SpeakersLearn from the experts on the cutting-edge of technology, legislation and developments.

Dimitra is a Research Fellow in the Electricity Research Programme at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES) and a Lecturer at Christ Church College, University of Oxford, working on economics and regulation of the electricity sector. She obtained her PhD and MSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2014 and 2011, respectively. Before joining OIES she was a Lecturer in the Engineering Department at City, University of London. She was also the Programme Director for the MSc in Renewable Energy and Power Systems Management; a member of the Energy, Sustainability and Net-Zero Research Centre and the Artificial Intelligence Research Centre both at City, University of London. Prior to her tenure at City, Dimitra was a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Engineering Department at the University of Oxford. Her diverse experience extends to the industry as well; she previously worked at the Smart Grid & Technology Department at Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) in Chicago, Illinois—a unit of Exelon Corp. that serves approximately 3.8 million customers. She has been actively participating in working groups and other professional service activities, such as being Co-organiser of Risk and Resilience Day 2023, EPSRC Supergen Energy Networks Hub and has been invited to give seminars at various places, such as Imperial College London and King’s College London, UK; Argonne National Laboratory, US; and MINES ParisTech, France.

Miltos Aslanoglou is the General Manager of the Hellenic Association of Energy Suppliers (appointed December 2020) and Chairman of AirEnergy S.A. (since January 2021). He has served as Vice President of RAE (2010–2015), led RAE's Energy Markets Monitoring Department from 2002, and was an Alternate in ACER’s Board of Appeals (2016-2021). Before this, he worked with major London electricity and gas traders. He lectures in energy regulation at the University of Piraeus, holds an M.Sc. in Applied Economics & Finance (AUEB), an M.Sc. in Environmental Technology (Imperial College London), and is a Mechanical Engineer.

Gerasimos is Senior Manager on Market and System Development at the Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator (DESFA), responsible for market design and development projects. He also represents DESFA at the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Energy Exchange (HEnEx) and its clearing house (EnExClear).

Prior to joining DESFA in 2013, he held the position of the Head of the Gas Department in the Greek Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) since 2005, playing a key-role in the liberalization of the Greek gas market.

From 1999 until 2002, when he joined RAE, he worked in numerous gas and power projects as a member of the business development team of Prometheus Gas S.A., a joint company of Gazprom and Copelouzos Group.

He started his professional career in the upstream sector of the hydrocarbon industry in 1996. Based in the UK, he worked in numerous oil and gas optimization projects in Europe, Middle East and Latin America.

Since 2014, he is aν adjunct professor at the Master’s program of the University of Piraeus in Energy.

Gerasimos holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and an MSc in Petroleum Engineering from the Imperial College, London.

Lena Belsi is the Head of the Geocycle activity of HERACLES Group since the beginning of 2012. She holds a BA in Economics from Smith College, USA. She started her career in the USA in the Telecommunications Sector. Upon her return to Greece in 1990 she worked in different companies such as INTRASOFΤ, INTRACOM and MYTILINAIOS, undertaking management positions mainly in the areas of Project Management and Procurement. She was hired by HERACLES Group in 2007 as Procurement Manager, and in the last 14 years she has also held positions such as Energy Manager, Solid Fuels Manager as well as Manager of Alternative Fuels and Alternative Raw Materials. Since February 2019 she is the CEO of Geocycle Hellas S.A., the newly formed subsidiary of HERACLES Group in the area of wastes management, while since June 2022 she holds the position of the President of the Federation of Recycling and Energy Recovery Industries and Enterprises (SEPAN).

Pandelis Biskas is a Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He is considered an expert in power systems modelling and in the modelling of European electricity markets. His deep knowledge of the European electricity markets’ operation in both regulatory framework and in daily operation has provided him a key role in the Greek wholesale electricity market, where he is widely known for unit commitment and economic dispatch applications. His research interests expand in optimization models for electricity market clearing and assets’ bidding strategies.

He worked for 4.5 years as a Business Development Engineer in the Electricity Market Department of the Hellenic Transmission System Operator, in which the daily business of the Greek wholesale electricity market was performed (Capacity rights auctions, scheduling of imports/exports, Day-Ahead Scheduling, Dispatching Scheduling of production units). During this period, he participated in working groups for the harmonization of HTSO with the provisions of the “Greek Grid and Exchange Code”, in commissions for the “Mathematical Formulation of the Day-Ahead Scheduling problem”, and in groups for the harmonization of the market rules in the Central-South European (CSE) Region (including Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and Greece). He was the delegate of HTSO for the development of the Day-Ahead Scheduling solver (in the cooperation with AREVA T&D), which is still applied for the clearing of the day-ahead market in Greece.

As a member of the PSL/AUTH, through the Research Committee of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, he led (as a Principal Investigator) 80 projects and participated (as a Researcher/Consultant) in another 40 projects funded by Greek and international institutions, energy associations, energy companies, etc, during the last fifteen years. As an Electrical Engineer, he has undertaken and implemented more than 300 projects for power system operations and analysis, energy studies, risk management analysis in the production, trading and retail sector, price forecasting, consulting services on wholesale and retail electricity markets, etc. Professor Pandelis Biskas, as a senior market analyst of ECCO International Inc. (an internationally known company, providing consulting services to Governments, Regulators, Utilities, Independent System Operators, with registered address in California, USA), has participated in more than 50 projects in the field of wholesale electricity market design, algorithm modelling and market simulation in Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Poland and Israel during the last 15 years.

Nikos is currently Greece’s CCUS Manager. He holds an MEng in Chemical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, an MSc in International Management from King’s College London and an MBA in Business Administration from the Athens University of Economics and Business & Erasmus University in Rotterdam. He has undertaken research projects in Industrial Engineering, Total Quality Management and Activity Based Costing. Nikos works for Heracles GCCo since 2003, and held positions of process engineer, production manager, plant manager in both cement plants located in Volos and Milaki. Prior to his current role, Nikos was HERACLES Group’s Export and Supply chain Director and member of the Executive Committee.

He is a member of the Management Board of the Hellenic Union of Industrial Consumers of Energy.

Mr. Sotirios Bravos is the Chief Commercial Services Officer of DESFA. He has graduated from the Aristotelion University of Thessaloniki with a Diploma in Electrical Engineering and has a demonstrated working experience of over 24 years in the gas industry in Greece. 

Mr. Bravos is a member of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE).

His mother tongue is Greek and he is fluent in English.

Anthi Charalambous is a Chemical Engineer and sustainability expert dedicated to advancing the transition toward a low-carbon and circular economy. She holds degrees from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) in Chemical Engineering, with postgraduate studies in Environmental Engineering (MSc), Business Administration (MBA), and Renewable Energy & Energy Management.

Since beginning her professional journey in 1997, Anthi has combined technical expertise with strategic leadership across the fields of energy, environment, and sustainable development. Early in her career, she worked abroad on environmental projects, impact assessments, and the management of liquid and solid waste. In 2001, she shifted her focus to the energy sector, contributing to major national and European initiatives through roles at the Cyprus Institute of Energy, the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the EU in Brussels, and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy.

