Early Life
Theo Roussis was born in Spolaïta, West Greece, on May 3, 1954. He is of Greek descent and is a citizen of Belgium. Roussis's parents were olive oil merchants. He studied biochemistry at the University of Athens and the University of Seville in Spain. It was in Madrid that he met his wife, Gunhilde Van Gorp, daughter of Ravago founder Raf Van Gorp.
Rise to Success
Roussis began his career at Synfina, an insulation division of Ravago, which was later sold. In 1993, following the death of his father-in-law Raf Van Gorp, Roussis took over the leadership of Ravago. Under his guidance, Ravago grew into a global leader in the production, recycling, and distribution of plastics. Roussis transformed Ravago from a modest plastics recycler into a global powerhouse, generating over 13 billion euros in annual revenue and employing 9,000 people.
Key Business Strategies
Key to Roussis's success has been his strategic leadership and long-standing focus on expanding Ravago's reach in the plastics recycling and distribution sector. One major strategy was the acquisition of the American company Muehlstein in 2006, which made Ravago the global number one in its field. Further expansions included the acquisition of Bamberger Polymers, an American chemical company, through the family holding company, Plastiche.
Philanthropy
Theo Roussis supports initiatives in his local community through the Innovation Fund.
