Kyriakos Mitsotakis has been Prime Minister of Greece since July 2019, when a landslide general election victory swept his Nea Demokratia party to power. He is the leader of Greece’s first majority government in more than a decade.

Campaigning on an unapologetically pro-business/anti-corruption platform, and an end to populism and the rhetoric of empty promises, as Prime Minister he has focused relentlessly on green and digital job creation, strong economic growth, sustainable tourism, and tax reform.

To date, he has prioritised foreign direct investment, enhanced Greece’s credibility among the ratings agencies, provided a strong and respected voice at the centre of the European Union. He has also championed the role of experts and technocrats in his Cabinet, in senior positions in government and at the forefront of Greece’s widely praised response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Political career

Kyriakos was Greece’s Minister for Administrative reform and e-government between 2013 and 2015. He became President of Nea Demokratia in 2016, after winning an open election in which he was widely considered the outsider.

He immediately set about radically reinventing the party in opposition; modernising and renewing its appeal; boosting membership; and revolutionising fund-raising, based on small annual donations by members. He also put in place a code of transparency and accountability in how the party operated.

A member of the Greek Parliament since 2004, Kyriakos previously sat on a number of prominent parliamentary Committees, including the Committee for Constitutional Amendment, the Committee for Trade, and the Committee for National Defence. He was also an active member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. As Chairman of the Environment Committee and shadow minister for the environment he fought to highlight the issue of climate change and advocated for environmentally sustainable growth.

Early career and education

Before entering politics, Kyriakos worked for a decade in the private sector as a financial analyst with Chase Investment Bank, a consultant with McKinsey and Company and as CEO of NBG Venture Capital at the National Bank of Greece. He has a bachelor’s degree in Social Studies summa cum laude from Harvard, an MA in International Relations from Stanford, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Family

Kyriakos is married to Mareva Grabowski, an investment banker. They have three children, Sofia,

Konstantinos and Dafni, and live in Athens. In addition to Greek, the Prime Minister speaks English,

French and German.

Margaritis SCHINAS

European Commission Vice-President

Margaritis Schinas took office as Vice-President of the European Commission under President Ursula Von Der Leyen in December 2019. He is entrusted with the portfolio for Promoting our European Way of Life. In this capacity, he oversees the EU’s policies for Migration, Security Union, Social rights, Skills, Education, Culture & Sports, Youth, Public health, Interfaith dialogue and the Fight against antisemitism.

Mr Schinas began his career in the European Commission in 1990 and is yet both the first EU official who has been appointed Member of the College of Commissioners, and the first Greek Vice-President of the European Commission in the history of the institution. Between 2007 and 2009, he served as a Member of the European Parliament. During his parliamentary term, he has been a Member of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.

Upon completing his parliamentary work, he returned to the European Commission where he held various senior positions in areas of high responsibility. In particular, in 2010, President Barroso appointed him as Deputy Head of the Bureau of European Policy Advisers. Later, he served as Resident Director and Head of the Athens Office of the European Commission’s Directorate‑General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN). In 2014, President Juncker appointed Mr Schinas as the Chief Spokesperson of the European Commission, role that he endorsed during one of the most challenging period of the European integration.

Born in Thessaloniki in 1962, Margaritis Schinas holds an MSc on Public Administration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics, a Diploma of Advanced European Studies on European Administrative Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges and a Degree in Law from the Aristotelean University of Thessaloniki.

He is married and has two children.

You can follow him on Twitter: Margaritis Schinas (@ MargSchinas)

Prof Costas Kadis was born in Nicosia in 1967. He graduated from the Pancyprian Gymnasium in 1985 and served in the National Guard of Cyprus until 1987.  He graduated from the Department of Biology – University of Athens in 1991 and received a PhD from the same Department in 1995. Prof. Kadis attended other post graduate courses, including the Intensive Course on “Mediterranean Landscape Ecology” at the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, the “Teaching in Natural Sciences” course at the University of Athens – Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology, and the training course on “Approaches to the administration of publicly funded scientific research in the USA” at Cornell University.

