Firstborn son of Georgios Papageorgiou and Alexandra Gimba, Nikolaos Papageorgiou was born in 1930 in Siatista, Kozani prefecture, in Western Macedonia.

Having lost his father early in the 1940 war, he was forced to work as a child to support his family. The difficult conditions of life armed him with courage and perseverance. Studious and tireless, he started his professional activity in 1953 together with his brothers Leonidas and Apostolos. From early on, he focused on the production and trade of fur, always with the aim of exporting to foreign markets.

In 1957 he married Anna Tzioura and together they had two children, George and Markos.

His visionary spirit and entrepreneurial spirit elevated the family's companies to the top of Greece from 1963. The name “Papageorgiou” became synonymous with high quality and innovation. In the 1970s and 1980s the company dominated not only the European but also the Global fur market.

A man of courage and social sensitivity, Nikolaos Papageorgiou did not limit himself to the steering wheel of his active group of businesses. Together with his brother Leonidas, they created the Foundation Papageorgiou in 1991. Having a vision and goal of offering to Greek society, they allocated 30 million dollars and undertook the construction and equipment of the Papageorgiou General Hospital in Thessaloniki. The Foundation participates in the administration of the Hospital that has been operating since 1999, offering high prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation services, charting a successful course in the Health sector in Greece.

Nikolaos Papageorgiou, until the day he passed away (July 16, 2022), from the position of President of the Papageorgiou Foundation, continued with the same dedication, generosity and modesty to contribute to education and culture, through the implementation of actions which in critical times promote science, the spirit and the Greek tradition.