A Versatile Professional for Todays Dynamic World of Public Relations

Dimitri Bariamis: A Brief Backgrounder

With an array of experience and interests, one of the newest members of the public relations community is sure to impress. Bariamis is a newcomer to the world of public relations but brings a unique skill set that makes him a valuable asset to any team. He is a motivated young professional with a solid track record in team management, education, research and presentation in private sector, academic and international environments. With nearly a decade of service industry experience he has a proven focus on ensuring client engagement and satisfaction, with an excellent track record of success in dynamic and high-pressure situations. Bariamis brings a multi-faceted and interdisciplinary perspective to any project or team. With the ability to provide strategic communications planning, strong research and analytical skills as well as excellent writing he is a valuable contributor in team environments and a self-starter who enjoys creating and executing projects. Having lived and worked abroad intermittently over the past six years has given Bariamis experience in successfully adjusting to different cultural and social environments. He completed an Honours B.A. in International Development at the University of Guelph in 2010, an education focused on the politics and economics of change in the developing and developed world and assessing these issues from various perspectives. He excelled in writing on a wide variety of subjects within very distinct disciplines. Bariamis has had extensive experience in planning and executing events and functions. A selfproclaimed social media addict, Bariamis practices what he preaches and is active on numerous platforms, most recently launching his new blog Professional Adolescence. A current member of the Canadian Public Relations Society, Bariamis is scheduled to complete his public relations certificate in August 2011. For more information please visit http://about. me/dimitribariamis

Worlds of Experience and Creativity Combine for Newest PR Practitioner

Dimitri Bariamis is currently in his final semester at Centennial Colleges Corporate Communications and Public Relations program but education is something he looks at as a life-long endeavour. One thing shines through about this individual he cares. Priding himself on his empathy and curiosity has resulted in an individual who focuses much more on actively listening to others than merely trying to formulate a response as they speak with him. When speaking with him it becomes obvious that his one biggest fear is being the smartest person in the room; he is driven by his desire to learn, to improve. Over the past decade Dimitri has endeavoured on several paths that have contributed to him being the public relations practitioner that is an asset to any team or project.

Who is Dimitri?

Blogger /Social Media Specialist

Thanks in part to his Centennial College education, Dimitri has become highly adept at utilizing most forms of social media, and is highly active himself. Having recently started up a blog, http://professionaladolescence.blogspot.com/ has been a particularly liberating experience as a writer, providing a less formal environment to write on a plethora of subject that interest him, many of which have a . With widely varying interests Dimitri brings an abundance of enthusiasm and experience to his posts. Dimitri is a keen observer of Twitter, using it not only as an outlet to share news that like-minded followers might find appealing, but more as a tool to gauge public reactions to events, announcements, products and pop culture trends in general as things happen.

Bartender/Professional People Reader

In his time working in the service industry Dimitri has honed many skills. Of utmost importance, and pride, is his ability to read people. Far from being merely someone that only recited specials and answered perfunctory questions, Dimitri tailored his approach to each guest as they entered. Whether it was evaluating if an individual wanted to be sold a unique cocktail or extraordinary wine to complement a meal; if a client wanted their anonymity with quick, efficient service or wanted to be engaged in conversation or the never-ending debates that occur amongst patrons at a lively bar. Another critical aspect of his dynamism can be found in his ability to not necessarily only adapt to client needs, but to help colleagues by being more exuberant and outgoing and thereby creating a energetic and fun collaborative workplace environment.