From 2009 to 2016, Anthi served as Director of the Cyprus Energy Agency, where she played a pivotal role in promoting energy awareness and building the country’s sustainable energy culture. Between 2016 and 2022, she led the Energy & Environment Department of the Cyprus Employers & Industrialists Federation (OEB), strengthening the connection between the business community and sustainable growth.

Currently, she is the Director of ideopsis Ltd, a consultancy specializing in energy, environment, circular economy, energy efficiency, and sustainable development. She is also the founder of the environmental NGO KyklOIKOdromio, which promotes environmental awareness and circular practices in Cyprus.

In 2021, she was appointed to the European Industry Advisory Forum, and in 2022 she was elected President of the International Solar Energy Society – Cyprus Section (2022–2024). She also serves on the Energy Policy Committee of the Scientific and Technical Chamber of Cyprus (ETEK). In 2025, Forbes Cyprus recognized Anthi Charalambous as one of the leading CEOs in Sustainability, highlighting her exceptional leadership and impact in promoting sustainable transformation.

Eleni Charisi leads the Sales and Key Account Management department at the Hellenic Energy Exchange (HEnEx), where she focuses on expanding the member base, improving client experience, and driving the development of new gas products and services.

Prior to joining HEnEx, Eleni worked as an Associate Editor at Argus Media, specializing in Central and Southeast European gas markets.

Eleni holds a Master of Science degree in Energy Business and Regulation. 

Dionysios Chionis is the co-founder of Athlos Energy, the first Greek company dedicated to advancing nuclear energy. With extensive experience in the energy sector, Dionysios also leads the nuclear physics team at Axpo Power AG, Switzerland’s largest utility. His expertise spans reactor physics, nuclear technology, and strategic energy development. He holds a PhD in nuclear physics from EPFL, a Master’s in nuclear engineering from ETH Zurich, and a Mechanical Engineering degree from NTUA.

Ambassador Michael B. CHRISTIDES is the Secretary General of the Permanent International Secretariat (PERMIS) of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey.

Born in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1949, Ambassador Christides joined the Hellenic MFA in 1976 as first in his Class and served with distinction until his retirement in August 2014. Among other assignments he served as Ambassador of Greece to Bulgaria, to Turkey and to Argentina and held senior posts in the Hellenic MFA as Political Director for South East Europe, as Director General for International Organizations, International Security & Cooperation and as Director General for International Economic Relations. 

Ambassador Christides participated in many international meetings and conferences and has spent more than 20 years dealing with S.E. European / Balkan issues, while travelling extensively in the region. He acquired a broad knowledge of the political and economic realities there and established a wide personal network of high-level political, business, academic and media contacts. He speaks fluent English, German, French, Italian and moderately good Spanish.

After his retirement Ambassador Christides was elected by the BSEC Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs as Secretary General of the BSEC PERMIS, assuming his duties on 1 July 2015. After the unanimous endorsement by all BSEC Member States, the same Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs reappointed on 15 December 2017 Ambassador Christides for a second three-year term-in-office, as of 1 July 2018 until 30 June 2021.

Dr. Athanassios Dagoumas was President of the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water in Greece until July 2025. He is an Associate Professor in Energy and Resource Economics and the founding Director of the Energy & Environmental Policy laboratory at the Department of International and European Studies 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 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, as a Senior Energy Analyst at the Transmission System Operator and at the Electricity Market Operator in Greece and as a Member of the Board of the Cambridge Trust for New Thinking in Economics. 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 global energy sector: economic, engineering, environmental and policy. He is keen on developing models for the real energy markets, the energy systems and the economic-energy-environment (E3) systems.

Maria Damanaki was born on the Greek island of Crete on 31 May 1952. Maria graduated with honors from the National Technical University of Athens with a Master of Science in chemical engineering. She has also a one-year Degree from Lancaster University on Gender issues. Maria Damanaki has authored four books on European issues, human rights, education and women’s rights.

Political Career

Active in the underground student opposition to the dictatorship in Greece (1970-1974).
Member of Parliament, elected continuously for the years 1977 – 1993, 2000 –2009. Also, first woman ever to be elected Vice-president of the Greek Parliament.
President of the Coalition of Left and Progress (1991-1993). First woman ever to lead a Greek political party.

Professional Career

Engineer at Pechiney Aluminum Industries (1974)
Administrator at Ministry of Finance of Greece, Department of Import-Export Planning (1975-1976).
Section Manager at Helector S.A. Department of Energy and Waste Management (2003-2004)

European Commission (2010-2014)

With over 30 years of public service in Europe, Damanaki recently served as European Union Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

Under her leadership, the Commission was able to bring fish populations back to healthier levels—from as few as five sustainable stocks in 2010 to up to 27 today.
The continuation of her fisheries policy efforts could lead to 15 million more tons of fish in the sea, 30 percent more jobs and the equivalent of over $2 billion in additional revenue.

She introduced and implemented the Blue Growth agenda for Seas and Oceans in Europe, which aimed to create 1.6 million new jobs and the equivalent of $750 billion in revenue by 2020 in sectors such as coastal tourism, ocean energy, and marine biotechnology. The Blue Growth was approved in unanimity by the European Council.
She established legislation to create a common framework for Marine Spatial Planning to map and better manage maritime activities across EU countries.

The Nature Conservancy (2014-2020)

Maria Damanaki served as the Global Managing Director for Oceans at The Nature Conservancy.

She ran marine programs in 27 countries, across all continents, leading a global team of 50 and a global network of more than 600 people focused on transforming how the world manages its oceans; including sustainable fisheries and aquaculture management and transparency for the seafood supply chain; large-scale protection and restoration of coral reefs, mangroves and other ecosystems; climate change and blue carbon.
The marine TNC program of Blue Bonds and Debt for Conservation Swaps won the 2019 Ted-x prize for ideas that can change the world. (Accompanied by 27 mil$ financing).

International Activities

Maria Damanaki co-chairs the UN Sustainability Committee for Blue Growth and she co-chairs the advisory network of the High-Level Panel for Oceans created by the Norwegian Prime Minister and 13 PMs around the world. She is a member of the Friends of Ocean Commission of the World Economic Forum. She sits on the Board of Directors in Oxford Martin School Ocean Program, University of Oxford, the Boards of Monaco Ocean Foundation and Oceanographic Institute, the board of European Marine Regions Forum and the Board of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

• Topographer (1972) & Civil Engineer (1974), National Technical University of Athens
• He has managed major projects on Energy, Industry & Infrastructure (Europe, Saudi Arabia, Russia). He was a senior executive and Board member in various businesses and organizations (Petrola Hellas, Petrola International, Hellenic Petroleum, Helpe - Thraki, Trans Balkan, Construction companies, etc.)
• Christos Dimas represented the Greek Ministry of Development for international energy issues and participated in international conferences with presentations on the transport of oil and gas from Russia, Central Asia and the Caspian Sea to the International Markets

Among others he has held the Following positions:

