10th HAEE Energy Transition Symposium

Ioannis Achillea Kefalogiannis
Minister for Climate Crisis & Civil Protection of the Hellenic Republic
Member of Parliament Rethymno

Personal Info
Place and Date οf Birth: 18 June 1982
Marital Status: Married with one child
Profession: Lawyer

Studies:
Giannis Kefalogiannis studied Law at the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and earned a Master’s Degree in Politics and International Relations at Columbia University in New York (CUHA). He received a
scholarship from the John Nicholas Foundation that is awarded to the top Greek student at Columbia University.
After completing his postgraduate studies, he went on to study at Harvard Law School receiving a specialization in negotiation techniques for lawyers. He started off his professional career at the United Nations Security Council – UNSC
and continued as an attorney specializing in the areas of Criminal and Civil Law.

Foreign Languages:English, German

Parliamentary Activities
Giannis Kefalogiannis is the Minister for Climate Crisis & Civil Protection of the Hellenic Republic.
In 2012, at the age of 30, he was elected Member of Parliament with the party of New Democracy and became the youngest member of parliament during the period of 2012-2015. He was elected to the honorary position of Secretary of Hellenic Parliament, a position he held until 2019. He was re-elected for a second and third time in the January 2015 and September 2015 elections respectively. In 2016, he became the youngest Member of Parliament in the history of the New Democracy party to become its Parliamentary Representative. In July 2019 he was re-elected and appointed Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Transport in the Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis until August 2021. In the elections of 2023, he was re-elected for the fifth time as Member of Parliament and appointed Deputy Minister of National Defence until March 2025 He has participated as a member in the Standing Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs, the Committee on European Affairs, and the Committee on Armament Programs and Contracts. Additionally, he has served as Vice President of the Committee on Regions and the Special Committee on the content and procedures for concluding the transatlantic trade agreements of the Hellenic Parliament. Finally, he has been appointed responsible for the sector of Defence and the sector of International Affairs of the New Democracy party. Political/Social Activities
During his tenure as Deputy Minister of National Defense, he prepared a series of legislative measures, such as the upgrade of the Higher Military Academies and the healthcare issues for Armed Forces staff, the establishment of a Joint Information Technology Corps to address modern cybersecurity challenges, the utilization of the Armed Forces' real estate properties, and the Draft Law for the modernization of military service. During his tenure as Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, he prepared a series of legislative regulations such as: the subjects of theoretical examinations and tests of qualifications and behavior of candidate drivers and drivers, the promotion of electromobility, the interoperability of the railway system, the establishment and operation of airports on water surfaces, sustainable urban mobility plans and micromobility, the revision of the road traffic code, the digitalization of procedures of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the granting of a temporary driving license and the national strategy for road safety. During his studies at Columbia University, he was a member of the Board of the University’s Greek Community.
Since 1994 he has been a member of UNICEF and in 2004 he was a volunteer at the Athens Olympic Games for the sport of water polo, in which he excelled as a non professional athlete from 1996 to 2009. He is also an active member of the Basketball Players Association of the Hellenic Parliament which has a strong record of charitable work

Nikos Papathanasis presently holds the office of the Alternate Minister at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and he was also elected, at the 2023 elections, as a member of the Parliament in the district of Athens North.

From August 2020 until May 2023 he held the office of Alternate Minister at the Ministry of Development and Investment with the responsibility of the portfolio of private and strategic investments, PPP’s and the Just Transition Fund. Also from July 2019 until August 2020 he held the office of the Deputy Minister at the same ministry with the responsibility of the portfolio of Industry, Commerce and Consumer’s Protection. 

During his thirty five year career, he served as a C-level executive for large corporations with a successful track record in developing business plans, reorganizing and streamlining operations that led to significant positive economic outcome.

He received his B.A.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and his M.A.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Toronto, followed by a Masters in Management Science at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.

He commenced his career at the DeHavilland Aircraft Company (Bombardier Aerospace) in Toronto while later he served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI) and executive Vice President of Olympic Aviation, a regional airline company.During his professional years, he worked mainly in the private sector while he reached high executive and C level managerial positions in companies in Greece and abroad.

He managed companies in the fields of construction, real estate development to public transportation as he served as CEO in the Athens Line 1 metro rail system and subsequently Chairman and CEO in the Athens Metro and Light rail system for a total of eight years. From 2008 to 2010 he served as a President- elect of the Greek branch of the European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services (CEEP) which is a General Cross Industry social partner recognized by the EU Commission. From 2017 holds the Chair of the President of the Institute of Democracy “Konstantinos Karamanlis”, a scientific non-profit organization. He served from 2016 until the national elections of 2019 as Director General of the presently governing political Party of “Nea Democratia”.

Nikos Tsafos serves as Deputy Minister of Energy in the Ministry of Environment and Energy of the Hellenic Republic, a role he assumed on March 15, 2025. He previously spent almost three years as the chief energy advisor to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Mr. Tsafos has worked in energy since 2006, primarily in the United States, and is a widely recognized expert in market analysis, due diligence, and the intersection of energy and geopolitics.

He spent over a decade as a consultant specialized in natural gas, working with major energy companies such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, Total, Eni, and many others. He also spent around four years advising the Alaska State Legislature on the landmark Alaska LNG project.

From 2016 to 2019, he was an adjunct lecturer at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Between 2018 and 2022, he worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, one of the world’s premier think tanks. In 2021, he was appointed to the James Schlesinger Chair for Energy and Geopolitics, a position he held until returning to Greece in 2022.

Mr. Tsafos has testified before the U.S. Senate on natural gas issues and the Canadian House of Commons on critical minerals. In 2021, he was selected for the Climate Advisory Committee of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, on which he served until his return to Greece.

For several years, he has been one of approximately 100 peer reviewers for the World Energy Outlook, the most authoritative assessment of the global energy market, published annually by the International Energy Agency.

He holds a B.A. in international relations and economics from Boston University and an M.A. in international relations from Johns Hopkins SAIS.

He was born in Athens, 1953. He studied Chemical Engineering at National Technical University of Athens. His family has its origins in Ikaria, an island of the Eastern Aegean Sea with which he has cultivated strong bonds.

He has worked initially as an agent and distributor of raw materials to the tanning and shoe making industry during the period 1977-1996.

Since 1986 he has established, with other partners, a distribution company for chemicals to the coatings, plastics, polymers industries among many industrial sectors. The company under the name of Delta Chemicals covered gradually almost every industrial application as a supplier of raw materials and specialty chemicals, providing also technical assistance and expertise. The company was also active in the Balkans and surrounding areas through subsidiary companies in Romania and Turkey. In 2016 the company has been sold and merged in the RAVAGO group (Luxemburg) a big multinational distribution entity. Mr. Aivaliotis left the management of the company in 2019.

At the same time there were parallel business activities in the investment field (through funds such as AIOLIKI, listed in Athens’ stock exchange), in the distribution of electrical appliances/air conditioning, in construction of buildings.

As a political person, he was a founding member of the “Fileleftheri” (1999) and “Drassi” (2009) political parties, two attempts to establish a Liberal party in Greece. He was Vice President of “Drassi” until its merging with New Democracy Party in 2019. He was candidate for the Parliament in 2012 (Drassi), 2015 (Drassi/Potami) and 2019 (New Democracy).

He was also a Vice President of the Entrepreneurship Club from 2009 to 2019 (the association which gives yearly the Kouros rewards to the most dynamic and successful business endeavors).

He was involved, on a project basis, as a counselor of the Deputy Minister of Finance with the task force to provide a State Guarantee on a loan to revive the investment activities of Energean to the Prinos oil fields (Kavala), which are destined to become the first Carbon Dioxide Storage facility in Greece (CCS), as well as with the architecture and procedures of the loans project of the European Recovery and Resilience Fund, from 2020 to 2023.

He is currently General Secretary for Energy and Mineral Resources at the Ministry of Environment and Energy from July 2023.

He is married to Anna Aivaliotou, having a happy family with two children and three grandchildren.

Prof. Edmar de Almeida is professor and researcher at the Institute of Energy in PUC-Rio. Prof. Edmar Almeida is also president-elected at the International Association For Energy Economics - IAEE.

Since 1993, Prof. Almeida teaches in undergraduate and graduate (including MBA) courses focusing largely on the energy sector. He is also active in research and consulting, focusing on the evolution of the oil, gas and electricity industries in Brazil and globally.

His specific research interests include energy economics and regulation and energy transition. Prof. Almeida has advised many government agencies, private and public companies, institutional investors and multilateral organizations on energy sector policy and planning, regulatory issues, market development.

Prof. Almeida graduated in Economics from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil (1992) and has a Master’s Degree in Industrial Economics (1994) and a PhD in Applied Economics from the Institute of Energy Policy and Economics of the Grenoble University, France (1999). Prof. Almeida is the author or co-author of several books, academic papers and professional articles, and is a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences, both in Brazil and abroad.