Athlete/Renaissance Sportsman Always a fan of sports, Dimitri mostly participated in team sports until he completed high school. He competed at a club level for soccer, and was the founder and co-captain of the rugby team at his high school, in addition to being a serviceable hockey player. The main appeal of team sports was always the importance and products of chemistry. He strived in motivating others, leading by example and by being part of a team that together could create something more than the sum of all parts. His favourite victories were those that his teams should never have won. Following a knee injury, Dimitri re-focused his energies and began training in boxing. The appeal of the sport was the individual aspect, the payoff when all those hours alone in the gym showed their value with a sparring partner. Recently he has started kiteboarding, and although still a novice is thrilled at how he is progressing in combining the concepts and technique of flying a kite with the physical technique and concepts of board skills. Traveler/International Observer of the Human Condition

Writer/Target Audience analyst

In his time at Centennial Dimitri has done a wide range of work such as putting together feature pieces based on interviews, media pitches, backgrounders and consumer product descriptions to name just a few. Having studied International Development at the University of Guelph, Dimitri benefited from an interdisciplinary education that at times had him simultaneously writing papers on subjects that ranged from economics, history, politics, law, gender studies, geography and sociology, amongst others. This sharpened his ability to write for specific audiences, something that is evident in his writing today. With his experience in the service industry he also contributed to menu item descriptions, both for food and cocktails.

Dimitri first strapped on a backpack right after graduating high school and travelled Europe extensively on his own. While the myriad of experiences he had ranged from riding horses in northern Sweden to traversing ancient ruins on the back of a donkey to watching Champions League soccer match between AC Milan and Ajax Amsterdam, the most worthwhile experiences were steeped in intangibles. He observed the social contrasts of post-communist Eastern Europe, the idiosyncrasies of siestas of Mediterranean countries, the seemingly unending regional variations of culture and language from one of a country to another and sometimes from one end of a village. The experience honed his ability to contextualize his attitudes and actions appropriately, reinforcing his ability to refrain from the allure of ambiguous behavior and actions when situation analysis and thoughtfulness proved to create a far more meaningful experience.

Migrant Labourer/Cultural Adjustment Expert

Having lived on both a Greek island of Rhodes and the ski resort town of Blue Mountains, Dimitri has enjoyed the challenge of acclimating his Torontonian lifestyle to the very unique cultures of each. Showing his ability to adapt to diverse and at times difficult conditions, he was able to live and create networks of friends and colleagues in both places, having never lived there before. He showed an aptitude for successfully adjusting to widely varied schedules, consistently working 15 hour shifts in Blue Mountains and working split shifts from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. for 150 consecutive days in Greece.

Manager/Issues Management Specialist

Having twice worked in supervisory positions in the service industry, Dimitri is no stranger to managing people and business. While his first such position was achieved when he was still in high school, his ability to motivate people, assess situations and make good decisions in solving problems resulted in offers of promotion that were turned down in order to pursue higher education. Throughout university Dimitri worked at a restaurant/bar where he eventually achieved a similar status. His ability to understand the interpersonal dynamics of staff, client needs and experience enabled him to deal with issues quickly and effectively before they could become crises.

Leader/ Enhancer of Group Dynamics

Whether in sports, at work or in an academic environment Dimitri has thrived when working in groups. His understanding of leadership has allowed him to be dynamic in his interactions and amenable to assuming different roles in order to create working relationships that produce creative solutions and quality deliverables. His ability to understand that true leadership may mean taking another role, such as a coordinator or diplomat, to allow others to maximize their strengths and therefore the quality, cost and efficiency of the group process has been proven throughout his varied successes.

Teacher/Skilled Presenter
As a teacher and bartender on the Greek island of Rhodes, Dimitri helped create and present curriculum to students that ranged in ages from three years old to 72. Using his ability to relate and excellent Greek language skills, he was also able to be an effective tutor with students generally enjoying excellent success rates on their tests at all from basic to advanced levels. He was able to present the material in innovative and fun ways that captured and retained his students attention, while also being able to execute his lesson plans and relay information in a manner that stayed with classes and individuals.

Unique/PR Professional of the Future

Who is Dimitri Bariamis? He is the combination of a young professional whose life and career have been driven by his thirst for new experience and enthusiasm for new challenges. He is the dynamic individual that emphasizes understanding client needs, and has the life experience contextualizing and emphasizing to do it. He is a new breed of public relations practitioner, one who looks long-term but has a pulse on the tools of today and the ability to utilize them in a way that will get you success. He is the public relations practitioner of the future, and he is available.