George Oratis, country manager

George has been a packaging executive and entrepreneur for almost 28 years in Greece, Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria. Back in July 1995 when he first joined the printshop run by his late grandfather and uncle, he knew that this was the industry for him.

He helped grow that business for 13 years, before deciding he needed to broaden his business horizons.

He moved with his family to Bucharest, setting up a Balkans-wide sales network of contacts in the marketing departments of major local and multinational brands.

In 2018 he sold most of his stake in Bluebox Print to a Greek family active in cardboard packaging and returned to the industry in which he started his career, this time with the knowhow and experience acquired in Southeast Europe.

He updated his list of contacts on the international packaging market by visiting international shows, recruiting new customers, contracting major suppliers on favorable terms, and drawing up new growth plans. 

He joined the Van de Velde Packaging Group as country manager for Greece in 2022.

Outside work, he enjoys spending time with his two sons and his wife, collecting art, visiting auctions and spending his summer holiday on Astypalea, the world’s most beautiful island.