Political science, English language and literature, and Arabic language and literature graduate

Previously held positions

2020-2023    Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France in Bucharest 

2017-2020    Director of culture, education, research and networks at the Ministry of                       

                           Europe and foreign affairs

2016-2017  Deputy director of the European Union

2013-2016  Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France in Skopje

2010-2013  Secretary general at the French Institute in Paris

2006-2010  Director of the French Institute in the United Kingdom

2003-2006  Deputy spokesperson in the Office of the President of the Republic

2002-2003  Adviser in the office of the Minister 

2000-2002  Deputy spokesperson of the Ministry of foreign affairs 

1999-2000  Spokesperson at the European Commission 

1995-1999  Administrator for the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, DG Relex 

1991-1995  Adviser at the Permanent Representation of France in Brussels

1988-1991  Adviser at the Permanent Representation of France in Brussels

1985-1988  Environmental adviser (Ministry of foreign affairs)

Honors

Knight of the French Legion of Honor

Officer of the National Order of Merit

Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters

His Majesty’s Ambassador Matthew Lodge received his appointment to the Hellenic Republic in August 2021.

Matthew has a BA (Hons) in Modern Languages (French and Russian) from the University of Birmingham. He was an officer in the Royal Marines from 1986-1996.

He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1996. Matthew’s first posting was to the British Embassy in Athens. He also worked on the Balkans, served in Georgia and Armenia, and had postings to Paris and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU. He later served as Private Secretary to the Permanent Under Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy Baghdad, Head of the FCO’s Afghanistan Group, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Finland, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, and Minister at the British Embassy Paris, serving concurrently as Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.

He was appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic in August 2021.

Matthew is married to Alexia and they have twin boys.

Male, born in February 9^th, 1974, Shitai, Anhui Province.

1995-1996 Staff member, the Department of Taiwan Affairs, MFA

1996-2000 Staff member, Consular Attaché, the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Jeddah

2000-2013 Attaché, Third Secretary, Second Secretary, Deputy Division Chief, Division Chief, Counselor and Division Chief, the Department of Personnel, MFA

2013-2015 Counselor, the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in New Zealand

2015-2020 Counselor, Deputy Director General, the Department of Personnel, MFA

2020-2024 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

2024-  Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Hellenic Republic

Married with one daughter.

Since September 2021 Susanna Terstal has been the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Greece. She has previously been ambassador to Iran (2015-2018) and Angola (2012-2015). From September 2018 until April 2021 she was the EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process. Before becoming an ambassador she was the Deputy Head of mission in Geneva.
Susanna joined the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994 and began her career in the legal directorate where she held different positions. Before working in the Ministry she worked in the private sector.
Susanna studied in the Netherlands, United States and Italy. She is a lawyer and has masters in Political Science, International Relations and Italian language and literature.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer at HELLENiQ ENERGY Group, Executive Member of its Board of Directors and General Manager Strategic Planning and New Activities. 

He is responsible for strategic planning, new business development, the Group’s gas & power, renewables, upstream and engineering businesses, and its representation in international organizations.  He has represented the Group on the Board of the European Fuel Manufacturers Association as a Principal or Alternate Director since 2012.  He joined HELLENiQ ENERGY Group in 2007.

George Alexopoulos was Director of Business Planning & Development at an international, diversified business group (SETE S.A.), based in Geneva, Switzerland, from 1998 to 2006, while at the same time being responsible for the Group’s energy portfolio.

He had previously worked in various technical and business development positions at Stone & Webster, Molten Metal Technology, Merck, Dow Corning, and Dow Chemical in the United States between 1993 and 1997. 

In July 2024 he was elected President of the SEV Business Council for Sustainable Development (SEV VIAN).

He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School (1998) and M. Sc. (1993) and B. Sc. (1992) degrees in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

He is married to Elizabeth Spada and they have 3 children.

I have been working as an energy modeller and analyst at the International Energy Agency (IEA) World Energy Outlook team for the past three years, where I focus on road transport modelling and analysis, and lead the work on rail sector. I have previous experience in the buildings energy sector in Lithuania and Sweden, and I hold master’s degree of International Energy from Institut d'études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po Paris)

WORK EXPERIENCE
Energy Modeller and Analyst, World Energy Outlook Team                                                                    05 2022 – Present
International Energy Agency, Paris, France
• Contributed to major IEA publications (e.g., World Energy Outlook, Global EV Outlook), led rail model development,
supported road transport modelling analysis, presented IEA work at external events, and strengthened IEA-Lithuania cooperation.

Energy Analyst                                                                                                                                                 09 2019 – 09 2021
EQUA Simulation, Stockholm, Sweden
• Led research and business intelligence in energy modelling and digital twins, expanded company network through partner outreach, pioneered a Smart District Heating project in Finland, and explored European market expansion opportunities.

Project Engineer                                                                                                                                              01 2018 – 09 2019
Energetikos Inžinerija, Kaunas, Lithuania
• Managed district heating projects end-to-end, from site visits to network design and documentation, and boosted company’s orders by preparing commercial offers for renovation procurements.

Energy Analyst Intern                                                                                                                                      06 2018 – 09 2018
Greenvis Energy Solutions, Utrecht, The Netherlands
• Developed feasibility studies and optimised district heating networks for municipalities, enhanced design software, and identified optimal technological solutions for multiple projects.

Project Manager Assistant                                                                                                                             09 2017 – 01 2018
Teisingi Energetikos Sprendimai, Kaunas, Lithuania
• Delivered energy efficiency improvements by auditing Lithuania’s largest alcohol producer and optimising a town’s district heating network through system redesign.

EDUCATION
Master of International Energy                                                                                                                  09 2021 – 07 2023
Sciences Po, Paris, France
Student Leaders Programme                                                                                                                     04 2022 – 06 2022
International Renewable Energy Agency, remote
Bachelor of Energy Engineering                                                                                                                 09 2015 – 06 2019
Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania

LANGUAGES
• Lithuanian: Native speaker
• English: Fluent speaker
• French: Beginner

Prof. Konstantinos Aravosis is Vice President and Waste Management BoD Chairman at Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water – RAAEY. He is Professor and UNESCO Chairholder on Green Innovation and Circular Economy at the NTUA (National Technical University of Athens) and Professor at the ATHENS MBA (NTUA – Athens University of Economics) since 1997. He is the coordinator of the “Environmental Economics and Sustainable Development Research Group” of the Sector of Industrial Management and Operations Research of the Mechanical Engineering School.

He was also a visiting professor at Imperial College - University of London and a research associate at the Earth Engineering Center of Columbia University - USA. He was Secretary General for Forestry, from 2/2022 to 7/2023, at the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy. Prior to that, he was also Secretary General of Natural Environment & Water.
He is a Mechanical Engineer (Aachen University of Technology - Germany) with an MSc in Management Science from Imperial College and a Phd from NTUA. He was an advisor to the Minister of Culture, on the Olympic Games projects, and their post-Olympic use.

He has been President of the Greek Association of Environmental Protection Companies (PASEPE), President of the Hellenic Solid Waste Management Association (HSWMA) (now Hon. President), President of the Ordinary Environmental Committee of the Technical Chamber of Greece, President of the Greek Branch of the Waste to Energy Research and Technology Council, coordinated by Columbia University and Member of Evaluation Committees for Investment and Energy Projects of the Ministry of Development. Furthermore, he has been Member of the Board of the Organization of Labour Residencies (OEK) and General Manager of Environmental Companies.

He has extensive research experience (as a coordinator or project team member of European Programmes) in investment management and evaluation, operational research and environmental investment analysis. He was co-founder and main organizer of the largest national volunteer campaign (45.000 volunteers) LETS DO IT GREECE where the whole country is cleaned in one day with symbolic character in the framework of the international campaign LETS DO IT WORLD.

KOSTAS AXARLOGLOU, Dean, Alba Association, and Professor of International Business and Strategy (Alba Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece; 2016-present), Visiting Professor (Shanghai University; 2015-present), Associate Professor of International Business (Democritus University of Thrace; 2002-2016), Michael Gerrits Term Chair Assistant Professor of Economics (Babson College; 1994 2002), Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics (Fuqua School of Business, Duke University; 1993-1994), Instructor (University of Michigan; 1990-1993).

B.A. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, M.A. University of Michigan, Ph.D. University of Michigan.

Dr. Axarloglou is doing research and consulting work in the areas of International Business Strategy, Strategic Leadership, Strategic Agility and Adaptability and Blue Ocean Strategy. His research has been published in leading management and economics journals such as Management Science, the Journal of Business, the Journal of the European Economic Association, World Economy and Managerial and Decision Economics. He has received several research grants and also participated in numerous international conferences. Recently, he completed a study for the Athens Academy of Science on “FDI Flows in Greece”. Dr. Axarloglou serves in various company Boards in Greece and abroad, and has done extensive training and consulting work in numerous multinational corporations such as Eurobank, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen-Cilag, Novo Nordisk, Sunlight, PepsiCo, Quest, Titan, Viohalco and Vodafone.

