SENATUS: Fifth franchise outlet planned for the Heraklion region

SENATUS has announced a new official agency in Heraklion, Crete, welcoming insurance agent Manolis Sevdalis into its network. His existing premises are being refurbished to the company’s specifications and will become the network’s fifth outlet in the Heraklion region. The development highlights an alternative route to growth in Greek franchising: partnering with professionals who already run their own businesses.

The new agency and preparations underway

According to the announcement published in Insurance World on 15 October 2026, Manolis Sevdalis is the owner and head of the new agency. An insurance agent with many years of professional experience, he has chosen to join the SENATUS network.

The office occupies a corner site at the junction of 73 Vas. Sbokou Street and Ierolochiton Street in Heraklion. It predates the new partnership and is being refurbished to the company’s specifications so that it can operate as an official SENATUS agency.

This distinction matters: the news concerns the announcement of a new partnership and the conversion of existing premises, rather than confirmation that the refurbishment has been completed or an opening has taken place. The fifth outlet in the region is presented as the next addition to the network’s local presence.

For the franchising community, the interest therefore lies both in SENATUS strengthening its geographical presence and in how it is doing so: by bringing an established professional into the network at his existing business premises.

Growth through existing businesses

This agreement reflects SENATUS’s stated approach to expansion. The company says it invests in partnerships with established professionals across Greece, using franchising rather than focusing solely on businesses set up by newcomers.

In the announcement, Ioannis Gioubakis, the SENATUS franchisor, linked the new partnership to the acceptance of the business model by professionals who have already built their own careers. His comments emphasised joining the network as the next step in developing an existing business.

That is the distinctive feature of the Heraklion case. The new partner is not presented as someone just starting out in insurance. He already has premises and professional experience, while the partnership introduces the network’s corporate standards and support structures.

The news thus provides a concrete example of how franchising can support the continued development of an existing business. It is not simply another address on the map, but a change in the framework within which the partner’s business will grow.

The support tools highlighted by the network

In presenting its model, SENATUS refers to a customer relationship management system, a training academy and operational support. These are the core elements it highlights as part of membership of an organised insurance agency network.

These features take the discussion beyond refurbishing premises and adopting a shared corporate identity. For a professional considering a similar partnership, important questions also concern the day-to-day use of the tools, the content of the training and the scope of support provided under the agreement.

These are areas to assess, not automatic guarantees of commercial success. A structured operating framework needs to be considered against the needs of the individual business, particularly where a prospective partner already has established processes and professional experience.

The significance of a fifth outlet in Heraklion

SENATUS states that it has had a nationwide presence since 1998. The new agency strengthens its position in an area where it already operates, as Manolis Sevdalis’s office will be its fifth outlet in the Heraklion region. That figure refers to the wider region, not just the city.

This increase in local presence is the clear, measurable development in the announcement. The partnership also offers Greece’s franchising community an example of expansion in professional services through the integration of an existing insurance agency.

Practical takeaway: Anyone considering converting their business into a franchise should assess refurbishment requirements, day-to-day operating tools and the network’s specific support terms together.