responsibility department of GEFYRA S.A. (Concessionaire of the Rion – Antirion “Harilaos Trikoupis” Bridge), from the beginning of the epopee of this European mega-structure, as well as during its operation started in 2004. Spokesperson, corporate communication strategist, certified CSR practitioner and responsible for sustainable development policies, he is coordinating a team which won 10 national and European awards during the last two years, in the fields of Communication & CSR. He is the Regional Coordinator of the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) for Greece, initiator of the same association's CSR working group, an IEMA-approved CSR practitioner and a board-member of the Corporate Responsibility Institute (CRI). He is also a member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA). His past experience in the public and private sector, counts research as Scientific Director of the Institute for Research & Policy Strategy (INERPOST), communication and event management of the Greek action plan of the European Year Against Racism (1997) appointed by the Minister of Labour & Social Affairs and consultancy inside PLANET S.A.