Dr. Axarloglou, a recipient of the Fulbright scholarship, has extensive teaching experience in all levels of business education and has also received several teaching awards.

He is a member of the American Economic Association

Mar 2024 Aiko Solar
General Manager South Europe Utility Scale

Degrees:
Degree International Business and Economics, by the A.U.R (American University of
Rome (Columbia Washington DC)) Sept 2000 - May 2005.
Superior Degree in Business Management at the San Pablo Ceu University. 2005 –
2006. (Madrid).
Degree “Law and New Technologies". Recoletos Group. In. – Apr. 2007. (Madrid).

LANGUAGES: English, Italian, Spanish

Eleni Bairami is the owner and Managing Director of ECO Hellas, one of the fastest-growing companies in the Renewable Energy Sector in Greece.

Focusing on solar energy, biogas, gasification and circular economy, Eleni has developed, constructed, operated more than 2 GW of renewable energy projects with over 280 million of investment value. Currently she is collaborating with multinational RES conglomerates in a series of projects in Greece and in the Region of Southeastern Europe.

Eleni studied Physics majors and Mathematics in Wolfgang - Goethe University Frankfurt / Main Germany, while she started her career in the German Bank sector in Frankfurt/Main.  She continued her career in the RES private sector by working in executive positions in the biggest German biogas and biomethane construction company MT Energie/ MT Biomethan (today HITACHI ZOSEN INOVA) where she gained experience in ​projects in several countries such as Germany, France, UK, South and North America, South Korea, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Latvia, and Greece. Eleni focuses on constantly following recent developments in the sector, thus maintaining cutting-edge knowledge of the developments and challenges in the Renewable Energy industry.

Given her academic background in physics and mathematics, she has the ability to function seamlessly in a highly technical environment, while maintaining the required business perspective, thus providing a 360^ο approach to complex issues regarding the energy sector.​ And at the same time, she can communicate specific details related to the operation and management of projects, thus approaching a broad range of audiences and​ business partners.

Professor Pantelis Capros holds the title of Professor Emeritus in Energy Economics and Operations Research within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). Since 1988, he has been engaged in teaching courses related to energy economics, mathematical programming, and economic analysis at NTUA. He is also the founder of the E3MLab, which specialises in modelling the interactions between energy, economy, and environment. Professor Capros has developed several esteemed models, including PRIMES, PRIMES-TREMOVE, Prometheus, and GEM-E3. These models are recognised for their official application in the impact assessment studies conducted by the European Commission and play a pivotal role in supporting the European Commission's Reference Energy and Transport Outlook publications, which have been released biennially since the 1990s. Additionally, these models are employed by various governments and utility organisations for public policy formulation and investment assessments.

Professor Capros possesses an engineering degree from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), in addition to three Master's degrees in the fields of Economics, Computer Science, and Operations Research. He has also attained a Doctorat d'Etat (PhD) in Mathematical Economics from the University of Paris, France. Furthermore, he has authored several scholarly books and has published over 200 papers with prestigious international publishers.

Prof. Capros served as the first Chairman of the Regulatory Authority for Energy in Greece from 2000 to 2005, and has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Public Power Corporation for several years. He held an academic position as a Professor at the University of Paris I Sorbonne until the year 2000. Additionally, he assumed the role of interim Minister of Energy and Environment in Greece from May to June 2023. He is currently serving as the President of E3Modelling SA, which is part of the RICARDO PLC group.

Constantinos Chaelis has been with LR for 10 years and currently holds the position of Global Gas Markets & Technology Lead, based in Athens Greece.

His primary focus is echoing the strategic direction in maritime gas supply chains towards the sustainable growth of the gas segment, engaging with technological developments in gas commodity markets and steering the enhancement of LR service portfolio to the shipping community.

In the past he held the position of Project Manager & Marine Surveyor for new construction and existing ships in operation for LR, acquiring robust technical expertise in various global placements including UK, Spain, Italy, Poland, South Korea. Prior experience further enhanced working in the technical management of a tanker fleet for a Greek shipping company.

Constantinos represents LR in gas associations including the Global Gas Centre and World Liquid Gas Association (WLGA) and is a member of the Investment Board at SEA-LNG. Since 2012 he has represented LR in several projects, conferences and LR Ship & Naval Technical Committees. Constantinos holds an MEng in Naval Architecture from the University of Southampton, UK and a Chartered Engineer (CEng) status by the British Council. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (MICS) and a member of the RINA & IMarEST.

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis has been working at Hydrogen Europe since 2016. He currently holds the position of CEO of the association. He previously covered roles in the planning department of the Foreign Office of Germany, at Infineon Technologies and was Member of the European Parliament (2004-2014) inter alia in the ITRE Committee (Industry, Technology, Research and Energy) where he could contribute to lay the cornerstone for the first and the second Joint Undertaking on hydrogen and fuel cells.

He was awarded Hydrogen Person of the Year at the World Hydrogen Awards 2022, “as a major player promoting hydrogen in Europe and world-wide, accelerating collaboration and industry development”. Jorgo was born in Duisburg, Germany. He holds German and Greek nationality, and a degree in political science from the University of Bonn.

Maher Chebbo is an experienced global executive with over two decades of leadership in digital transformation, AI, data science, energy systems, and sustainable technologies. He currently serves as Managing Director Europe at Univers, where he leads the company’s cleantech AIOT operations across France and the UK. He is also a Non-Executive Board Member at Elisa, Finland’s largest telecom operator.

Maher has held senior roles in some of the world’s most influential organizations, including GE Digital, SAP, Cap Gemini, and Accenta.ai. His expertise spans smart grids, batteries and BESS, green hydrogen and ammonia, EV charging, carbon management, and SaaS/AI platform innovation.

He chairs the EU Commission's Digital Battery Task Force, sits on the UN Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET), and previously served as President of ESMIG, the European Smart Metering Industry Group.

A pioneer in digital energy and clean innovation, Maher combines technical depth with strategic leadership. He holds a PhD in Energy & Data Science from Mines Paris – PSL, a master’s in engineering, and completed executive training at Harvard Business School.

Gianni Chianetta is the Founder & Chair at Greening the Islands Foundation, Board member and secretary of the Global Solar Council and Head of the Global Alliance for Sustainable Energy Secretariat. 
He has been working in the area of energy since 2003. He has been Head of Comms & External Affairs at BP Italy, Managing Director at BP Solar Italy, Founder and Chairman of the first Italian Solar PV Industry Association for three consecutive terms when he negotiated the five Photovoltaic Energy Incentive Decrees (feed-in-tariff) with the Italian Government, that has brought the installed capacity from about 35 MWp to more than 20 GWp.

He founded the Global Network of National PV Associations in 2007, which has been the basis for the establishment in 2015 of Global Solar Council. He was elected Co-Chairman since its foundation and then Chairman before taking on the CEO role until October 2023. 
He has also been a member of the Steering Committee of the Global Renewables Alliance, the IRENA Coalition for Action and the Global Alliance for Sustainable Energy, the Chairman of Worldwide Carbon Price and a member of the Advisory Board at REN21.

Gianni Chianetta has a degree in Mechanical & Management Engineering and masters/seminars at Middlesex University (London), Kellogg School of Management (Chicago), SDA Bocconi Milano (Milan), Istituto de Empresa (Madrid)

Dr. Athanasios Dagoumas is an Assistant Professor in Energy and Resource Economics and Director of the Energy and Environmental Policy laboratory at the University of Piraeus. He holds a Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, where he elaborated his PhD in Energy Economics. He is Member of the Board of the Cambridge Trust for New Thinking in Economics.

He has more than 15 years of work and research experience in energy related issues, including working as a Senior Researcher at the University of Cambridge and as a Senior Energy Analyst at the Transmission System Operator and at the Electricity Market Operator in Greece. Moreover he was enrolled as a Special Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change in Greece. His extensive experience builds his capacity for an in-depth understanding of multidisciplinary aspects of the energy sector: economic, engineering, environmental and policy. He is keen on developing models for the energy system, the economic-energy-environment (E3) systems and the real energy markets. He has been President to the Regulatory Authority for Energy since July 2020.

Harris is an Associate Director/Senior Banker at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). He joined the Athens Resident Office in early 2016 and he mainly covers the Energy and Infrastructure sectors. He has also worked as a Budget & Treasury Associate in shipping finance with an international shipping company and in Corporate Banking with BNP Paribas. Prior to this, he worked as an Economist with the Department for Business Innovation and Skills in the UK. Harris holds an MBA from INSEAD, an MSc in Development Economics from LSE and a BSc in Economics from University College London.