•  Refinery Project Manager (Petrola Hellas)
• Project Manager of Latsis Group in Greece
• He was the General Technical Director of TBP B.V. (Burgas -Alexandroupolis Oil Pipeline)
• He was the General Director of TBP B.V. (Burgas -Alexandroupolis Oil Pipeline) and Chief Executive Officer of TBP B.V. – Greece and General Manager of Helpe-Thraki SA.
• President of the Hellenic-Russian Chamber of Commerce (2011-2017).
• He was member of the International Council of the Russian Industry Organization (RSPP) in Moscow
• President of the EPEE Strategic Council in Moscow with members: Russia's Federal Chamber of Industry, Russia's Federation of Russian Industries (RSPP), Russian Academy (energy sector), Russia's Agency for Strategic Initiatives, Federation of Russian Construction Companies, the Federation of the Russian Pharmaceutical Industry,
• Founding Member and Partner of Institute of for Energy South East Europe (IENE)
• Chairman of the Geopolitics & Energy Committee of the Institute of Energy for SE Europe (IENE)

A cum laude graduate of Athens College, Leo Drollas attended the London School of Economics where he gained his B.Sc. (Econ) and M.Sc. (Econ), also completing a doctorate on the foreign trade sector in disequilibrium.  After leaving the LSE in 1975, Leo Drollas worked in London at the Commodities Research Unit and then joined British Petroleum in 1977 as the company’s first econometrician.  At BP he managed the energy and economic modelling team in the company’s Corporate Planning Department (1980-86) and was responsible for many studies on various aspects of the oil market.  Whilst at BP, Leo Drollas was seconded for two years to the Confederation of British Industry (1986-88), where he held the post of Deputy Director of Economics.  In 1989 Leo Drollas joined as its Chief Economist the Centre for Global Energy Studies (CGES), a think-tank founded in that year by Sheikh Yamani, the former Oil Minister of Saudi Arabia.  Leo Drollas was the Deputy Director and Chief Economist at the CGES from 1989 until 2011, becoming in that year the CGES’ Director.  During his time at the CGES, which ceased operations in April 2014, Leo dealt with many diverse subjects in the oil and gas sphere.  Over a career spanning 48 years, Leo Drollas has written many articles and studies on oil, energy and economics in general, and co-authored “Oil – the Devil’s Gold” with Jon Greenman.  He has spoken at numerous conferences all over the world and has appeared frequently on TV and radio programmes and been quoted regularly on the main wire services and leading financial newspapers.  Leo Drollas is a non-executive director of Elin, a Greek energy company, and an adviser to Argus Consulting, writing monthly on the crude oil futures market.

Dr. Spyridon N. Economou is the Director General for Hydrogen Technologies at Eunice Energy Group. He leads initiatives supporting Greece’s transition toward a net-zero carbon economy, focusing on green hydrogen, renewable energy development, energy storage, and energy infrastructure. He coordinates the Crete Hydrogen Valley (CRAVE-H2), a flagship Clean Hydrogen Partnership project with a budget of €12 million, and manages a portfolio exceeding €1.2 billion across the European hydrogen value chain. From 2019 to 2023, he served as President of the Board of Directors at CRES (Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving), overseeing more than 80 national and EU R&D projects and contributing to Greece’s National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). With over 25 years of leadership in the fields of energy, environment, and advanced materials across Europe and the Middle East, Dr. Economou plays a key role in advancing sustainable innovation and the hydrogen value chain in Southeast Europe.

Rania has over 27 years of professional experience, including managerial positions of high responsibility, across different industries. She began her career in the oil & gas sector for Texaco (today Chevron). She then worked for more than 10 years in Corporate and Investment Banking in London and in Athens, for Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas and Eurobank.

Later in her career she assumed various C-suite positions, including: CEO of the National Investment Fund of Greece (Growthfund), Partner at Ernst & Young (EY) in Transaction Advisory Services & EY Energy Sector Leader for SE Europe, and Deputy CEO and member of the Board of Public Power Corporation (PPC), the leading listed Greek electric utility.

After Growthfund, Rania had several mandates as senior strategy and financial advisor to large corporates, mainly for power and RES acquisitions.

Today, she serves as a non-executive director in several boards of large Greek corporates (2 of which listed), namely ElvalHalcor S.A., Motor Oil S.A. and HEDNO S.A. She is also Chair /member in various board committees, including Audit Committee, Nomination & Remuneration Committee and Sustainability Committee. In the board of HEDNO, Rania was nominated by Macquarie Asset Management.

She is also Vice-President of the Board of Alba Graduate Business School, member of the Advisory Board of Dianeosis (the leading Greek think-tank on social and economic policy matters), member of the Leadership Committee of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, co-chair of the Greek Chapter of WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD - the largest global network of women corporate board directors), and member of the European Network for Women in Leadership.

She has a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Aristotle University and an MBA from City University in London (Bayes Business School).

Over 35 years experience in the oil & gas sector in senior management positions. Currently CEO of e-CNHC (E-C Cyprus Natural Hydrocarbons Company Ltd), providing management and advisory services in the oil & gas and energy sectors in Cyprus and the region. A lot needs to be done and the aim of the company is to contribute to the successful development of these sectors for the future of Cyprus.

Prior to this, as CEO of KRETYK, Cyprus’ national hydrocarbons company, I was responsible for implementing Cyprus government’s strategy for the development of its hydrocarbons sector.

Until 2012 I was a Director of Mott MacDonald for 25 years and the Managing Director of Mott MacDonald’s Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals business world-wide.

Charles Ellinas is also: Features Editor, Natural Gas World, and Senior Fellow, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council.

I have been working as a journalist since 1995, and have been specialized in issues related to energy as well as strategic and private investments. I worked as an editor at "TA NEA" (2000-2018), I was Editor in Chief at liberal.gr, (2018-2023) and I am an editor at Euro2day which is particularly interested in topics related to economy, markets, energy. 

Harris carries more than 17 years of experience in business reporting, specializing in the energy and industry sectors. In 2006 he joined Capital.gr and in 2009 Kefalaio newspaper . He is currently Chief Business Editor at Capital.gr and Kefalaio. He also contributes articles at the Greek edition of Forbes magazine as well as several energy related media. During his career as a journalist he has worked for numerous Greek media such as newspapers Eleftheros, Express, Isotimia, Extra Channel etc. Harris is a graduate of Communication and Mass Media School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1997).

Mrs Fokianou is a graduate from the University of Athens with a degree in Geology and postgraduate studies at Imperial College. She has an academic experience and more than 25 years of executive management experience both in the Public and the Private Energy sector. She is co-founder and a member of the Board of the Institute of Energy of South East Europe (IENE).

Mrs Fokianou served as the Managing Director of the Public Petroleum Corporation – E&P for H/C (DEP-EKY) in Greece, and was responsible for the 1st International Licensing Round in Greece in 1996, which was completed successfully in 1997.

Among others, Mrs Fokianou is an active member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN), the Energy Institute of London and the Geological Society of Greece.

Dimitris Fourlaris is an Electrical Engineer (Energy), graduate of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), and holds a postgraduate degree in Techno-Economic Systems (Master of Science in Techno-Economic Systems) from a NTUA-National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)-University of Piraeus (UniPi) joint program.

He has 40 years of experience in the energy sector, starting as an Operations Engineer at the Kardia Power Plant of the Production Directorate of the Public Power Corporation (PPC), and later at the Energy Control Centers of the Transmission Directorate of PPC.