His professional career began at the University of Athens, where he worked as a postgraduate and postdoctoral researcher. In 1996 he returned to Cyprus and joined Enalion Environmental Management Centre of the Cyprus Development Bank, as scientific consultant. In 1998 he joined the Research Promotion Foundation where he held various positions, including Deputy Director General. In 2005 he joined the faculty of Frederick University and established the Nature Conservation Unit within the University. He also served as Dean of the School of Education. Under these capacities, he coordinated numerous research projects and built networks of cooperation with dozens of Universities, research centers and scientists in Cyprus and abroad. These projects were funded by the European Commission, the United Nations, the Research Promotion Foundation of Cyprus, the Government of Cyprus and other funding agencies.

Prof. Kadis has participated in many local and international professional conferences, where he has presented the results of his scientific work. He is the author and co-author of scientific books, scientific articles published in international journals and proceedings of professional conferences, after peer review, research reports, and studies focusing on the sustainable management of natural resources, biodiversity conservation, and environmental education. He has been member of several scientific committees in the fields of Research and Environment, in Cyprus and abroad.

Prof. Kadis served as Minister of Health of the Republic of Cyprus from July 2007 to February 2008.

In March 2008 he was appointed by the President of the Republic of Cyprus as the Leader of the Greek Cypriot Technical Committee on the Environment, and led talks with the Turkish Cypriot Technical Committee, within the framework of the Government’s efforts for the reunification of Cyprus.

In March 2014, he was appointed by President Anastasiades as Minister of Education and Culture and served in this position until February 2018.

In March 2018, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.

Costas Kadis is married to Marina Michaelidou-Kadi and they have two children, Sophia and Christophoros.

Mr Kadis took office as Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment on the 1st of March 2018.

Head of Parliamentary Group – “Kinima Allagis’’ – MP of Ilia District

Michalis Katrinis is the Head of the Parliamentary Group of Kinima Allagis. He has been elected as a member of the Greek Parliament 3 times in 2007, 2009 and 2019, in the district of Ilia.

Prior to his current position, he was a shadow minister for Economy and Growth and a Parliamentary Representative for the party “Kinima Allagis”, as well as a member of the Standing Committee of Economics, the Standing Committee of Production and Commerce, and the South-East European Cooperation Process (PROCESS-SEECP). Additionally, he is a member of the Central Committee of the Movement of Change and the Political Council of PASOK.  Moreover, he has served as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Western European Union (WEU). From April 2014 up to December 2014, he also served as the president of OKANA (Organisation Against Drugs). Finally, he was a member of the Governing Council of the Hellenic Dental Association, as his main profession is a dentist.

HCMR Director and President of the Board of Directors. Director of Research at the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC) of HCMR. Former Director of IMBBC (2013 – 2018) and vice president of the Board of Directors of HCMR (2015-2018), former Director of the Institute of Marine Biology and Genetics (2005 -2012), for the founding of which I have played a pivotal role. Member of the Regional Council for Research and Innovation of Crete (RCRI-C) (since Jan 2017). Participation in more than 60 RTD projects, in half of which was Scientific Responsible of Coordinator. Scientific Responsible of the European (FP7, Capacities, REGPOT) emerging excellence project “Supporting research potential for marine biodiversity and genomics in the Eastern Mediterranean” (MARBIGEN), funded 3 M€. Coordinator of the “Centre for the Study and Sustainable Exploitation of Marine Biological Resources” (CMBR), which is the Greek node of EMBRC-ERIC and part of the Greek national roadmap for Research Infrastructures, funded 4 M€. H index = 32 (Scopus) – 38 (Google Scholar). More than 90 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, more than 2700 (Scopus) – 4300 (Google Scholar) citations.

Founding member of Andromeda SA, Mr. Apostolos Touralias has an aquaculture experience spanning more than thirty years. He has served as an Administrative Manager, Operations Manager, HR Manager, Sales & Production Manager and Commercial Manager. Currently he is the Production & Sales Planning Director for Avramar Group.

Additionally, through his constant presence in the sector’s institutional affairs, he is the elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organization (HAPO), the Managing Director of “Echinades and West Coast of Aetoloakarnania Development SA” and member of POAY Thesprotias (Allocated spatial zones for aquaculture development) SA.

