The Thought Leader Revolution Podcast EP368: Dr. George Athanassakos - Value Investing

“I’m a good businessman because I’m an investor, and I’m a good investor because I’m a businessman.” - Warren Buffet

“Your life depends on the quality of relationships you develop. That’s why you’ve got to develop relationships with good people…Invest in yourself. Invest in building your character, because character leads to success.”

Dr. George Athanassakos is a professor of finance, and chair of value investing at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. George lived a life that helped him develop qualities of a strong character. He later realized that some of these qualities gave him an advantage in the world of value investing. These qualities include humility, patience, independence, discipline, having a conservative mindset, and being contrarian. George believes in the principle of sacrificing short-term pleasure for long-term gains. He was mentored by and worked closely with Prem Watsa, CEO of Fairfax Finance, Toronto. Prem is known as the ‘Warren Buffet of the north’.

Expert action steps:

1. Take time to develop relationships with people you respect.
Develop integrity.
2. Be a good person and relate to people who are better than you.
3. Live a balanced life. Family and work.

Buy Geroge’s new book 'Value Investing: From Theory To Practice'.