Panagiotis Doumas started his career in insurance in 1999. His expertise lies in handling big corporate accounts and high networth clients. In 2017, he co-founded “Aplus Brokers”, an insurance intermediation company specializing in Financial Lines (D&O, Cyber, Crime and Financial Institutions Professional Indemnity) and the Energy / Renewables sector. In 2021 “Aplus” was acquired by Howden Hellas, part of the international independent insurance intermediary Howden Broking Group.
Today Panagiotis is a Director and Member of the Executive and Management Committee at Howden Hellas. His field of responsibility includes business development and the management of big corporate accounts, as well as the coordination of the Renewable Energy broking team and the expansion of the Renewable Energy portfolio of Howden Hellas, that today is the largest in Greece (6GW).

Konstantinos Eleftheriadis is the Energy, Resources & Industrials Sector Leader and a Forensic & Financial Crime Partner at Deloitte Greece. He specializes in Forensics, and M&A Transactions Advisory Services. With over 21 years of professional experience, Konstantinos’ expertise has been instrumental in a range of sectors with special focus in the Energy &  Resources market, both locally and internationally.

Konstantinos specializes in services and areas like transactions support, M&A assistance, feasibility studies, independent business reviews, liquidity, business and e-mobility plans, storage, gas and new fuels, and advice on Power Purchase Agreements, having provided such services for many Greek and international clients that are operating in Power generation, Renewables, Oil & Gas, Mining & Metals, Waste treatment, etc.

Georgios, a Greek national,  is acting Country Head, Greece & Cyprus for Hydrogène de France since 2023. In his capacity he leads the investment activities of the company in the development of hydrogen-focused baseload power generation assets of utility scale. He holds a bachelor and a masters at International and Comparative Business Law from Paris II, Pantheon-Assas University. He has extensive experience in the energy transition across a multitude of different geographies, having spent over 5 years in South East Asia and the Pacific working for some of the largest international energy players such Metlen Energy & Metals focusing on the deployment of both renewable and LNG-to-power energy projects, and having advised a number of high profile Western energy, supermajor companies and Public-Private Partnership projects during his time with DFDL Law, a Singapore-based regional law firm, on matters spanning from oil & gas and conventional power generation assets to LNG import terminals and offshore wind region-wide deployments. Since 2022 he has been furthering the energy transition in his home country. He is fluent in English and French and has some knowledge of Vietnamese.

Maria Rita Galli is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DESFA, the Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator, overseeing the operation, development, and strategic direction of the company. She is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of leadership experience in the global energy sector.

Prior to her role at DESFA, Maria Rita was the Vice President of Business Development & Portfolio Management at Snam S.p.A., a global leader in energy infrastructure, where she led international expansion initiatives and chaired the SENFLUGA Energy Holdings S.A. consortium, which controlled 66% of DESFA’s share capital.

Her career began at Eni S.p.A. in 1997, where she held various roles, including Head of International Business Development and Board Member, contributing to the company’s strategic investments, mergers, and acquisitions in global energy markets. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated expertise in business development, portfolio management, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance, with a strong focus on driving growth and innovation in the energy industry.

Maria Rita holds a Master’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Milan. In 2022, she received the “Cavaliere dell’ Ordine della Stella d’Italia”, granted by the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, a prestigious civil honor to personalities, who have distinguished themselves in promoting relations of friendship and collaboration between Italy and other countries, particularly in the social sphere.

Vasilis Georgiou was born in Athens in 1966. He holds a BEng in Electrical Engineering, an MBA, and an MSc in Management of Energy Systems. In his professional career he developed his expertise in strategic management positions such as business development, project management, strategic design, organizational development, and transformation.

His career includes roles at diverse SMEs and international companies within the fields of electrical energy and telecommunications. Since 2002, he has served as the President and Managing Director of PROTASIS SA, being the driving force behind the company's vision and strategy, guiding its growth and success. As a founder and shareholder of the company, he is highly engaged in the company’s continued success, ensuring that it remains at the forefront of its field.

Liana Gouta is the Director General of the European Fuel Manufacturers Association. Her key areas of expertise are Energy Policy, Governmental Affairs, Advocacy, Communications, Business Strategy, Change Management, Project Management and Engineering.

Liana, Chemical Engineer, MSc, with honors, from the Aristotle University ofThessaloniki, Greece, is an executive with more than a 30 years career at HELLENiQ ENERGY Group, with strong management and engineering background. She started her career as a field process engineer in refining and petrochemical plants in various technical positions. She then advanced to Group positions in managerial roles, leading major change initiatives and key projects by successfully managing high-performing cross-disciplinary teams. She was the Energy Policy and International Affairs Group Director before she took over her current position at European Fuel Manufacturers Association.

She furthermore worked as an EU Parliamentary Policy and Communication Advisor on Energy, Environment, Industry, Research & Innovation and Regional Development. She is a partner at lENE-institute of Energy for South - East Europe and she served as the Chairwoman of the Downstream Committee. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors in various organisations, including corporate entities and professional associations. She has been active in professional associations and social organizations, holding leadership positions, engaged in energy transition, climate and environment, entrepreneurship, leadership and women's empowerment.

Dr. Panagiotis Grammelis is Director of Research at the Chemical Process and Energy Resources Institute of CERTH (CERTH/CPERI). The scope of his research is the exploitation of solid fuels, i.e. biomass/waste and coal, with emphasis on the thermochemical conversion technologies. He is experienced in numerous EU and national funded and industry oriented projects, with an extensive knowledge of the South-East European market.

Since May 2011, Dr Grammelis is Head of the Laboratory of Alternative Fuels & Technologies and guides a team of highly-skilled researchers. He has been Steering Committee member of the Biomass Panel in the RHC-ETP (responsible for industrial boilers and district heating), national expert for the standardisation of solid biofuels and member of DHC+ (District Heating & Cooling) Platform. Member of the Editorial Board in IJER and IJGW and the Scientific Committees of international conferences (EUBCE, GCGW, WSED). He is co-author in 380 papers in scientific journals, international conferences, workshops and books, with 2777 citations and h-Index 30 according to Scopus.

Ioannis Kaltsas holds a Ph.D. in Economics and an MSc in Applied Economics from Virginia Tech (USA), an MA in Industrial Economics from the University of East Anglia (UK) as well as a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece).
He is Head of the Investment Team for Greece & Cyprus at the European Investment Bank (ΕΙΒ). Prior to that, he worked in various managerial positions within the EIB and as a Senior Advisor to the EIB’s Management Committee, as well as an expert for the evaluation of industrial and agricultural projects financed by the Bank. Before joining the EIB, he worked as an Economist in a UN Commodity Board and the World Bank, as well as an engineer in the champagne industry in France. His academic publications include papers in urban land values, futures markets as well as technical efficiency. He speaks fluently Greek, English, French and Spanish.

Dr S.Kapellos is a graduate of the Chemical Department of the University of Athens. He received a PhD on the field of Physical Chemistry from the same Institution. Between 1993 and 2007, he had the opportunity to fill various managerial posts within the BP Hellas Organization: Quality, Health, Safety and Environment, Human Resources, Customer Services, Pricing and Credit, Retail Fuels District Manager Northern Greece.

In 2007, he is appointed as the CEO of BP Solar Hellas, to setup the new business.

Since 2010, he works for HELLENiQ RENEWABLES, 100% owned by HELLENiQ ENERGY Group (Former Hellenic Petroleum). He currently holds the position of the Chief Operating Officer and BoD member of the company. Τhe RES portfolio of HELLENiQ RENEWABLES is comprised of more than 5 GW of PV, Wind and Storage Projects, of which 353 MW PV and 100 MW Wind in operation in Greece and 41 MW PV in Cyprus. Another 211 MW PV are under construction in Romania to be fully operational till end 2025. Adding up another PV project of 200 MW in Evros and the 150 MW Battery Storage that have been won in the 1^st and 3^rd auctions, to be operational in 2026, the target of HELLENiQ to operate 1 GW RES projects  till end 2026 has already been secured.

Dr.S.Kapellos has published several scientific articles in international magazines during his academic career and several articles on subjects related to RES, Solar Technology and Energy Policy for newspapers, relevant magazines and e-media.

Since 2008, he is being an elected member of the board of the Hellenic Association of PV companies (HELAPCO) and between 2013-25 Chairman of the board of the Association. Since April 2021 he has been elected as President of the Energy Committee of the Hellenic-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sotkap/

Nektaria Karakatsani is an expert in energy regulation, innovation and EU funding. She holds a PhD in Energy Economics from London Business School and an MSc from Oxford University. She has been acting as an advisor for the Hellenic Parliament, the Ministry of Energy and Environment, and the Ministry of Development in Greece. She has held BoD positions at Regulatory Authorities and Agencies (RAE, CEER, ACER) and national bodies, including the Hellenic Accreditation System (ESYD), CRES (Center for Renewable Energy Sources), and the Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration. She worked as an energy consultant in the UK market for 10 years and published her academic research in influential journals. She has written more than 100 articles to raise public awareness on issues of green funding, energy transition, infrastructure, consumers and competition.