Since the liberalization of the Electricity Market in 2001, he joined the personnel of the Hellenic Transmission System Operator (HTSO). From 2001 to 2012, he successively held positions from Supervisor to Director of the Operation Control Directorate of HTSO, being responsible for the System Operation Security while implementing actions according to the European directives and regulations for the liberalization of the Electricity Market. He managed significant crises in the Transmission System (handling high summer loads during the period 2005-2009, natural gas shortages in 2008 & 2012).

From 2012 to 2015, with the establishment of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO), he continued as a Director in the same Directorate. During the period 2015-2021, he successively served as Director in the Directorates of Strategy & System Planning, and Asset Management at IPTO.

He also participated in Working Groups of the former Union for the Coordination of Transmission of Electricity (UCTE, now ENTSO-E) from 2002 to 2006, while from 2006 to 2015, he was a member of the ENTSO-E System Operation Committee. He also has publications in scientific journals.

Since May 2021, he has been appointed as Deputy Vice President at the Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE).

Since April 2023, he has been appointed as Vice President at the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water (RAEWW) and Energy Sector BoD Chairman.

Evangelos is Aurora’s Head of Southeast Europe, covering among others Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Serbia?. 

While at Aurora, Evangelos has specialised in renewable energy, storage and hydrogen technologies and has gained extensive commercial due diligence experience in energy asset investments in SEE, the UK, Ireland and Australia. He has led the development of more that 12 subscription analytics and software products across SEE, managed Aurora’s multi-client study on hydrogen and has advised major developers and infrastructure funds on the business case of battery, pumped-hydro and compressed-air storage technologies?.

Before joining Aurora in November 2017, Evangelos spent 4 years at Imperial College London as a Research Associate at the Centre for Environmental Policy and a consultant with Imperial Consultants. He also co-authored the book 'Energy innovation for the 21st century'.

Accomplished senior executive with over 25 years of experience in strategic management, project leadership, and business development, leading large-scale operations (2,500+ employees) across energy and industrial sectors in Southeast Europe. Proven success in driving strategic, operational, financial, technological, and organizational transformation at the regional and international levels.

Currently serving as Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors at ICGB AD, the independent transmission system operator managing the Greece–Bulgaria Gas Interconnector (IGB) — a cornerstone project for regional energy diversification and European energy security. Since 2015, Mrs. Georgieva has led ICGB’s growth into a critical regional infrastructure hub, enabling bi-directional gas flows between Bulgaria and Greece and linking to major networks such as TAP and Alexandroupolis LNG.

Previously, she served as Managing Director of the Nabucco Gas Pipeline Project (2012–2014) and Managing Director of OMV Bulgaria, where she spent over a decade in senior leadership roles across Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia. Her experience includes executive oversight of multinational operations, joint ventures, and public–private partnerships with EU institutions, the U.S. administration, and global energy stakeholders.
Recognized among Bulgaria’s Top 10 Managers for two consecutive years, Mrs. Georgieva is also a Board Member of the Reform Club Bulgaria and former National

Coordinator for the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT). She holds a Master’s Degree in Finance from the University of National and World Economy, Sofia.

Leadership Highlights

• Expert in geopolitical energy infrastructure and strategic project execution
• Proven ability to balance diplomacy, national priorities, and commercial interests
• Strong record in risk management, technology acquisition, and organizational transformation
• Resilient, bridge-building leader adept at navigating complex, multinational environments

Founder of Clarus ESCo a company that developed and operates the first price comparison site for electricity in Greece, allazorevma.gr. He started his career in the distribution unit of the Public Power Corporation. He then worked as a consultant. He is an Electrical Engineer and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York, where he studied as a Fulbright grantee. Mr Ghikas has been a visionary of "smart energy" for the past 40 years. This is documented by the letter he sent to his superiors in 1982 as a young distribution engineer of the Public Power Corporation, suggesting that the Company starts experimenting with electronic meters and marginal pricing of electricity. A letter that went unanswered.

Cosmin Ghita is a graduate of Bates College of the United States, with specialization in international political economics. He started his career in the USA, with Chevron, Washington, contributing then to the company’s efforts in Romania. During the period 2015-2017, he was a partner in the private investment fund in energy Amerocap, headquartered in New York, supporting transactions and efforts for attracting capital in the field of energy and mineral resources, in Romania, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. He then held the position of advisers of the Prime Minister of Romania on issues of energy security and energy policy. Since September 2017, he has been occupying the position of Chief Executive Officer of Nuclearelectrica.

Mr. Cosmin Ghita is the first Romanian elected within the Main Governing Board of World Association of Nuclear Opertors (“WANO”), contributing to the fulfilment of the objectives of this international associations of strengthening nuclear safety and the culture of nuclear safety, with impact on all nuclear power plants in the world. Mr. Ghita is fluent in Romanian, English, Russian and French.

Mr. Giannis Giannakopoulos is an Electrical and Computer Engineer from the National Technical University of Athens. He has been working in the Energy Sector at METLEN (MYTILINEOS) since 2001. He holds the position of Chief Executive Director Integrated Utility and is responsible for the energy production and management of the company's thermal power plants, cross-border electricity trade, and the RES and HCHP Aggregators along with supply of electricity & natural gas through the brand PROTERGIA . He has also been an elected member of the TEE Delegation and a member of the Standing Energy Committee of the TEE.

Vasilis Giotas is Country Manager of OWC in Greece.

He has a Master’s degree from the National Technical University of Athens in Electrical and Computer Engineering, a Master’s in Renewable Energy from the Ecole des Mines de Paris (EUREC) and an MBA from the University of Piraeus. Prior to joining OWC, Vasilis offered his services for approximately 18 years with Siemens & Siemens Gamesa in various roles, from engineering and project management to internal audit and sales. He spent about six years in Hamburg leading sales teams in closing multimillion euros offshore wind projects.

Policy officer at the Ministry of Economy and Finance (since 2007). Doctor of Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (1995). He holds a Diploma in Mining Engineering and Metallurgy (NTUA 1983). He has a portfolio of extensive experience in the following areas: a) innovation and competitiveness policies, b) energy and mineral resources management. Dep. head and head of the Unit for Programming, Coordination and Monitoring of the National Smart Specialisation Strategy Unit (2022 – 205). Coordinator of the working team for the Policy Objective 1 (“A more competitive and smarter Europe”) during the Greek Partnership Agreement planning. (2020 – 2021). He participated in the negotiations with the European Commission for the approval of the Greek Partnership Agreement 2021 - 2017. Member of the Monitoring Committees of the Programme "Competitiveness" and Regional Programmes. Trainer at the National Center for Public Administration and Local Government since 2016. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors at the Institute of Geological and Mineral Exploration. Speaker at numerous conferences, seminars and workshops. Co-author of papers published in scientific journals.

Yannis is Mining Engineer (NTU of Athens, 1978) and Geophysicist (MSc Applied Geophysics, University of Leeds, UK, 1979) with c. 45 years’ experience in oil and gas industry.