Filippos Petridis. He was born in 1968. Graduate in Applied Sciences of Wolverhampton University (England, U.K.), holding a BSc with Honours Degree specialising in Environmental Management and Planning. He followed Post Graduate studies in the University College North Wales – Bangor (Wales, U.K.) and he was awarded an MSc Degree in Fisheries Biology and Culture. He is also a qualified expert on Hygiene and Food Safety systems (Royal Society of Hygiene, England, U.K.).

He has a long-standing professional experience in the food industry and in particular on fish culture and fish processing industries, having accumulated experience on food logistics centres, food wholesale markets. He is also a leading expert on aquaculture strategic development and infrastructure design.

He has accumulated more than twenty-five (25) years’ work experience on National and European Operational Programs and Initiatives being a senior consultant since 1997. Provides technical consulting services to companies as well as sectoral associations and producer organizations in the fish farming sector.

He belongs to the team of industry experts of CERTCOM (subsidiary of CERTECH-CANADA) and he is member on the Board of Directors in a number of private companies.

He currently holds the position of the President of BoD and CEO in AMBIO S.A., Athens Greece.

He was born in Lamia, Fthiotida, in 1973.

He was elected MP in Fthiotida with Nea Demokratia political party on the election of 2007, 2009, 2012 (May and June), 2015 (January and September) and July 2019.

From October 2009 until June 2012 he was Deputy Head of the Economic Policy Sector of Nea Demokratia.

From June 2012 he was appointed as Alternate Minister of Finance, and held his position until the election of January 2015.

From February 2015 until June 2019 he was the Head of ND Economic Policy Sector.

From July 2019 he was appointed as Minister of Finance.

He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the Management School, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, and a Doctor’s degree (PhD in Banking) from the Department of Banking and Finance, Cass Business School, City University.

He is Associate Professor in Finance at the Athens University of Economics and Business.

He was part time academic staff at the Hellenic Open University (2004-2007), Assistant at the Athens University of Economics and Business (2006 – 2019), Visiting Professor at the Universities of Thessaly, Athens, City and European University Cyprus.

He has worked at the Central Bank of England and the Eurobank Group.

He has published over 50 research papers in international refereed scientific journals, books and monographs and he has also participated in many scientific international conferences.

He is member of scientific and research societies and organizations.

Adonis Georgiadis was born on November 6th, 1972, in Athens. He is married to Eugenia Manolidou and they have two children, Athanasios Perseus and Anastasios Alcaeus

He graduated from the Faculty of History & Archaeology of the School of Philosophy of the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens.

In 1993, he took over the management of publications ‘GEORGIADIS-LIBRARY OF GREEK’. In 1994, he founded the Liberal Studies Center “GREEK EDUCATION”.

Elected MP in Athens B region in the elections of 2007 and 2009 with the LAOS political party.

In February 2012, he joined the Nea Demokratia political party, having resigned from the parliamentary office. Elected with Nea Demokratia in Athens B in the national elections of 2012 and 2015.

In 2011, he was Vice Minister of Shipping in the Government of Lucas Papademos and in 2013 he was appointed Minister of Health in the Government of Antonis Samaras.

On January 18th, 2016, he was appointed one of the two Vice-Presidents of the Nea Demokratia by decision of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the President of Nea Demokratia.

On July 9th, Adonis Georgiadis was appointed as Minister of Development and Investments after the 2019 Greek elections.

Yannis Stournaras

Governor, Bank of Greece

Born in Athens, December 10, 1956. He graduated from the Department of Economics, University of Athens (1978). He obtained his post-graduate degrees (MPhil 1980, DPhil 1982) from Oxford University, where he also worked from 1981 to 1985 as a Research Fellow and Lecturer at St. Catherine’s College and as Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Today he is Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics, University of Athens (joined 1989). From 1994 to July 2000 he was Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. From 2000 to 2004 he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Emporiki Bank. He served as Director General of the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE) (September 2009-June 2012). He was Minister of Finance from July 2012 until June 2014. ). Since June 2014 he is Governor of the Bank of Greece and Member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank. From February 2020 he is Chairman of the Audit Committee of the European Central Bank.