Dr. Flora Karathanasi is the Offshore Wind Programme Lead at the Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company (HEREMA) S.A, carrying extensive professional and research experience. She began her studies at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), from where she received a B.Sc. degree in Rural and Surveying Engineering, and continued her academic career at the same university acquiring M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Marine and Ocean Science & Technology. As a Ph.D. candidate, Dr. Karathanasi was awarded a scholarship from the Special Account for Research Grants of NTUA and, between 2014 and 2020, worked as a Junior Researcher at the Institute of Oceanography of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR).

Her research interests include marine observations from buoys, assessment studies of marine renewable energy resources, long-term modelling of metocean climate, extreme value analysis of metocean parameters, and numerical simulation. She has participated in numerous EU- and Greek-funded research projects, has over 25 peer-reviewed publications, and is a regular reviewer for major journals and conference publications. In addition to leading HEREMA’s Offshore Wind Programme, Dr. Karathanasi is also Visiting Researcher at the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI).

Mr. Ioannis Karampelas is an economist with a degree in Management and Marketing from the Middlesex University in London and a master’s degree in International Economics and Management from the University of SDA BOCCONI in Milan. From 1998 to 2000 he was a Portfolio Asset Manager at the Enallaktiki Financial Services, while from 2000 to 2005 he was the General Manager of DAKAR SA. From 2012 to 2015 he was elected Member of Parliament for Viotia, while from 2015 until today he is a member of the Board of Directors of a Commercial and Technical Societe Anonyme. He speaks fluent English and Italian and has knowledge of German language.

Dimitrios Kardomateas (d.kardomateas@cres.gr, https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimitrios-kardomateas-34709840/) is the President and General Director of the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving of Greece (C.R.E.S.) since Dec. 2023. He is a Chemical Engineer with postgraduate studies in Environmental Control and in Business Administration. He had 35 years of previous technical and administrative experience in the energy sector, initially as process engineer at the engineering company ASPROFOS S.A. (6 yrs), then as Director for strategy and development at the integrated gas company DEPA S.A. (15 yrs), then as General Director at the gas network operator DESFA S.A. (13 yrs), then as Head of the Office of the Secretary General for Environment & Energy and Advisor to the Deputy Minister for Environment & Energy (1,5 yrs).

He has been elected member of the B.o.D. of European Organizations in the gas sector (11 yrs) and invited member of the think tank “Conceil de Cooperation Economique” (5 yrs). He has also served as the President of the Management Organization Unit of Development Programs (M.O.U.) S.A. for 3 years. He has published a lot of articles in the field of energy. He is the author of the book «Οι παγκόσμιοι Νόμοι της Ζωής - μια ματιά στις αιτίες των γεγονότων», εκδόσεις «Διάνοια», 2023.

A graduate of the Polytechnic School of Patras University and the University of Athens, he holds a Degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s (MSc) in Marketing of Chemical Products. With over 22 years of experience in the gas industry, he participates in European Organizations related to the Natural Gas sector (GIE, ENTSOG, etc.)

Mr. Katsis has been entrusted with the management of the Hellenic National Natural Gas Transmission System (NNGTS) and the only LNG Terminal Station currently in operation in Greece, in Revithoussa, with an emphasis on ensuring the technical capabilities and optimal utilization of the entire network. He has a pivotal role in the adaptation of DESFA’s infrastructure for the fastest possible transition to renewable forms of energy, with an emphasis on the network’s readiness for the injection of Hydrogen and Biomethane, in line with the company’s goals.

Mr. Katsis actively participates in all actions to strengthen the Security of Supply in the Greek natural gas market, in close cooperation with all stakeholders. He has also actively participated in and prepared a series of studies regarding the operation and development of the NNGS. He is a recognized executive in the energy sector, promoting leadership and innovation in his field of competence.

Nikolaos Kolyvodiakos is, since 2018, the General Manager of ENERTA AE, a commercial and technical company active in the energy and infrastructure sector in Greece, Romania and Cyprus. With more than 35 years of experience in the energy industry, he has held key leadership positions in multinational corporations, including Siemens AE and Landis & Gyr.
During his career, he has managed complex operations across Greece, Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Cyprus, with expertise in power generation (both fossil and renewable), high-voltage transmission, and medium-voltage distribution. He has overseen large-scale technical projects, implemented strategic transformations, and led successful market expansions.
Mr. Kolyvodiakos holds a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and a postgraduate degree in Automation from ETH Zurich. He has also completed advanced leadership and management training through the Siemens Learning Campus. Known for his strategic thinking, customer orientation, and strong leadership, he combines technical depth with a talent for building high-performing teams and
navigating complex business environments. He is fluent in Greek, English, and German.

Dr. Georgia Koutrika is a Research Director at the Athena Research Center in Greece. Previously, she held research positions at HP Labs, IBM Almaden, and Stanford University. Her work explores how artificial intelligence can transform data management, particularly through conversational interfaces, responsible algorithmic design, and AI-driven data management techniques. Dr. Koutrika has authored over 140 publications, holds 19 patents, and plays a prominent role in the data management community. She is a member of the VLDB Endowment Board of Trustees, coordinating Editor-in-Chief for the VLDB Journal, and chairs the ACM Europe Working Group on Seasonal Schools. She is also the General Chair for VLDB 2027 and Demo Chair for EDBT 2025. Her past leadership roles include PC Co-Chair for VLDB 2023, Co-Editor-in-Chief of PVLDB Vol. 16, General Chair for ACM SIGMOD 2016, and member of the PVLDB Advisory Board. Her work has been recognized with several awards, including the EDBT 2023 Test-of-Time Award, Best Demo awards, and industrial honors.

George Kremlis is the Chairman of the Greek Initiative at UN level on protecting cultural and natural heritage from climate change impacts. He is a member of the Board of the European Public Law Organisation and the Director of its climate and circular economy Institute. He is as well the Ambassador of the EPLO to Bulgaria. He was until 2023 a member of the environmental and social advisory council of the EBRD and is also currently the Chair of the Bureau of the Espoo Convention and of the SEA Protocol, Chair of the MoPs in 2019,  elected Chair for the MoPs in December 2020 and re-elected Chair for the period 2021-2023 and the period up to 2027. He is the Chairman of the AmCham circular economy committee. George Kremlis is Honorary Director of the European Commission, where he has spent the major part of his career as Advisor in the Legal Service and Head of various legal and policy Units in DGENV. 

He was until 2023 special Advisor to the Greek Prime Minister on energy, climate, environment and circular economy issues. He is doctor honoris causa of the Varna Free University, member of the Advisory Board of the Balkan Economic Forum, and the founder and president of the Circular Gaia Symposium. 

Alex is the Managing Director SEE of Molgas Group, the leading downstream LNG and clean fuels supplier in Europe, present in more than 16 European countries today. In the past, he has held the positions of Managing Director (Blue Grid, acquired by Molgas Energy Holding), Freight Trader and Market Strategist (Thenamaris Ships Management), Senior Gas Analyst and Business Developer (Shell Energy Europe), Risk Analyst (Gazprom) and Energy Economics Consultant (Mott MacDonald). Alex is a co-founder of the Greek Energy Forum and a member of the UN Gas Experts of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). He holds an MEng in Electrical Engineering (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) and an MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures (Imperial College London).

Born in 1957 in Kavyli, Evros, Konstantinos Mitsiolides developed a deep interest from an early age in agricultural production and the advancement of the Greek countryside through innovation and entrepreneurship. In 1976, he began his professional journey in the field of agricultural machinery and farming, forging a path that has made him one of the most prominent figures in the sector today.

In 1984, he was one of the founding members of Agrotechniki in Orestiada, a company that successfully operated in the trade of agricultural machinery. With continuous presence and involvement in the industry throughout the years, in 2003 he co-founded Agroline, a company with a similar focus and a leading role in the market.

In 2011, turning his attention toward green energy, he laid the foundations and guided the creation of Green Line Energy, a company specializing in the construction of photovoltaic parks. Since 2022, the company has also expanded into the trade of photovoltaic equipment, significantly contributing to the country’s sustainable energy transition.

In 2012, he co-founded and has since served as CEO of AGROTECH, a dynamic company that initially secured the exclusive representation of John Deere in Greece and Cyprus. In 2022, AGROTECH expanded its operations into the markets of Albania and North Macedonia. The company specializes in the trade of agricultural machinery and spare parts and is today one of the strongest links in the service chain for the modern professional farmer.