He began his carrier in 1979 at DEP S.A (State E&P Company) as geophysicist and gradually was developing as explorationist in upstream business. Since 1998 he joined Hellenic Petroleum Group participated in numerous M&A projects, both in upstream and downstream sector in SE Europe and N. Africa, undertaking also various managerial positions. In parallel during 1997 – 2003 he served as advisor to EU Commission in the energy sector. Been appointed General

Manager and then CEO of Hellenic Petroleum Upstream (2012 - 2020) focused in the growth of the Greek upstream market, where Hellenic built a promising portfolio of 10 blocks mainly offshore and onshore Western Greece, as Operator and partner in international JVs (with Total, ExxonMobil, Repsol, Edison and Energean).

Yannis is elected Vice President of the CEEC (Continental Europe Energy Council – members 75 energy companies) and is partner of IENE (Institute of Energy of SE Europe).

Dr Christos Housiadas (Dipl. Mech. Eng., National Technical University of Athens, 1983; PhD in Mechanics, Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble, 1987) is a recognized expert on aerosol flows.

He has more than 25 years experience in research and project management in the areas of aerosol flows, nuclear engineering, scientific computing, transport phenomena, biofluid mechanics and multiphase systems.

He has worked at European Commission’s Joint Research Centre-Euratom for 7 years, the French CEA (Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique) for 4 years, and at the high-tech R&D company Innovations Thermiques (France) for 1 year. Currently he is Research Director at “Demokritos” National Centre for Scientific Research, where is Head of the Thermal-Hydraulics & Multiphase Flow Laboratory (THEMLAB) at INRaSTES.

Since 2008 he is Chairman of the Greek Atomic Energy Commission (EEAE). Dr Housiadas has published more than 150 papers in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences.

He has written the standard text on aerosols in the CRC Press Handbook of Multiphase Flows (2006 & 2016), and is among the principal authors of the textbook on Light Water Reactor Severe Accident Safety (2012).

He has acted as principal investigator in many European and National research projects with participation of industry.

He has been awarded an honorable distinction by the Greek Scholarship Foundation (IKY) and a fellowship by the European Commission for graduate studies.

He has an excellent command of three foreign languages (English, French, Italian) and a rich international professional experience, including training and teaching in international courses.

Also, he has expert consulting activities and significant involvement in R&D policy making, technical-scientific and evaluation committees both at national and international level, including participation in prestigious committees or supreme advisory bodies, such as the Advisory Committee of the French IRSN on Source-Term & Severe Accidents (2008), or the Sectorial Scientific Council for Energy of the National Council for Research and Technology (2011-2018).

Associate Professor at the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Specific field of expertise: Public and mainly Administrative Law. Bachelor's Degree in Law and Master's Degree in Public Law and Political Science from the Faculty of Law and Economic Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; from the same institution, followed by a Doctorate (Doktor der Rechte) from the Law School of the University of Regensburg (1998). Prof. Iliadou has edited four monographs on Public Law and Energy Law, as well as two books on Energy Law. In addition, she has published more than 70 publications in Greek and international scientific journals, as well as in collective volumes on issues of Administrative and Constitutional Law, European Law, Energy Law, and Environmental Law.

Professor Dr. Emmanouil Kakaras has been Executive Vice President, GX Solutions, at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries EMEA (MHI EMEA) since 1 June 2024. He led the MHI EMEA Dusseldorf branch in Germany from 2021 and served as Senior Vice President for New Products and Energy Solutions at MHI Group company Mitsubishi Power Europe from January 2018. Before this he was Vice President and Head of Research & Development at Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Europe since September 2012. His R&D activities mainly focus on flexible operation of thermal plants, on fuel cells and electrolyzers, the development of large-scale energy storage and the utilization of CO2. Professor Kakaras’ academic background is on clean energy generation technologies and since December 1991 he has been a Professor at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece. He lectures at the University of Duisburg-Essen and has also been guest lecturer at the Universities of Warsaw and Tokyo. He participates as an external member in various working groups organized by the European Commission (CAG, Energy Committee), the Advisory Council of the Technology Platforms on Zero Emission Power Plants and on Smart Networks for Energy Transition as well as the Scientific Board of Industrial Associations (VGB, Rhein Ruhr Power, BDI). Professor Kakaras is also a member of several advisory committees of academic institutions (Academy of Athens, EASE).

Businessman and entrepreneur, with exporting activity for the last 30 years. President of the Panhellenic Exporters Association. Elected as chairman of the Cretan Exporters Association for 6 consecutive 3-year periods. Member of the National Export Committee. Former President and CEO of HEPO. Former Executive Director of International Commerce of Enterprise Greece. Former member of the board of Directors for the Association of New Businessmen in Crete. Former member of the Board of Directors of Lasithi Chamber of Commerce, of the cluster “Cretan Diet”.

Dimitrios Kardomateas is the Chairman of the Board 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 has more than 30 years of technical and administrative experience in the energy sector, starting as process engineer at the engineering company ASPROFOS S.A. (6 yrs), continuing in the gas business as Director for Strategy and Development at the integrated gas company DEPA S.A. (15 yrs) and as General Director at the Gas Network Operator DESFA S.A. (13 yrs), followed by engagement in the public administration with focus on the Energy Transition as Head of the Office of the Secretary General for Energy and Mineral Resources and Advisor to the Deputy Minister for Environment & Energy (1,5 yr).

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. (3 yrs).

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 (2η έκδοση 2025).

Nikos K. Kokkalakis is the Principal of STRATEGY TECHNICS, a strategy and organization consultancy based in Athens, Greece. An engineer by training, he holds a doctorate degree on managerial decision making from NTUA and an MBA from the University of Washington. Nikos has worked at various significant Greek and multinational companies in the fields of financial, commercial and general management. He regularly consults with the CEOs and executive committees of businesses across sectors on strategy development and implementation and on top team effectiveness.

Dimitris has extensive experience in the design and implementation of green transition projects at both national and European levels, specializing in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability innovation.

He has played a key role as Strategic Advisor and Project Manager in initiatives such as Gr–eco Islands (Chalki, Poros), while actively engaging in areas related to energy communities, green finance, and sustainable infrastructure.

As an EU Climate Pact Ambassador, he actively contributes to promoting climate awareness and fostering the participation of citizens, businesses, and institutions in actions that advance Europe’s sustainability goals.

His expertise in Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs), financial instruments, and public–private cooperation positions him as a key contributor to initiatives that maximize environmental impact, promote social inclusion, and support sustainable development.

 Education:

• Diploma Mechanical- Electrical engineer NTUA, 1979.

Professional   (1982 – today):

• Heracles Cement Company (1982-2012),  Maintenance and New projects Manager (1989-2008), Energy Director  (2006-2012)
• Board Member (2010- 2019)
• Chairman of the board (2019-today)
• SIDENOR  S.A , Energy consultant (2012- today)

Dr Koukouzas holds a PhD in Industrial Mineralogy from the UK and has over 27 years of experience in industrial geology, energy technologies, geomechanics, applied petrology and CO2 geological storage. Since 2003, he is the Director of Research at the Centre for Research & Technology Hellas / Chemical Process and Energy Resources Institute (CERTH/CPERI) and Scientific Responsible at over 55 EU research projects, with a team of more than 40 scientists. Previously, he held positions as Policy Officer, Detached National Expert in the European Commission, Direction General for Energy (DG ENER) (2020-2022), Coordinator of EU experts and Gulf countries experts on Carbon Capture and Storage for the EU-Gulf Countries Clean Energy Network (2010- 2013) and, Scientific Officer, Detached National Expert in the European Commission, Direction General for Energy and Transport (1999-2003). Furthermore, Dr Koukouzas has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Greek Institute for Geology and Mineral Exploration (IGME) and a Consultant to energy, construction and cement industries.

