170 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine ENTREPRENEURS TASSOS F. CHRONOPOULOS PRESIDENT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER The Tassos Group LLC Aurora, IL Tassos F. Chronopoulos is the president and CEO of The Tassos Group LLC, a family-owned and operated company founded in 1995 in Chicago. Two of his three children, Anna Maria and Michael, round out the company’s executive team, while his eldest son, Foti, practices obstetrics and gynecology in Chicago. As a family-owned company, its values determine its conduct, business strategy and commitment to providing quality, healthy Greek food products at affordable prices. The Tassos Group does not focus exclusively on financial profit but rather on what actions support stewardship, sustainability and respect for the environment, buyers and customers. Recognized as a major distributor throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, they sell superior quality Greek foods, including high-quality extra virgin olive oils and stuffed and doublestuffed olives. The Tassos brand is the only imported Greek product available in the U.S. military worldwide. Born in Athens in 1940 during World War II, Mr. Chronopoulos first met his father upon his return from fighting the Nazis at the end of the War in 1945. His first experience with the American spirit and values came when the U.S. Marines paraded in front of the monument of the Unknown Soldier in Athens in 1946 upon liberating Greece from Germany. Education was of paramount importance to Mr. Chronopoulos’ parents. They registered all four children in private schools, as most of Athens’ public schools were destroyed during the war. This was a hardship for his parents to keep all four children in private schools; as the eldest son, Mr. Chronopoulos transferred to a public school. He attended public high school at night, and during the day, he studied German to study engineering. In 1956, after the American Marines paraded downtown Athens, he enrolled in the American Studies Institute to learn English. On weekends, Mr. Chronopoulos was a tour guide at the Parthenon. In 1959, he met two professors from the University of Chicago on one of his summer tours at the Acropolis. Impressed with his knowledge of ancient Greek history alongside his English language skills,
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