Konstantinos Mitsiolides speaks English, is married to Vasiliki Mitsiolidou, and is the father of two daughters, Olga and Maria. With decades of experience and dedication to the agricultural sector, he continues to support the development of Greek agriculture and green entrepreneurship. He is now joined by his two daughters, who carry on his work with the same love and dedication.

Barbara Morgante is the Chief Executive Officer of Enaon. Born in Livorno, she graduated in Statistical Sciences and Economics at the University of Bologna and obtained an MBA degree in Economic Development for the Advanced Tertiary Sector. From 1988 to 1995, she worked as a management consultant for companies in the Transport, Construction and ICT sectors. In 1995, she joined the company TAV as Marketing Manager. Thereafter she held various and gradually more important positions, including CEO and general manager, in Italian companies and public administration. She joined the Italgas Group in March 2022 and appointed CEO of the Enaon Group immediately after its acquisition in September 2022.
She has been a member/chairperson of several BoDs of both Italian and foreign companies, and is currently in the BoD of Enaon, Acqua Campania, LAC, Rai Way and Finint Infrastrutture SGR.

Pavlos Mylonas was appointed Chief Executive Officer of National Bank of Greece in July 2018. He was elected Executive Member of the Board of Directors and Deputy CEO of the National Bank of Greece (NBG) in June 2014.
He was appointed Chief Risk Officer in December 2013. He is a Member of the Executive Committee since 2012 and of the ALCO Committee of the Group since 2000. In July 2012, he was appointed General Manager of Strategy and International Operations. From December 2010 until July 2012, he served as General Manager of Strategy and Governance. From April 2004 to December 2010, he was General Manager of Strategy and Research, Head of Investor Relations and Chief Economist of NBG Group, which he joined in 2000. He worked on the staff of the OECD from 1995 to 2000, and at the International Monetary Fund from 1987 to 1995. In the years 1985-1987, he was visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Economics in Boston University.
P. Mylonas holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics-Economics (Magna cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa) from Brown University, as well as a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in Economics from Princeton University.

Mihaela Nyerges is Managing Partner at Nyerges & Partners and Board Member of Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association (RPIA). She has extensive experience in the Romanian energy field, having coordinated, during the last 20 years, numerous complex investment projects and having assisted many of the key players on the Romanian energy market including producers, grid operators, suppliers, traders, financing banks, EPC contractors, O&M providers. Mihaela is particularly skilled in renewable energy, where she has intensively provided guidance to investors starting from the first and biggest renewable projects developed in Romania in 2008 – 2010. She is also highly experienced and actively involved in the legislative process affecting the Romanian energy sector.

Giorgos Panagiotou is Strategy & Energy Management Director in Volton Hellenic Energy S.A.. Before moving to Volton at the beginning of 2018, he had worked in energy management departments of Greek groups of companies in the energy sector, while he had started his professional career working as an engineer in other industries.

He graduated with a Master in Business Administration (MBA International) from the Athens University of Economics and Business (Major in Finance) and holds a diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Christos Papaleonidas is a Director and Partner at Watermeλon Consulting (WM), specializing in LNG and decarbonization projects. He oversees the development of key energy projects in Europe relevant to LNG terminals, CCUS and alternative fuel supply chains. Christos has been in charge of the technoeconomic evaluation and project financing efforts for many projects. WM has contributed to the financing and funding of approximately € 260 million. He is also active in research, focusing on the subject of supply chain modeling and optimization.
Christos holds an M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering (NTUA), an M.Sc. in Naval and Marine Engineering (NTUA), and a PhD from the Doctorate of Engineering (NTUA), where he is developing an innovative decision support system for optimizing the LNG supply chain.

Papastamatiou Panagiotis holds a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from NTU of Athens with PhD in Operational Research and Energy Policy & Planning and postgraduate lessons in Economics and Management in Athens University of Economics and Business. Since 1995 he has been active in the wind energy sector and the rest Renewable energy Sources in Greece and abroad.

He is Chief Executive Officer of the Hellenic Wind Energy Association, ELETAEN, an elected member of the Board of Directors of the Greek Association of RES Electricity Producers, GAREP, and elected member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Electricity Association, H.EL.AS. Papastamatiou is also Director of ENTEKA Group. He directs the development and financial sectors of the Group, which since 1984 deals almost exclusively with wind energy projects, development, ownership and operation of wind farms.

 Mr. Pugliaresi is President of the Energy Policy Research Foundation (EPRINC), a public policy energy think tank founded in 1944. He has led the organization’s research effort on the scope and benefits of the North American petroleum renaissance. EPRINC’s programs are focused on the intersection of petroleum economics and public policy. EPRINC publications on developments in U.S. and international petroleum markets are made available at the foundation’s website, www.eprinc.org.

Mr.Pugliaresi has served in a wide range of government posts, including the National Security Council at the White House (Reagan Administration), Departments of State, Energy, and Interior, as well as the EPA. He has written extensively on energy and frequently testifies before various committees of the U.S. Congress. His career in the federal government included central policy roles in the development of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, decontrol of domestic crude oil and gasoline prices, nuclear nonproliferation, offshore oil and gas leasing on federal lands, U.S. trade policy, environmental regulations, energy security, and U.S./Soviet relations.

Mr. Pugliaresi has published extensively on petroleum topics and is a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal. Among some of his recent publications are "Future Oil Supplies Can Lower Prices Today,”  Wall Street Journal, June 2, 2011; "Lessons of the Shale Gas Revolution,” Wall Street Journal, September 30, 2011; "The Keystone Debacle,”  Wall Street Journal, November 16, 2011; "North America’s Strategic Loss: Keystone XL Pipeline and the High Cost of the American Regulatory Regime,"  Geopolitics of Energy, Canadian Energy Research Institute, Dec – Nov 2011. “Keystone Can Help the Gulf—and the Northeast,” Wall Street Journal,  January 31, 2012. “Ethanol’s hidden gasoline tax,” Washington Times, May 7, 2012. “Time to Rethink Renewable Fuel Rules,” CNBC online, April 18, 2013. “Repeal or reform the RFS,” The Hill, August 2, 2013. “ Obama’s Keystone pipe blockage, U.S. energy dependency is counter-progressive,” The Washington Times, August 13, 2013. “Don’t let protectionism strangle America’s energy renaissance,” The Hill, December 23, 2013. “American Perspective, Oil and Gas Development, Arctic in World Affairs, A North Pacific Dialogue, Korean Maritime Institute, 2013.  “Will Latin America join petroleum’s new world order?” Forum, Oxford Energy Institute, November 2014, Issue 98. “Congress’ Bizarre idea to pay for health care (with L. Goldstein). Politico, July 2015.  “The SPR Can Limit the Economic Harm from a Supply Disruption,” Wall Street Journal, November 15, 2015.  “Pruitt will reform EPA's heavy-handed regulations,” The Hill, January 10, 2017. “US consumers benefit from energy integration with Mexico, Canada,” The Hill, February 17, 2017.  “Time to take fuel-efficiency mandates in for a checkup,” The Hill, March 11, 2017.  “Growing importance of US–Mexican energy trade,” Forum, Oxford Energy Institute, June 2017.  “Future of Asian LNG”, Joint Project of EPRINC and Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ), published annually  2017, 2018, and 2019.

Spiros Raptis is the General Manager of Schneider Electric for Greece and Cyprus. In 2023, he also became President of the Energy Committee at the French-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, while he is a member of the Business Advisory Council of the i-MBA of the Athens University of Economics.

He started his collaboration with Schneider Electric in 2010, as Power & Energy VP and subsequently served in various Sales and Marketing positions, before assuming his current duties on July 2017.

Spiros has more than 28 years of professional experience in various sectors of the Industrial and Energy market, holding managerial positions in Greek and multinational companies as head of sales and marketing teams in Electricity Distribution and Control, Industrial Automation, Electric Drive Systems and Field Instruments.

He has a Diploma in Electrical Engineering & Computer Technology from the Polytechnic School of the University of Patras.

Yiannis Sakellion is currently the Country Manager of Voltalia Greece, with 30 years of diversified experience in the broader energy sector.

He started his career at BP in fuels retail, holding various positions in Sales, Marketing, Business Development and Project Management. In 2010, following the acquisition of BP’s ground fuels business in Greece by HELLENiQ ENERGY (former Hellenic Petroleum), he joined the group’s fuels retail business undertaking various roles in Sales and Marketing, in Greece and in the broader SE Europe region.

Before joining Voltalia in Greece, he worked as an international advisor focusing on retail strategy, customer experience, trade marketing, product and offer development.

He graduated from the Athens University of Economics and Business and holds a master’s degree in business administration from Alba Graduate Business School.

Ioannis Skarakis is Country Manager for Greece and Senior Origination & Tender Officer in Parkwind (Jera Group).

