Editing Alpha Bank (section)

===First years===
[[File:Georgios jakobides john-f-costopoulos-1919.jpg|thumb|John F. Costopoulos, Painting by [[Georgios Jakobides]], 1919]]

Ioannis F. Kostopoulos, a textile merchant from Sperhogeia in Messinia, founded a commercial shop in 1882 in Kalamata and in 1885 he started to be active in foreign exchange trading.<ref name="Πανελλήνιον ΛεύκωμαEθνικήςEκατονταετηρίδος">{{cite book |title=Πανελλήνιον Λεύκωμα Eθνικής Eκατονταετηρίδος 1821-1921 |year=1922 |location=Αθήνα |pages=239–243 |editor=Σηφάκης Ν., Xατζηιωάννου I. }}</ref> In 1916 the trading house was transformed into a bank under the "Bank I. F. Kostopoulos" with the participation of [[Ionian and Laiki Bank|Laiki Bank]] of [[Dionysios Loverdos|Dionysios
Loverdos]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.kathimerini.gr/society/561289414/poios-itan-o-protoporos-trapezitis-giannis-kostopoylos/|title=Ποιος ήταν ο πρωτοπόρος τραπεζίτης Γιάννης Κωστόπουλος|last=Τζώρτζη|first=Ευγενία|date=9 March 2021|website=kathimerini}}</ref> In 1918 the bank was transformed from a limited partnership into a joint-stock company called "Bank of Kalamata.<ref name=":0" />

After the death of Ioannis F. Kostopoulos, the reins of the bank were taken over initially by Spyros Kostopoulos and then by Dimitrios Kostopoulos, who in 1923 merged the banking division of the commercial house "Ioannis F. Kostopoulos" with the Bank of Kalamon, creating the "Bank of Hellenic Commercial Credit" based in Athens.<ref name="Πανελλήνιον ΛεύκωμαEθνικήςEκατονταετηρίδος"/><ref name="κωστής169">{{Cite book|title=Οι Τράπεζες στην Ελλάδα, 1898-1928|first1=Κώστας|last1=Κωστής|first2=Βάσιας|last2=Τσοκόπουλος|publisher=Ελληνική Ένωση Τραπεζών|location=Αθήνα|page=169}}</ref> On 2 November 1925 the bank was listed on the Athens Stock Exchange and in 1932 the bank moved to a privately owned building on
Stadiou and Pezmazoglou streets.

The economic crisis of 1929 forced the "Bank of Hellenic Commercial Credit" to reduce its network of branches and to seek financing from the National Bank of Greece, which now appointed a representative to its board of directors.<ref>{{cite book |last=Κωστής |first=Κώστας |title=Ιστορία της Εθνικής Τράπεζας της Ελλάδος, 1914-1940 |year=2003 |publisher=ΜΙΕΤ |location=Αθήνα |pages=421}}</ref> Dimitris Kostopoulos was succeeded in the leadership of the bank by his sons Spyros and [[Stavros Kostopoulos]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Με λογισμό και μ' όνειρο. Alpha Bank, 19ος-21ος αιώνας |year=2016 |publisher=Alpha Bank |location=Αθήνα |pages=95 96 |editor=Κώστας Κωστής}}</ref>

The war period that would follow would lead the bank to a dead end, which would liquidate almost all its assets. The board of directors will even call an extraordinary general meeting on 19 December 1944 to dissolve the company. The dissolution would not take place due to the events of [[Dekemvriana]] and after the Treaty of Varkiza the decision of the directors would be revised.<ref>{{cite book |title=Με λογισμό και μ' όνειρο. Alpha Bank, 19ος-21ος αιώνας |year=2016 |publisher=Alpha Bank |location=Αθήνα |pages=110–111 |editor=Κώστας Κωστής}}</ref>