When an official document says “terms and conditions apply”, few of us bother to read them. That neglect was life-changing for Nikos Angelopoulos – but in a good way, fortunately. Angelopoulos was studying physics and radio engineering in Athens when he saw an advertisement for a post-graduate scholarship sponsored by NATO. His application was successful, but when he went to discuss the details, an official pointed out that the prize required the winners to study abroad.

“It’s the first time I learned that every time you sign something, you have to read it,” he laughs. The international exchange took him to London, setting him on a path that eventually brought him to South Africa as Group CIO of MTN.