Over the past ten years, he has been active in the development and construction of offshore wind farms in the North Sea, including projects such as Rentel, Seastar, and Mermaid (Seamade). Furthermore, he has been involved in the preparation of pre-feasibility studies and tenders for the development of offshore wind projects across various regions including the Netherlands, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

In addition, he has worked as a researcher at Arcelor Mittal's research centre in Belgium. He has published scientific articles (ASME) on structural mechanics and composites for applications within the energy sector.

He holds a Diploma in Civil Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Patras and a Master degree in Marine and Coastal Technology from the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA).

Panos Skiadas is currently the Deputy Chief Services Officer, Energy and Sustainability of Viohalco SA. He joined Viohalco in 2004 and his current responsibilities include supervision of energy and sustainability issues, including regulatory issues, climate change, environmental management and health and safety for all subsidiaries.

From 1994 onwards, he worked in several positions in environmental management, both in the USA and Greece. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Recycling and Energy Recovery Industries and Enterprises (SEPAN) for four years, currently being its honorary Chairman.

He holds a Μaster of Engineering in Environmental and Water Quality Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA, a Βachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida, Gainesville, USA, and an Executive Diploma in Management Studies from ALBA, Athens, Greece.

Giorgos Stamtsis was born in 1974 in Germany and holds a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, while he has an Engineering Doctorate (Dr.-Ing.) from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.

He has extensive experience in the energy sector, focusing on liberalized energy markets and renewables. From 2014 to the present, he holds the position of General Manager of the Hellenic Association of Independent Power Companies (HAIPP), having served as Deputy General Manager in HAIPP during the period 2012-2014. From 2010 until 2012, he was a Senior Advisor to the Secretary General of Energy and Climate Change in the respective Greek Ministry, while he had previously worked as Commercial and Trading Manager in Endesa Hellas during 2007-2010 and in the Energy Supplies & Trading department of Mytilineos SA (2005-2007). In 2024, Dr. Stamtsis served as President of Develop Athens SA.

Dr. Giorgos Stamtsis is a member of VDE, of the Technical Chamber of Greece and Vice President of the Climate Crisis & Energy Council of Ellet, while he has published a series of articles and analyses in international peer-review journals and conferences, as well as in the Press. He speaks Greek, English and German.

A visionary leader with over 35 years of professional experience in advisory, M&A, management consulting, and capital markets, Dan Stratan has been driving the RCI Holding companies’ growth and performance excellence with a disruptive market strategy and a 360˚ value proposition.

His entrepreneurial spirit has been the catalyst behind the success of over 25 companies across industries, ranging from transport and civil infrastructure to energy, environment, IT, public relations, and defense.

Currently, under his leadership, the group boasts a turnover of 75MEuro with almost 50MEuro from professional services, managing a CAPEX of over 25 Billion Euro. The regional footprint has been recently enlarged to 18 countries in Europe, Middle East and South Asia due to the innovative strategies and technologies serving a portfolio of 1000+ clients. Recent focus and success in AI platforms, advanced technologies, digital transformation, cyber security and business re-engineering services positioned the group as the consultancy of choice for some of the largest operators and investors.

Previously, as a Director at Merrill Lynch International London, Mr. Stratan led the bank’s operations in debt capital markets, equities, and M&A across 18 countries.

Mr. Stratan has been acting as Senior Advisor to CEOs and Boards for major power & utilities M&A transactions across CEE.

Vasilis Tsaitas, Group Chief Financial Officer

He is a graduate of Business Administration from University of Piraeus and MBA from INSEAD, as well as a Fellow at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, with 20 years of experience in finance and strategy in the energy sector. He started his career at Shell Hellas, where he held the role of Financial Controller. He worked for HSBC investment banking in London, focusing on M&A advisory for European Oil & Gas and utility companies. He also has professional experience in the development and financing of RES projects. He joined HELLENIC PETROLEUM Group in 2011 and has been responsible for Investor Relations and international capital markets, participating in strategic initiatives of the Group. Since February 2022, he holds the position of Group Chief Financial Officer.

Mike Tzamaloukas is a technology entrepreneur passionate about unlocking business value using applied Artificial Intelligence (AI). As the Founder and CEO of DeepRunner.ai, a start-up focused on enterprise workforce augmentation, he is dedicated to delivering innovative AI solutions that transform how businesses operate. Prior to DeepRunner.ai, Mike developed significant expertise in AI and IoT technologies at Amazon Web Services (AWS) and pioneered AI systems for autonomous vehicles at Samsung. He brings a wealth of experience as a serial entrepreneur, having previously built and scaled multiple Silicon Valley start-ups with over $200M in successful exits. Mike T holds a PhD in Computer Science from UC Santa Cruz and an MBA from UC Berkeley and remains engaged with the academic community by teaching graduate-level courses.

Thalia Valkouma with more than two decades of experience in the infrastructure & renewable energy sector, is a passionate and experienced leader who combines environmental engineering, project and strategic management, sustainability and ESG expertise.

Running a PhD in Environmental Engineering Technology, she also holds an MBA in Business and Project Management, a Master’s in Science (MSc) in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Biology. She has been trained in the College of Europe on EU energy policy and Governance, Goals and Challenges of the EU Energy Market. She has several certifications in energy, sustainability, management, quality assurance and ESG & CSR.

She has worked for several years as Environmental Project Manager and Strategic Planning Director in the private and public sector and has also acted as advisor and consultant of the Greek Government/Ministries and other international bodies on environment, energy and sustainability. She has delivered various presentations and speeches in different international conferences, forums and trainings.

Since 2016 she is co-founder and owner of Faria Group and Faria Thess S.A, companies focused on investment, development, construction and operation of renewable energy projects. As President and CEO of FARIA Renewables S.A. since March 2023, she leads a joint corporate formation between FARIA Group and Capenergie 5 Fund managed by OMNES Capital, with the vision to create a leading independent power producer using renewable energy sources [offshore & onshore wind, photovoltaics, hybrid & storage projects, green hydrogen, and innovative solutions] and with the mission to drive green innovation and sustainability, foster strategic partnerships and collaborations, and deliver high-quality and impactful results for stakeholders, partners, and the environment.

Dimosthenis Voivontas is the CEO of DAPEEP SA. With more than 20 years of experience in energy, industry and finance, he has a strong background in renewable energy, portfolio and project management, state aid programs and strategic investments. He is a chemical engineer with a PhD in energy planning and an MBA. As general director in the Ministry of Finance contributed to the design and timely implementation of projects and reforms across all sectors of the economy in the framework of the Recovery and Resilience Plan. As a director in the Ministry of Development coordinated the licensing and monitoring of Projects of Common Interest in the energy sector as well as strategic investments in the sectors of energy, industry and tourism. He has extensive teaching and research experience in renewable energy sources, natural resources management and state aid schemes. 

Dr. G.A. Vokas graduated from the School of Electrical and Computers Engineering of National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) in 1989 and received his Ph.D. degree from the same School in 1995, on the fields of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) & Power Electronics. During 1997-2007 he was the Head of the Energy Program of the 2^nd & 3^rd European Support Framework in ELANET and dealt with the technical and financial management of more than 250 energy investment projects, in the areas of Energy Efficiency & Energy Saving in Large Commercial and Industrial Buildings, Cogeneration, Renewable Energy projects (Solar and Wind) of a total budget of 300Million Euros. During 2007-2017 he cooperated with large RES installer companies like Conergy, Solarwatt, and 3-Gorges (Greek branch) as Technical Director and General Manager being responsible for the design, licensing and/or installation of more than 100MW of RES projects all over Greece. In 2007 he joined the Department of Electronics Engineering, Piraeus University of Applied Sciences (PUAS).In March 2018 he joined the University of West Attica, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, where he is currently a Professor.

Research Activity

Prof. Vokas is the author or co-author of 90 publications in scientific international journals and 60 papers in conference proceedings. His scientific work has received 1142 citations from the research community and an h-index of 19 (source: www.scopus.com 6/2025) in the fields of RES, Rational use of Energy & Energy Saving techniques, Power Electronics, Smart Grids and Power Quality.

He was a scientific coordinator or member of the research team in about 17 research projects funded by the EU, National authorities, and Greek companies in the same fields as mentioned above. Currently, he is the scientific coordinator one national project funded by the EU for the Reforestation master action plan in Greece using autonomous wireless sensor networks.

Since 2009 is Head of the Power Electronics Laboratory since 2024 is the Head of the Smart Technologies, Renewable Energy Sources & Quality (STRESQLab), while during 2020-2024 was the Director of the B’ Sector (Electrical Industrial Devices & Automation) of EEED-UNIWA.