He has over 300 publications in Scientific Journals, 3500 citations and is a member of various University Boards and Editorial Boards in International Magazines including the International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control.

Antonis N. Koumpias is a Senior Associate in the Energy Infrastructure department of KYRIAKIDES GEORGOPOULOS Law Firm, specializing in the regulatory framework governing energy-related activities. His practice centers on the legal aspects of project development and permitting, with a particular focus on electricity generation from renewable energy sources (RES) and battery energy storage systems (BESS). His work focuses on the acquisition, financing and development of large-scale photovoltaic, wind, biogas, and BESS projects. He has been involved in large scale projects across the RES spectrum, from early-stage developments to mature portfolios exceeding several gigawatts. He has extensive experience advising international energy developers, financial institutions, and private equity funds on complex transactions and regulatory matters, providing strategic guidance on structuring projects to promote swift development, regulatory compliance, and successful implementation.

Professor Phoebe Koundouri, is a pioneer of human-centric, interdisciplinary systems for sustainable interaction between nature, society, and economy. A University of Cambridge MPhil and PhD, academic positions: Cambridge, UCL, LSE, University of Reading, now Economics Professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business and Technical University of Denmark. She is the founder Alliance of Excellence for Research and Innovation on Aeiphoria (200 researchers involved) and she included in the Stanford University list top 2% world scientists (19 books, 650 published papers, 100 projects, 120 countries). She is President past of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, Chair of the World Council of Environmental Resource Economists Association, Chair of the SDSN Global Climate Hub, Co-chair of SDSN Europe (900 universities). Advisor to UN, G20, World Bank, European Commission, EIB, EBRD, OECD, WHO, Lancet COVID19 Commission, Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Her scientific honors include European Research Council ERC Synergy Grant, Academy of Athens Award, elected member Academia Europae, European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Trustee World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) , Academy of Engineering and Technology of the Developing World; InterAcademy Partnership (IAP); EAERE Fellow, EFI Fellow, member of the Nominating Committee for the Nobel Prize in Economics.

Alexandros Koutroumpousis is a Mechanical Engineer (Meng), a graduate of the National Technical University of Athens (1999) and holds an MSc in Production & Energy Management from the same university (2003). Since December 2001, he has held several positions in leading energy companies (DEPA S.A., Attiki Gas Supply Company S.A., Natural Gas Hellenic Energy Company S.A., PPC S.A.), with responsibilities covering commercial policy design, engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) of natural gas installations for industrial and commercial customers, energy markets regulation and policy development/compliance, as well as the design and development of sales channels and customer experience teams in both retail and wholesale natural gas and electricity markets.

He is a member of the Executive Committee of Gas LNG Europe (GLE) and of the Scientific Committee for Natural Gas, Biomethane & Hydrogen of the Institute of Energy for Southeast Europe. Since June 2024, he has been appointed as Director of the MD Office at Gastrade S.A.

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.

Mr. Panagiotis Ladakakos is President of the Hellenic Wind Energy Association (HWEA) and Managing Director in companies of the ENTEKA Group. He has a degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and specializes in Renewable Energy Systems and Electrical Networks. During the last 25 years, he managed the Development, Construction and Operation of a large portfolio of windfarms and photovoltaic plants in Greece working in close collaboration with large multinational firms. He is also investor in several renewable projects.

Mr. Ladakakos possesses valuable research experience during his Ph.D. studies in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering of NTU Athens and his activities as a Research & Development engineer for the Greek Center for Renewable Energy Sources (CRES) and in the Renewables Department of the Public Power Corporation where he worked in the first years of his career. He has also studied Economics and Marketing in the Department of Operational Research & Marketing of the Athens Economics University.

Alex is the Managing Director (SEE region) of Molgas, 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).

Thomas Lamnidis is a lawyer and senior partner of the Lamnidis Law. Thomas was a senior partner of the Athens based KLC Law firm. He has more than 20 years professional experience dealing with institutional issues in oil and gas in Eurasia and SE Europe. Thomas Lamnidis participated as project director and legal expert in several EU financed technical assistance projects in energy, investment and transportation.

Dr. Ilias Lekkos is the Group Chief Economist and Head of Investment Strategy with Piraeus Bank, one of the largest banks in Greece. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation of Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE) and a member of the External Advisory Committee of MSc in Quantitative Management at Actuarial and Financial Risk. He is also a member of the Council of Economic Advisors of the Hellenic Bank Association. As Chief Economist with Piraeus Bank, he leads the division which reports on developments in the Greek economy and the Greek banking system. He also monitors macroeconomic developments at the G7 economies and is responsible for devising the investment strategy and asset allocation policy of Piraeus Bank Group. Before joining Piraeus Bank he was a Senior Economist at Eurobank-EFG and prior to that he has worked at the Bank of England, HBOS-Treasury Services and Standard and Poor’s. Dr. Lekkos holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Athens University of Economics and Business, an MSc in Economics and Finance from Warwick University and a PhD in Finance from Lancaster University. His research has been published in a number of academic journals.

Dr. Nikolaos Liapis is a Mechanical Engineer, MEng NTUA and he holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering. His main areas of specialization are fuels, biofuels and lubricants, tanker ships management and logistics. He is an Energy and Business consultant, specialized in Green Transition. He has worked for more than 29 years in managerial positions in the Oil Sector. For the last 15 years he was occupied as COO in ELINOIL, an oil distribution company and as General Manager to ELIN SHIPPING, an affiliate shipping company, operating small tankers. He is highly experienced in project management, overseeing projects as biodiesel production plant design and construction, fuel depots construction and tanker design and construction.

Dr. Liapis is the President of the Hellenic Institute of Marine Technology (HIMT), MoB of Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association (HSSA), member of the Downstream Committee of Southeast Europe Energy Institute (IENE) and member of the Lloyd’s Register Technical Committee. He has been the Coordinator of the Energy Products Committee of the Hellenic Petroleum Marketing Companies Association (SEEPE), now being a Consultant to SEEPE. He is a founding member of the Greek Association of Biofuel Producers (now SVIVE) and has been Chairman of the Marine LNG Network, Chairman of the Biofuels Technology Platform and the representative of the European Biodiesel Board (EBB) in Greece.

He is a lecturer at University of Piraeus, at University of Limassol and at Business College of Athens and has been a lecturer at Athens Metropolitan College, teaching Energy Policies, Decarbonization of Shipping, Maritime Logistics, Shipping and Strategic Management. He was a speaker at a significant number of conferences on energy, fuels, biofuels and shipping.

Artur Lorkowski has been Director of the Energy Community secretariat since December 2021. Previously, he worked as Vice-President of the National Fund for Environment and Water Protection (2020-2021). Artur was a member of the Polish diplomatic service and served as Special Envoy on Climate (2018-2019), Polish Ambassador to Austria (2013 to 2017), and Deputy Director for Energy Security and Climate Change (2010-2013). He started his professional career in 2001, joining the Office of the Committee for European Integration, and was Deputy Director for EU Sectoral Policies (2003-2009).