Nicholas Lykiardopulos is a leading figure in the International Shipping Industry. His family business, Neda Maritime Agency, operates one of the longest established fleets of tankers and bulk carriers. With an equally long history in food and agriculture investments his family deploys capital worldwide and throughout the food chain. He is a Director of Diorasis International SA, an alternative investment business based in Luxemburg, which has invested in the Mediterranean Aquaculture Industry through Philosofish SA. He is Chairman of the London listed Taylor Maritime Investments Ltd, a Director of the Oslo listed BW Epic Kosan and holds a number of other corporate positions. Nicholas studied at Oxford University gaining an MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.

Thor Talseth is a sector-focused investor focusing on the global aquaculture value chain. He is Chairman of the Board of Avramar Seafood Company and Founding Partner of Neptune NRCP LLC. Thor was previously head of private equity with AMERRA Capital Management LLC.

As a former senior executive of public and private aqua/agri businesses, Thor brings a hands-on approach to investing in and adding value to portfolio companies.

Thor has more than 20 years’ experience in the international seafood and aquaculture industry as an investor, senior executive and as a sector- focused banker. He was previously Head of Seafood (Corporate Finance) at Arctic Securities, Executive Chairman of a public marine biotech company, Managing Director & Country Manager of Landsbanki Norway and CEO of publicly listed international aquaculture company Fjord Marine.

Thor has also been a speaker and organizer of industry-focused investor conferences in New York, Chicago, London, Oslo, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Roy Høiås founded Lighthouse Finance in 2013 through a management-led buyout of CMA Asset Management AS, a structured asset finance manager serving the Pan-Nordic region since 1973. Roy has been active in the seafood sector for nearly two decades, first attracted by its rapid industrialization and growth potential. Notably, he has been involved in establishing some of the very first land-based RAS facilities and bio-marine ingredient from fish waste plants ever built. Roy relies on meaningful industry relationships and accrued value chain expertise to deliver innovative, tailored financing solutions for some of the world’s most prominent seafood farmers, processors, and suppliers.

Prof. Dr. Haris Lambropoulos: President of the Hellenic Development Bank of Investments SA (HDBI, ex TANEO-New Economy Fund). He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the London School of Economics (Ph.D. econ. LSE). He is elected faculty member (Assistant Professor with tenure) at the University of Patras. He is Counsellor elected (member of the Board of Directors) of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), actively participating in a variety of activities to promote entrepreneurship, innovation, and business and human resources development. Also, he is President of the Institute of Research & Studies of the Union of Hellenic Chambers (UHC), Chief Counsel, Mentor and Coach of The Athens Startup Business Incubator (THEA), Secretary General of ICC (Hellas), Member of the Attica Regional Research & Innovation Council etc.

He has acted as Principal Consultant of the World Bank; Adviser to the Ministers of –Education, –Tourism Development and -Health & Social Solidarity, as well as, served as top executive, member of the Board of Directors and advisor in various companies, funds, organisations, and foundations in the private and the public sector in Greece and abroad. Ηe has participated in official missions abroad as well as in various committees on a national, European, and international level; recipient of various distinctions and scholarships, having extensive voluntary social work and active involvement in public affairs.

Mr. Kouvelis served as Minister of State for Foreign Economic, Environmental, and Cultural Affairs of Greece from 2009 until 2011. He was first elected as Member of the Hellenic Parliament in 2007 and re-elected in 2009. During 2007-2009, he was the Shadow Minister of Environment, Energy, and Planning. He is currently a Senior Associate of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and the Founder and Director of the EPLO Institute for Sustainable Development, which started as a joint initiative between the European Public Law Organization (EPLO), an International Organization with Permanent Observer status at the UN General Assembly, and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). He is also the Chief Senior Advisor with Verture, a European group of consulting companies on sustainable development policy, ESG strategy and metrics, innovation, and new technologies, with a global portfolio of clients, where he has designed the Verimpact ESG rating tool and methodology. He serves as an Advisory Board Member of Sustainable Investments Oman, promoting cutting- edge technological innovations in the MENA region on food security, energy and health. He is the Founder and Patent holder with BabylonGardens, an Innovation Hub for Green Urban Spaces, with offices in France, Greece and Cyprus. Spyros has worked as Senior Advisor to various UN programmes on the environment and sustainable development and previously held leadership positions with WWF and the Ramsar Conventions, and the Ecofilms International Film Festival.

