Lena Papalexopoulou
Lena Papalexopoulou ’89SIPA, is the Vice-President of Desmos Non-Profit Foundation, a pioneering hub for charitable giving in Greece. She is best known for her conception and co-implementation of a visionary educational program, adopted by the Greek national schooling system, that empowers students to become civic-minded. She is the Chair of Tufts University’s International Board of Advisors, a Trustee of College Year in Athens, and a Board Member of the Phylactopoulos Foundation. She served on “Repositioning Greece”, a team that advised the Greek government on the country’s image and held positions of increasing responsibilities at the European Union, Merrill Lynch, Johnson & Johnson as well as Concept SA, where she was President and CEO. In 2023, she received American College Greece’s Social Impact Award.
Papalexopoulou has volunteered for Columbia for over two decades. As President of CAA Greece, she had a profound impact on the club, reorganizing its operations and drastically increasing outreach, events and participation, which culminated in the CAA Regional Club Award of Excellence in 2023. She regularly hosts events, talks and presentations for Columbia. As a member of the CAA Board from 2018 until 2024, she mentored colleagues, served on the Nominating Committee, and co-chaired the A&C CALE Subcommittee. Most importantly, she has been instrumental in the recent establishment of the Athens Columbia Global Center, as she tirelessly rallied support on both sides of the Atlantic, facilitated Columbia contacts with the Greek government, contributed to the Center’s strategic plan, procured media exposure, worked closely with the development office and secured the first signed major donation for the Center. She was recently appointed to the Center’s Senior Council. Papalexopoulou holds a B.A. with honors in Economics and Business from Lafayette College, a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and an Advanced Executive Management degree from IMD. She is the proud mother of Leticia, Anna, and Alexander ’21CC.