His current research interests include Energy Strategies using RES & Storage, Smart Grids optimisation schemes using RES, Electromobility for vehicles and vessels, ways of increasing the efficiency and flexibility of RES parks, Internet of Energy based on Renewable Energy sources, Smart cities and Power Quality of electric power systems.

He has been on the chair committee of the international conference series TMREES -Technologies and Materials for Renewable Energy, Environment and Sustainability for the last 11 years 2014-2025 (www.tmrees.org).

Yannis is a Senior Director of the PwC Strategy Consulting Team in Greece

He is actively managing among others various projects in the field of corporate energy strategies, business plans for new green energy technologies and applications, RES/BESS PPAs assessment of energy investments and due diligence, as well as activities related to energy markets, policy and regulatory support.

He had as senior energy expert, continuous participation in National and European technical and regulatory committees in the field of Renewables Sources, Energy Efficiency and Energy Planning for more than 15yrs and has been recently among others member in committees related to hydrogen strategy, storage framework, decarbonization of islands, RES support scheme. He  has also been key author of the NECP (2018-2020) and of various national energy plans and studies, while he has also been engaged in the elaboration of various legislative acts and market related guidelines.

He has also been BoD member of the Hellenic Energy Exchange for 3yrs until joining PwC and has a 20yr past professional experience in GIZ GmbH, CRES and DG-JRC Institute of Energy.

He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering

Mr. Menelaos (Mel) Ydreos is the Secretary General of the International Gas Union (IGU), whose mission is to advocate for Gas as an integral part of a sustainable global energy system and promote the political, technical, and economic progress of the gas industry.

Mr. Ydreos has most recently served as the Executive Director of LNG2023, the global LNG conference staged in Vancouver, Canada, in July 2023. He also served as the Executive Director of Public Affairs and Chairman of the International Gas Union’s Coordination Committee for its 2015-2018 US Presidency triennium, and supported the staging of the 2018 World Gas Conference in Washington, DC. Also, during the IGU's Malaysian Presidency, Mr Ydreos chaired the special geopolitics and natural gas task force.

Mr. Ydreos also serves as the Executive Director of Energy Vantage Inc. in Toronto, Canada. He launched Energy Vantage Inc. after a long career at Union Gas Ltd, now a subsidiary of Enbridge, where he held several executive positions. He served as interim president and CEO of the Ontario Energy Association from 2013 to 2014 and, in 2009, Mr Ydreos was the Interim President and CEO of the Canadian Gas Association.

Mr. Ydreos has been and continues to be involved in an advisory and board capacity with a variety of energy-related organisations such as the Waterloo Institute of Sustainable Energy, Pollution Probe and the Canadian Standards Association. Mr. Ydreos holds a B.Sc. in civil engineering from the University of Waterloo.

Professor Dr. Kostas Andriosopoulos is Αffiliate Professor of Finance & Energy Management at Alba Graduate Business School, Director of the HELLENiQ ENERGY Center for Sustainability and Energy @Alba and CEO & Chairman, Akuo Energy Greece. Kostas holds a PhD in Finance (Cass Business School, City University London), where he has been the recipient of the prestigious Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation’s scholarship. He also holds an MBA and MSc in Finance (Northeastern University, Boston, USA), and a bachelor’s degree in Production Engineering and Management (Technical University of Crete, Greece). Kostas is a member in various professional and academic associations.

- President of the Energy Committee of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce.
- President of the Decarbonization Fund of the Greek islands for the Hellenic Ministry of Environment & Energy.
- Board Member and Founding Chairman of the Hellenic Association for Energy Economics (a think-tank focusing on issues related to energy, the environment and the economy).
- Board member of the Global Gas Center - World Energy Council as a Gas and LNG markets expert.
- Member of the board of the International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE) as a Vice President for Publications.
- Founding board member of the Financial Engineering and Banking Society.
- Member Technical Chamber of Greece.
- Member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society, which recognizes outstanding academic achievements of students enrolled in collegiate business and management programs.
- Member of the Energy Commission of the Industry and Parliament Trust in the UK (2012-13).

In addition to his academic profile, he has an extensive professional experience in the business world and has served as a business consultant in energy, food, web & software, commodity trading and shipping industries. During September 2019 - February 2021 he was appointed Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Public Gas Company (DEPA), a position he also held for the period 2014-2015. Since August 2018 he is Country Manager of Akuo Energy in Greece, a multinational company based in France that develops RES projects in 17 countries around the world. In addition, he has worked as an advisor to the Retail Banking Director and Managing Director for the British Bankers' Association (2007). Kostas’ current interests include energy-related geopolitical issues, gas and LNG market dynamics, RES investments, financial engineering and the application of operational research tools on risk management and investment techniques in energy, shipping and agricultural commodity markets. His work has been published in international finance and commodity-related Journals and has participated as speaker in recognized conferences world-wide. He is the Associate Editor for the International Journal of Financial Engineering and Risk Management, Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Energy Markets, he has edited special issues in recognized journals, acts as a reviewer for a number of academic journals, and has organized numerous international conferences.

I have been working as a journalist since 1995, covering financial and economic issues, the energy market, as well as strategic and private investments. In the course of my career, I have worked for the «TA NEA» newspaper, then as a director at Liberal.gr and I currently work for Euro2day.gr  and Energypress.gr covering the energy sector and its geopolitical impact. I am a graduate of La Sapienza University School of Architecture, I speak English, and Italian. I am married and father of two children.

Spiros is Professor at the Technical University of Crete and the Director of the Industrial, Energy and Environmental Systems Lab. He is specialized in renewables, energy efficiency issues and energy saving applications. His research interests include various aspects of renewables (assessment and implementation of technologies and especially photovoltaics and solar thermal systems, implementation of national policies related to renewables and financial and social incentive schemes, renewable energy heating and cooling applications, renewable energy auctions and market exchange, Life Cycle Assessment and environmental impacts analysis from large-scale deployment of renewable energy technologies); Sustainability in the energy sector; Energy saving devices; Technologies of "smart" materials for energy related applications; Energy characterization of building structural elements.
As part of his academic work he has published more than 60 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and has been cited more than 2800 times, with a current h-index of 30; additionally, he has actively participated in more than 50 research projects. He has presented papers to numerous international energy related conferences and acted as referee for international journals in the area of Renewables, Energy efficiency and Energy policy, while on the same time he has served as member in various professional and academic associations such as the International Association for Energy Economics and the International Solar Energy Society. Additionally he has provided lectures and supervised MSc theses in various academic institutions including ESCP London, EADA Spain and Montpellier Business School. Spiros is the President of the Hellenic Association for Energy Economics.

Dimitrios Pefanis is the General manager of insider.gr, the award winning financial website, which was launched in December 2015 and attracts more than 1,3m unique users on a monthly basis.
He is the former director of in.gr, the leading Greek website as well as a financial Reporter at TA NEA Newspaper and editor of N-Digital Technical Supplement.
He studied Communications and Mass Media at Panteion University (BA) and New Media Journalism (ΜΑ) at Emerson College in Boston, MA.
In 2013 he received the Citi Journalistic Excellence Award in Greece for financial reporting and is experienced in banking, bonds, stocks and general financials. He is also a Lecturer, teaching Social Media Marketing and Content Marketing at Hellenic American Union and has attended numerous conferences in Europe on New Media, Online Business Development.

Haris is an Electrical & Computer Engineer, with an MSc in Data Communications Systems. For more than 21 years, he had been working in the business development and sales departments of 5 multinational technology, energy and automation organizatios in UK and Greece. His bigger engagement with the energy sector came through his 12-year employment by ABB’s Motion division, where he was involved with the design and delivery of numerous energy efficiency and Industry 4.0 projects.

Since 2020, he has been an independent B2B growth consultant for technology and automation companies. He helps his clients position themselves favorably in the market and effectively use the digital channels and latest technologies to increase revenues and profit margins in a predictable way. As a vivid practitioner of high-end technology, for the last 3 years he has been experimenting with and applying AI in all forms of business functions (i.e. strategy, product development, marketing, content ideation) for himself and his clients.

Since 2022, Haris has been a professor of “Digital Transformation Technologies in the Energy Sector”, part of the Executive Master’s course on Future Energy by ESCP Business School. The practical use of AI technologies in energy production/demand forecasting, distribution network monitoring, load management and grid stability functions is at the core of his teaching.

Ioannis Vassardanis is the Managing Partner of I. Vassardanis & Partners Law Firm, a boutique law firm based in Athens, specializing in international arbitration (both commercial and investment), energy, construction, and corporate law. Ioannis serves as Vice-President of the French- Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, acting as the coordinator of both the Energy and Tax Committees. Additionally, Ioannis serves as the Vice-President of the Hellenic Society for Technology and Construction Law and of the African-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce. He has been recognized by international legal directories, such as Chambers and Partners and Legal500, and he is actively involved in leading forums and associations related with international arbitration and energy and construction law