In September, Financial Analyst Peter Dudunakis in Berkadia’s Boston office represented Team Greece in the European Championship baseball tournament. What initially felt like a big ask to take off for two weeks, ended up being the most memorable baseball experience of his baseball career. Berkadia’s culture promotes paid time off, serving local communities, and fulfilling employee’s passions outside of the office.
Peter Dudunakis has been a member of Team Greece for six years now, but his baseball career goes further than that. He has been playing baseball since he was four years old, playing on multiple club teams growing up, on the varsity team in high school, and at the Division 1 level at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Due to injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter felt like most of his time playing was stolen from him. However, he was extremely fortunate to be given the opportunity to continue playing the sport he loved and represent the country of Greece after his collegiate career came to an end, all while his professional life started.
When Peter had originally found out about the opportunity to play in the tournament and the commitment it would be, he was hesitant to mention it to his colleagues at Berkadia. He thought it would be a reach for a first-year analyst to be able to take that much time off to go play baseball. However, once Peter had let them know of this opportunity, his coworkers were more excited about the tournament than he had ever thought. His team even said, “you would be crazy to not go,” and constantly reminded him when he was at the tournament and able to do some work remotely, to hop off the computer and enjoy his time.
Peter received an outpouring of support companywide. “This is a testament to the incredible culture Berkadia has built and its acknowledgment of us as individuals and this support from the top to bottom embodies what it means to be at Berkadia,” said Dudunakis. “I am extremely passionate about the business that we have been building at Berkadia, but above all I am truly thankful for the opportunity they gave me to pursue another passion of mine outside of the office.”
During his college career, Peter played against nationally ranked teams in their state-of-the-art facilities in front of thousands of fans. However, he shared that the experience representing Team Greece was an honor that rivals no other. Nothing can compare to singing the national anthem with his Greek teammates before each game and knowing they were all playing for something bigger than themselves. “Wearing the uniform means a lot to me because it allows me to represent my heritage in a unique way that is special to me and played a huge role in my life,” said Dudunakis.
Peter’s baseball career has prepared him for a professional life in a way that could not have been accomplished with any degree or in any classroom. Baseball has taught him that there is a delayed gratification in all work, which plays out in many aspects of the professional world. This has allowed him to develop a strong work ethic and has allowed him to fall in love more so with the work versus the actual result.
Peter looks forward to competing with Team Greece again in 2025 as they make a run for the 2028 Olympics!