Alpha Bank is the second largest bank in Greece after National Bank of Greece, with 450 branches throughout the country. It also has a subsidiary and branch in London, and branches and subsidiaries throughout the Balkans (see "International expansion" below). Founded in 1879, it has been controlled by the Costopoulos family since the very beginning. Currently the bank is chaired by Ioannis Costopoulos, who is the grandson of the original founder John F. Costopoulos, and the nephew of Stavros Costopoulos, Foreign Minister in the liberal government of Georgios Papandreou.
Famous quotes containing the words alpha and/or bank:
“Imagination is a valuable asset in business and she has a sister, Understanding, who also serves. Together they make a splendid team and business problems dissolve and the impossible is accomplished by their ministrations.... Imagination concerning the world’s wants and the individual’s needs should be the Alpha and Omega of self-education.”
—Alice Foote MacDougall (1867–1945)
“The prairies were dust. Day after day, summer after summer, the scorching winds blew the dust and the sun was brassy in a yellow sky. Crop after crop failed. Again and again the barren land must be mortgaged for taxes and food and next year’s seed. The agony of hope ended when there was not harvest and no more credit, no money to pay interest and taxes; the banker took the land. Then the bank failed.”
—Rose Wilder Lane (1886–1968)