Artur Lorkowski graduated from the Warsaw School of Economics (1999) and the National School of Public Administration (2001). He also studied at the University of Gottingen (1997) and was a Senior Associate Member at St Anthony’s College in Oxford (2013).

Has a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from NTUA since 1992. He obtained an MBA from the University of Portsmouth, UK and holds a PhD from NTUA completing in 2019 his doctoral dissertation in the field of Wholesale Electricity Market Operation and Renewable penetration.

During his professional career he has held upper managerial positions in large companies in the field of FMCGs, such as in the multinational Sara Lee Household & Body Care Hellas and Karamolegos Bakery Industry and was active in collaboration with Katselis Bakery Industry in the fast-growing business sector of organized catering and food retail.

Since 2006 he is active in the electricity market field through developing centralized photovoltaic plants. His company, a pioneer in the industry, completed and interconnected to the grid one of the first PV plants in April 2008. Furthermore, as a consultant, enjoys deep experience, especially in the field of wholesale electricity market and renewables.  His clientele includes large corporations such as SPI Energy, EYDAP, Intertrade Hellas, Interphoton Group, Attica Finance Consulting, EasyPower etc. He is a member of the list of referees and arbitrators of Regulatory Authority of Energy. He has been elected to the Board of the Hellenic Association of PV Energy Producers (www.spef.gr) since 2009, while since 2011 he is the President for five consecutive terms.

Dr. Fay Makantasi is the Research Director at diaNEOsis, one of Greece’s most distinguished think tanks. She holds extensive academic experience, having taught Microeconomic Theory and Game Theory at the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) and Principles of Economics at the Hellenic Open University (HOU). She completed her PhD at AUEB, focusing on a game-theoretic approach to international trade. As a Postdoctoral Fellow, her research focused on critical issues such as public sector reform in Greece, export performance, and the measurement of human capital. Her academic excellence has been recognized through prestigious grants and awards, including those from the Greek State Scholarships Foundation (IKY), the Bank of Cyprus, the Georgios and Victoria Karelia Foundation, and the European Research Funding Program “Heracleitus II.” Most recently, she received a research grant from the Hellenic Observatory of the London School of Economics (LSE) to conduct advanced research on intelligent modeling of e-Government initiatives in Greece. Her research has been published in international academic journals, and she has presented her research at prominent national and international conferences. She has also co-authored and edited significant socio-economic studies, focusing on Greece’s path to recovery from the economic crisis and its broader modernization efforts. Her contributions to applied research and policy analysis continue to influence critical debates on Greece’s development trajectory and institutional reform.

Dr. Eng. Yannis Maniatis is a Rural and Surveying Engineer (National Technical University of Athens).

He was an Assoc. Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and since 2002 is Assoc. Professor at the University of Piraeus.

Visiting Professor at the Institute of Economic Geography, University of Bonn.

Director of the MSc “Climate Crisis and Information and Communication Technologies”

Director of the “Environmental and Energy Policies and Systems” Laboratory.

Political and Social

- Dr. Maniatis was elected as a Member of the Greek Parliament during the elections 2004 - 2019.  He was appointed:

- Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change (2009 - 2015)

- Secretary General of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (1998 - 2001)

Academic Fields

1.            Geographic Information Systems (G.I.S.) and Remote Sensing,

2.            Energy and Transportation Policies and Systems,

3.            Environmental Management and Climate Change

4.            Natural Resources and Sustainable Development

5.            EU Structural Policies and Land Uses

6.            Innovation Management and Digital Entrepreneurship

7.            Systems and Policies of Smart Energy, Digital Agriculture, Smart Cities

Publications

1.            Maniatis, Y. (2020). “Green Development: the Answer to Climate Crisis”,     diaNEOsis Eds, Athens

2.            Maniatis, Υ. (2016). “Structural Reforms and Progressive Patriotism”, Papazisis Eds, Athens.

3.            Maniatis, Υ. (2012). “Energy and Natural Resources: National Pillars for Development”, Livanis Eds, Athens.

4.            Maniatis, Υ. (2009). “The Challenge of Green Development”, Livanis Eds, Athens.

5.            Maniatis, Υ. (1993). “Geographic Information Systems and Environmental Monitoring”, Ziti Eds, Thessaloniki.

Timos Manolopoulos is a Senior Business Development Manager with an international track record in the renewables, energy transmission and distribution markets.

Since April 2021, he serves as Senior Business Development Manager at Hellenic Cables, a leading manufacturer and provider of land and subsea cable solutions supporting the energy transition, including interconnection projects, global offshore wind and electrification.

Prior to joining Hellenic Cables, Mr. Manolopoulos spent more than 10 years in the UK energy sector, working across renewable energy businesses and electricity network operators, where he held management positions across operational, commercial and strategy functions.

He holds a BSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Patras (Greece), an MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems from the University of Edinburgh in the UK and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Warwick University (UK).

Costas Mitropoulos is a management consultant with extensive experience in the financial sector, energy and industry. He is a member of the Board of Directors of HELLENIQ ENERGY, MOTODYNAMICS S.A., PLAISIO S.A., ELTRAK S.A., Cyprus Development Bank Ltd and IOBE .

He has served as Chairman of the Board of ATTICA BANK, Executive Director of PwC in Greece, and CEO of PQH S.A. He was the first CEO of TAIPED, the Executive President of Eurobank Equities S.A. and founder and Executive President of KANTOR Management Consultants S.A. He started his career as a management consultant with Coopers & Lybrand in Britain.

He has served as a member of the Boards of the Hellenic Bank Association, HELEX, and a number of companies in Greece and abroad. For many years he was a member of the Global Advisory Council of London Business School.

Costas Mitropoulos is a mechanical and electrical engineer from the NTUA, with postgraduate studies in business administration and economics, with an MSc from Imperial College and a PhD from London Business School. He has published articles in scientific journals on energy and strategy and in professional journals and newspapers. He is the author of the book "Privatizations in Greece: the end of a road?".

Amit Mor, an energy & environmental economist, energy strategist, and financial analyst, is the CEO of Eco Energy Financial & Strategic Consulting.  He earned his Ph.D. in Energy, Environmental & Mineral Economics at Penn State University (1997). He studied Economics, Finance and Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Dr. Mor served as a consultant to governments, financial organizations, public and private companies. He specializes in Middle East and European energy including Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turley, and other countries in the region.  During the past 35 years he worked intensively on issues concerning the development of the East MED renewable energy and natural gas sectors and led the team that prepared the Energy Master Plan for the State of Israel and participated in the World Bank team that prepared Energy Master Plans for the Palestinian Authority.

He is also serving as a Senior Lecturer at the Reichman University and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology - and teaches courses on Middle East energy and environmental economics, geopolitics, Strategy and Security. He is also serving as a Senior Research Associate at the Institute of Policy & Strategy (IPS) at Reichman University.