Mr. Simos Kedikoglou

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Rural Development & Food

Simos Kedikoglou was elected member of the Hellenic Parliament for the Prefecture of Evia with New Democracy Party in the elections of 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2019.

He served as Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and Government Spokesman from 2012 to 2014.

He was a member of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, of the Standing Committee on National Defense & Foreign Affairs, Special Standing Committee on European Affairs and of the Committee on Armaments Programs & Contracts.

In addition, he served as head of the Greek Delegation and Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation.

Simos Kedikoglou is a journalist. He has been a political, parliamentary and diplomatic editor in newspapers “Kathimerini”, “Apogevmatini”, “Apofasi” and “Chora”. He also presented and participated in broadcasts of  TV and radio stations (ERT, MEGA, FLASH etc.). For many years he was a contributor to CNN International’s World Report show, and on CNN’s “Q&A” show in Atlanta, USA.

He speaks English, Russian, and French.

He is married and the father of a son and a daughter.

Member of the European Parliament, Committee on the Environment, Public Health & Food Safety

Petros Kokkalis

Website
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/197743/PETROS_KOKKALIS/home

He studied Modern History at the University of Hampshire, with a postgraduate degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. As vice-president of Olympiacos, he reformed the club into one of the leading professional teams in Europe.

He was also the founding president of the Greek Super League. He is the co-founder and secretary of the award-winning International Organization for Environmental Protection (IUCN) NGO “Earth Organization”.

Distinguished executive of the local government in Piraeus (2014 – 2019), who was promoted to a pioneer municipality for the promotion of entrepreneurship and support of start-ups operating in the maritime economy.

The European Commission has awarded the Blue Growth Piraeus initiative in the European Entrepreneurship Promotion Competition 2018.

He participated decisively in the humanitarian support of the big refugee wave during the period 2015-2016.

In 2019 he was elected MEP with SYRIZA – PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE.

1. Vice President

1. • Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee
2. Member
   • Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
3. Substitute
   • Committee on Budgets
   • Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
   • Committee on Fisheries
   • Delegation for relations with Israel
   • Delegation for relations with India

Mr Christos Economou – Acting Director, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission

Mr Economou is Acting Director with responsibility for Maritime Policy and Blue Economy and Head of Unit with responsibility for sea-basin strategies, maritime regional cooperation and maritime security at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE). He is currently the Interim Mission manager for the Restore our Ocean and Waters mission.

He joined the Commission in 2000 where he worked in various positions at the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) dealing with maritime transport, land transport and with innovation in railways, from the position of Interim Executive Director for the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking. Prior to 2000, he worked for the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) in Brussels. He studied Business Administration in the University of Athens, and holds Master’s degrees of European Economics and of Maritime and Aviation Law, both from the University of Brussels.

Georgios Paximadis

GFCM Aquaculture Expert

General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, FAO

Mr Georgios Paximadis works for the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean of the FAO on aquaculture sustainability, with a focus on responsible practices, certifications and marketing. Having worked as a Seafood Sustainability and Marketing Consultant globally, Marine Officer for WWF Greece and Account Director for Ogilvy, Mr Paximadis’ professional experience includes marine conservation and research, fisheries policy and stakeholder outreach, as well as communications, for over 20 years.

Tatjana Hema is the Coordinator of the UN Environment Programme/ Mediterranean Action Plan-Barcelona Convention Secretariat, based in Athens, Greece, since July 2021, after serving for 5 years as Deputy Coordinator. She has strong experience of inter-governmental processes, especially in the area of marine and coastal environment and related sustainable development issues, backed by solid scientific knowledge on chemical engineering and marine pollution issues, including marine litter.

A national of Albania, Tatjana Hema graduated in Chemical Engineering and specialized in Environmental Management and Technologies. She joined UN in 2003, after twelve years of service as a professor in Tirana University and five years as a Senior Manager in the National Environment Agency of Albania and Deputy Minister of Environment. Since then, she has covered UN assignments of different roles in MAP Barcelona Convention Secretariat addressing policy, governance and institutional aspects of the MAP system, as well as marine pollution assessment and control. She has been member of the Steering Committee and/or Advisory Board in several research and scientific projects funded mainly by the EU and GEF, focusing on ocean science, management and governance and on marine environmental knowledge and assessment. She holds a PhD from the University of Tirana obtained in 1994 and a Masters’ degree on Environmental Management and Technologies from the Federal Polytechnic University of Lausanne, obtained in 1995.

