Greek born Virginia Green, the Managing Director and owner of GmbH Engineering & Construction & Service (Encos), was awarded the title Manager of the year 2014 by TÜV NORD. Virginia Green Giovanoudi was born in Didimoteixo Greece; she emigrated to Germany at the age of 18 to study chemical technology at the University of Dortmund. She founded Green Engineering in 1990 and in 2000 created ENCOS, based in Hamburg Germany; the company specializes in the design and construction of factories and facilities for the chemicals industry.

In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Green advised young Greeks not to leave the country because this seems the easiest solution, telling them instead to fight pessimism, take risks, create new businesses and be innovative in the sciences. She stressed also the benefits of organic farming, as it does not require a large industrial base or large capital to get started.