National Archaeological Museum president Ioanna Dretta boasts an impressive résumé, both in terms of her academic background and the roles she has held throughout her career.

She trained as a civil engineer, completed postgraduate studies at Imperial College London and Harvard University, and has followed a demanding but highly successful career path. Under former caretaker Prime Minister Ioannis Sarmas, she served as caretaker Tourism Minister, before later taking charge of Marketing Greece, the national tourism promotion body, where she coordinated Greece’s international promotion. She was appointed president of the National Archaeological Museum in March 2025, following the resignation of her predecessor, Dimitris Oikonomou, and now heads the museum’s expansion, a project currently in the closing stages of its design and planning studies.

“The National Archaeological Museum was a national undertaking when it was built in the 19th century,” she explains. “It formed part of the effort to forge a clear national identity, one that would distinguish modern Greeks from the Ottoman past and connect them to both the glory of ancient Greece and the European Enlightenment and Romanticism.”

“It required international architectural competitions, donations, and repeated revisions of the architectural plans, before a museum was finally built that drew admiration from everyone.”

Today, the forthcoming expansion of the museum, which was founded a year before the establishment of the modern Greek state, has been described as a project of national importance, a significant legacy for future generations.

“In 2019, the government announced its programme to expand the museum,” she notes. “The difficult path was chosen: a feasibility study, an international architectural ideas competition, and the appointment of major, internationally recognised architecture and museography firms. What would the easy path have looked like? A small extension, a gift shop, an auditorium, a ticket office and three exhibition halls, leaving everything else to chance. We could have held an opening ceremony and been proud of ourselves.”

“But it was decided that the National Archaeological Museum needed a holistic expansion and upgrade plan, which, among other things, includes the creation of a modern, innovative research centre, provision for the building’s sustainability, the preservation of the antiquities, an improved visitor experience and, of course, a new and much better public garden and park for the community. The building complex being created will substantially upgrade a world-class museum and further highlight both its remarkable collection and its role.

“This is genuinely a project of global scope, requiring an interdisciplinary approach and collaboration. We are talking about a museum that is open, outward-looking and inclusive. A great deal will change: the museological narrative itself is being transformed. We are approaching every aspect of our ancestors’ lives through the presentation of collections as a whole, rather than isolated works of art, placing emphasis not only on the ‘masterpiece’ but also on craftsmanship, while taking into account new scientific and archaeological findings.”

A sophisticated plan for innovations

Dretta is visibly proud of the project, which she describes as the work of her life. “We are creating narratives that help the public discover the human stories behind ancient objects, the elements they share with life today, and ways of addressing issues that remain points of concern for modern societies too. We are responding to our different categories of visitor, developing tours for families, for people with limited or more time, and for those with specific interests. Our collections are being strengthened in areas that were previously under-represented, while particular provision is being made for educational programmes. So we are talking about an entirely different visitor experience, especially once you take into account the technology that will be available by the time the museum is preparing to reopen and setting up its exhibitions.”

Having worked in tourism in her previous roles, Dretta takes a broad view of how Greece is promoted internationally. As she explains, Greece has transformed its image on the world map, and is now reaping the benefits of that added value. The phrase “we live on the best plot of land in the world” no longer sounds arrogant. As a result, an increasing number of people living abroad are now choosing Greece as a place to settle permanently. “Greece is a major global tourism brand, one that has grown even stronger in recent years, particularly since the pandemic,” she stresses.

“It has a very wide range, it offers plenty of choice, and it has improved and evolved considerably in recent years. Broadly speaking, it suffers from a lack of public infrastructure, while private infrastructure has made great strides forward in recent years. The critical challenge lies in all the country’s untapped potential: embedding the values of sustainable development into the product, and investing in authenticity. All of this requires coordination between the parties involved and productive cooperation. That last part is probably also the hardest, since we’re probably not very good at it, but it’s the only route to sustainable growth in tourism.”

But what is daily life like for a woman holding such a demanding post? “My everyday life is quite a challenge. The high demands of my professional life require a clear head, composure and, naturally, long working hours,” she admits with a smile.

“Life in Athens makes it even harder, since I have long distances to cover in heavy traffic. I wake up very early and try to fit as much as possible into the day. At the same time, I try to rest, usually at the expense of my social life. Being active and connecting with nature are my refuge for release and balance; that naturally takes time, but it’s something I need. I make an effort to ensure that everything I do, both professionally and personally, has meaning, because time is precious. My goal is to do something that nourishes the spirit as well as the body almost every day, or at least often. Something as simple as reading a few pages of a novel, writing a little in my journal, or seeing people who make me feel good.”

And when she has more free time, how does she prefer to spend it? “I really enjoy exercising, swimming, walking in the mountains, connecting with nature, which I find therapeutic. Staying active makes a big difference to how I feel. I do as much as I can, and I generally vary it depending on the season, the phase of life I’m in, and who I’m with. I love museums and exhibitions, I often visit them alone, and they help clear my mind and calm me down.”

Dretta is a formidable figure in the Greek business world. Besides serving as president of the National Archaeological Museum, she is also CEO of Reds, the real estate arm of the Ellaktor Group, one of Greece’s largest construction and infrastructure conglomerates. So what is her view on women in key positions?

“This is a complicated conversation to have in Greece. I’ve sat in on plenty of discussions that don’t even acknowledge there’s a problem. Women in general, according to neuroscience, have characteristics well suited to positions of responsibility. But you often struggle to find many women with the relevant experience, because the way family life and society function tends to exclude them from competing early on. Personally, having held positions of responsibility, I haven’t found it difficult to carry out my duties, but the obstacles I faced in getting there were certainly greater than those a man with my qualities would have faced.”