In 2016 she was awarded the UN Environment BAOBAB Staff Award in the category “Environmental Service Award”, which aims at exemplifying those who demonstrate an outstanding effort and dedication in their field of expertise to enhance environmental sustainability and conservation at local, national, regional or international levels.

PHILIPPOS PAPAGEORGIOU

Vice President of Operations

National Fisheries Development Program

Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture

 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

An aquaculture and seafood industry professional, ‎with 25+ years of experience in both the private and the public sectors, from consulting and ‎aquaculture producing companies to producer associations and government organizations.

Philippos has participated and managed numerous projects and studies, many of which in collaboration with international organizations and bodies such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, the FAO’s General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP), the Spanish Aquaculture Observatory Foundation (FOESA), as well as various national aquaculture Producer Organizations and Associations.

From 2016 till 2019 he served as Technical Consultant to the Saudi Aquaculture Society (SAS).  In 2019 he joined the National Fisheries Development Program (NFDP) of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, initially as Director of Aquaculture (2019-2021) and currently as Vice President of Operations.

In 2021 he was selected as a Global Expert in the ‘Sustainable Aquaculture 2030” Working Group of the Blue Food Partnership, developed by the World Economic Forum and the Friends of Ocean Action. Ηe is also a member of the Advisory Board of the NextOcean, EU funded project

He holds a BSc(Jt.Hons) degree in  Marine Biology/ Oceanography and an MSc degree on Aquaculture and Fisheries from the University of Wales (UK) as well as an MBA on General Management and Marketing from the University of Leicester (UK).

Philippos strongly believes that the time has come for the aquaculture industry to redefine its role, not solely as a ‎ contributor to food security, but as an active driver for positive total societal ‎impact.

The Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food, Mr. George Stylios, holds a PhD in Informatics from the Department of Computer Engineering & Informatics of the Polytechnic School of the University of Patras, he holds an MSc degree in Information Systems from the City University of London, and he graduated from the department of Physics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

He is a faculty member at the Ionian University. He worked as a researcher at the University of Patras as well as in Greek and European development programs. He was the Head of the Department of Applications and Informatics in Administration and Economics at the TEI of the Ionian Islands.

He has been a Member of Parliament for Arta with New Democracy, since May 2012, as well as head of the Greek Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

He served as Deputy Minister of Education and Religions and Deputy Minister of Digital Governance. He has also been the Chairman of the Nutrition Committee for Educational Affairs of the Parliament, a member of the Finance Committee of the Parliament, the Government and Trade and the Special Monastery Committee of Bulgaria, as well as a Representative of the Parliament in the Parliamentary Assembly of Parliamentary Assembly of the Southeast Europe Cooperation Process.

Frangiscos Nikolian

After the end of his IT studies in 1984, Frangiscos joined the Commission and the newly created Directorate General of Fisheries. He held positions as project manager, ex-post auditor and Head of Sector of ex-post audit. In 2011 he moved to DG REGIO as Deputy Head of Unit in the Coordination Unit of the Audit Directorate. Eventually he re-joined DG MARE in 2013 as Head of Unit dealing with the implementation of EFF/EMFF in Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Cyprus and Croatia. In January 2016 he became the Head of the Unit responsible for Structural Policy and Economic Analysis. As of January 2017, Frangiscos is the Head on Unit responsible for Economic Analysis, Markets and Impact Assessment.

Lara Barazi-Geroulanou, Kefalonia Fisheries’ President & CEO:

Lara Barazi-Geroulanou has led Kefalonia Fisheries as its CEO since 1998. Prior to that she worked in investment banking and trading in the US.

She is a graduate of Harvard University with a Master’s Degree in International Trade and Finance and of Columbia University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics.

She serves on the boards of many industry associations both in Greece and in the EU including the Federation of Greek Maricultures and the Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organization. She is President of the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers and a member of the board of the Benaki Museum and the Advisory Board of the Blue Revolution Fund. She consults to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) on issues of sustainable aquaculture development.

She speaks Arabic, English, French and Greek.

Hugo Byrnes joined Ahold in 2006 and was subsequently appointed to the position of Vice President Product Integrity. He is responsible for Ahold Delhaize’s food and non-food product policies, which cover product safety and sustainable products. This includes social compliance, animal welfare and environmental issues.

Hugo Byrnes has a Dutch Law degree from the State University Leiden, the Netherlands. He is a food lawyer whose career has focused on the food business and in particular on quality management and standardization. Hugo is an advisor to the Steering Board of The Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI).

Was born in Piraeus in 1967, and holds a Diploma in Management Studies and an MBA from Nottingham Trent University (Nottingham Business School).

His 30-year-old career spans from 1988 where he started as a sales representative at Optima SA part of the Panteliades Group till 1990. From 1991 till 2003 he was employed by Elgeka S.A. where he held managerial positions including Retail Sales Director and General Sales Manager.

From 2003 till 2006 he acted as General Manager of Sales ,Logistics and Exports at Creta Farm S.A. From 2007 till 2018 he served at Hellinikes Yperagores Sklavenitis S.A. in different top management positions including General Manager and Executive Director.

From 2018 till 2019 he acted in the private sector as a Business Consultant.

From 2020 util today he has been working in the public sector, at Central Markets & Fishery Organization -OKAA SA as CEO-Managing Director.

Konstantinos Macheras, Chairman of IELKA, was born in Athens, Greece in 1953 he is married and has one daughter.

He studied Business Administration  at the University of Piraeus and he obtained  a degree in MBA from the Roosevelt University of Chicago in U.S.A. (Business Administration & Marketing). He speaks English, Italian and Dutch.

He started his professional career in the Retailing area in the U.S.A., as a Purchasing Manager in the Quality Super Market company at Chicago. He had been a dynamic executive for over 14 years in the Mars Inc., since 1982 in Holland- Marketing-Sales-Export Sales- as well as General Manager in Greece and Italy. He had also served as General Manager of Chipita International (1996-97). Konstantinos Macheras was Executive Vice President of Delhaize Group & CEO of South-eastern Europe and Indonesia for 19 years.

He was a member of the Board of Directors at EASE (Association of Greek Executive Officers), SEET (Association of Greek Food Enterprises), EEDE (Hellenic Management Association) and since 1999 President of IELKA (Research Institute of Retail Consumer Goods) ,NED (non-executive directors club ) and member of the “FUTURE LEADERS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM” in Greece. Today is member of the Board at IOBE (Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research and a number of Greek and foreign companies.

In 2005 he was named Officer in the order of King Leopold II by                                         the King of Belgium Albert II. In April 2009 Konstantinos Macheras was nominated “Manager of the Year 2008” by the Hellenic Management Association. In 2009 was also nominated as “Retailer of the year” and in 2010 as the first CEO on CSR issues. In 2010 he was also awarded as the “Retailer of the decade”.

Roberto Rodríguez Díaz
Wild & Aquaculture
World Seafood Expert

A world wide Wild and Aquaculture Seafood Exper t born in a
Galician fishing family in February 1965 specialized in the Seafood
business Fresh alive and frozen and International trade and
commerce working for more than 26 years in the European
Seafood Leader, selecting and commanding a sales force building
up a networking of profitable suppliers and customers
Graduate
in Business Administration Post Graduate in Fisheries
Economics by the Santiago de Compostela University and
International Business Operations AMP by IE DEA by Instituto
San Telmo DIBEX by ISDI speaks Spanish English, Italian and
Galician Portuguese at business level

GLOBALG.A.P.  Senior Expert / Technical Key Account Aquaculture

Valeska is GLOBALG.A.P.’s senior expert and trainer for the Aquaculture scope. She joined GLOBALG.A.P. in 2002 where she has fulfilled a range of duties within all scopes: crops, flowers, coffee, tea, compound feed and chain of custody. Her current role as Technical Key Account for Aquaculture involves all aspects related to the aquaculture standard management, supporting producers, certification bodies and Farm Assurers on Aquaculture topics.

Valeska has been in the food and agri-food sector for 23 years, having responsibilities as Quality Assurance Manager, Deputy Director and Technical Manager. Valeska studied sustainable Aquaculture at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and Food Engineering at the State University of Campinas in Brazil.