Dr. Mor published the book “Renewable Energy in the Middle East - Enhancing security through regional cooperation”, Springer, October 2009, under the “NATO Science for Peace and Security Series: Environmental Security” (co-editor with Michael Mason). Please see http://www.springer.com/978-1-4020-9890-1

Panagiotis Mourtopallas is an adept expert in the field of energy and sustainability. He serves as the cofounder
and CEO of MGD Energy SA, an Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) firm. The company provides high-quality Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) and Renewable Energy Source (RES) Design, Construction, and Maintenance services. MGD Energy SA has an impressive track record, having implemented about 100MW of PV plants and operating/maintaining approximately 250MW across Greece.
Administration (MBA) from ALBA Graduate Business School and postgraduate studies in Automation Systems from the National Technical University of Athens. He also studied Electrical Engineering at Democritus University of Thrace. His expertise extends to areas such as energy consulting, sustainability consulting, software engineering, finance for industry, renewable energy sources, energy e?iciency in
buildings, and project management. Panagiotis has been involved in numerous projects related to the development, design, and construction of PV plants, energy audits, and financial analysis of energye?iciency and RES projects, his work has contributed to the development of measurement methodologies and strategies for addressing Electromagnetic Pollution in Greece.
Panagiotis Mourtopallas is an active member of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Konstantinos Nazos holds the position of Deputy CEO, Chief of Energy Management of PPC Group S.A. from January 2024. Since December 2020, he had been Chief Energy Management and Trading Officer. He holds a diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and an MBA from the Athens University of Economics and Business.

He has been working at PPC S.A. for 19 years in various managerial positions exclusively in the Department of Energy Management & Trading acquiring significant experience in the whole spectrum of energy management operations, specializing in electricity markets analysis and modeling, bidding strategies analysis, optimization and risk management of complex energy portfolios and cross-border electricity trading.

He was actively engaged in the establishment of the subsidiary company PPC Albania in 2016, in which he took the role of Executive Director and Vice Chair of the Board, while presently he is the Chief Executive Officer of the subsidiary PPC Turkey and a member of the Board in PPC Renewables S.A.

Before joining PPC S.A., he worked for seven years as a production and maintenance engineer in the aluminum rolling and home appliances industry, thus acquiring significant industrial experience.

The founder of Natural Resources PC, Vasili Nicoletopoulos, possesses extensive international technical and business experience in the fields of mining, metals, energy, and their interrelations, for example:

• in the energy-intensive mining industry [both within and outside the EU] and in refractories;
• in Brussels: at Euromines as Founding President, at Eurometaux as a Member of the Executive Committee and responsible for China-related issues, and at Eurocommerce with responsibility for trade policy;
• as a Board Member of Hellenic Energy [formerly Hellenic Petroleum], the Center for Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Saving [CRES], and the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry [ACCI];
• and in modernization projects of the Greek railway infrastructure.

As a company, Natural Resources PC is active in the study of major projects in mining, mineral processing, energy, environment, new applications, and Mineral Policy for international clients [both within and outside the EU], as well as in Greece.

It also promotes energy transition technologies and EPC [Engineering, Procurement, and Construction] solutions for a multinational corporation.

Furthermore, Natural Resources PC organizes international conferences and has been publishing two weekly International Reports for over ten years — the first focusing on Climate Change, the ETS (Emissions Trading System), and Green Transition Financing, and the second on China-related Events and Policies.

Note: V. Nicoletopoulos’ earliest presentations on Mineral Raw Materials, with an emphasis on Critical Raw Materials, include:

• “Evaluating Natural Resources, The case of Afghanistan: Rare Earths to Renewables”, at a German-Afghan Conference in Brussels [2011] on Afghanistan’s Rare Earths, and
• “Critical and Essential Materials”, at a Conference on Critical and Strategic Raw Materials in Brussels [2012] that was co-organized by Natural Resources PC and Euromines.

Dr. Nikolaou started his professional career in the Exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons back in 1976, from the Public Petroleum Corporation of Greece (DEP SA), later DEP-EKY SA, in which he became Exploration Manager. In 1998-99, the DEP SA group of companies merged into the HELLENIC PETROLEUM SA group, from which he exited in September 2009, having the position of the Technical Director of Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production. He had supervised and coordinated hydrocarbon exploration in Greece, Egypt, Libya, Albania, Montenegro, Cyprus, Eastern Mediterranean, Georgia, Ukraine, etc.

During 1991-1993, he served, in parallel, the National Energy Committee of Greece as Secretary General and from 2004 to 2006 the Gas Distribution Company of Attica as CEO.

From 1990 to 1993 and 2004 to 2007 he was, again in parallel, special advisor on exploration and production of hydrocarbons and energy issues to six Ministers, responsible for the Energy sector.

From the end of 2009 until March 2024, he was Technical Advisor of Energean Oil & Gas, in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons in Greece and abroad, with a focus in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean (Cyprus, Israel, Egypt).

From April 2020 to March 2024, he held the position of Vice-President of Energean's Board of Directors in Greece.

From March 2013 until March 2018 Dr. Nikolaou was, again in parallel, member of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Hydrocarbon Company (CHC).

He is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the Hellenic Geological Society (EGE), the Hellenic Geotechnical Chamber and co-founder and member of the Board of Directors of the Energy Institute of Southeast Europe (IENE).

Before joining IENE as a Research Fellow in September 2023, Kostis Oikonomopoulos spent over six years at HEREMA SA, Greece, where he served as the primary seismic interpreter and petroleum geoscientist, specialising in prospectivity analyses and regional understanding. In this capacity, he also coordinated two important oil and gas Lease Agreements («West of Crete» and «Southwest of Crete»), offering technical subsurface expertise on licensing matters, stewardship and monitoring of licence work programmes and activities. Also, he assisted in compiling and reviewing contracts regarding seismic acquisition and processing projects and at the same time supervised and managed HEREMA’s data repositoty as well as its digitization and restructuring. Prior to his tenure at HEREMA SA, Kostis worked as a Business Development geoscientist in the UK, for Spectrum Geo Ltd (now TGS) from 2012. In this role, he managed, initiated, and evaluated seismic acquisition and processing projects while liaising and engaging in negotiations with government authorities and National Oil Companies in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and sub-Saharan Africa. Kostis holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geology from the University of Athens and pursued further education with two Master’s degrees—one in hydrocarbons management from the University of Aberdeen and another in petroleum geoscience from the Royal Holloway, University of London. His career began in 2007 as a Petroleum Geologist with Hellenic Petroleum SA (HelleniQ), where he was involved in hydrocarbon exploration work (geological and geophysical) in Egypt.

Dr. Vlasios Oikonomou is an economist, managing director and senior researcher to IEECP.

He has been active in European projects over the past 15 years coordinating a series of EU funded projects (such as the Horizon 2020 ENPOR on energy poverty policy formulations and others and H2020 ENSMOV on the implementation of Article 7 eed). He has also led the EC IEE ENSPOL (Energy Saving Policies and Energy Efficiency Obligation Schemes), H2020 PUBLENEF (on energy efficiency in cities and regions) and he participated in the EC H2020 EPATEE (Evaluation into practice to achieve targets for energy efficiency) and the H2020 SOCIALWATT projects (on energy poverty under the Article 7 EED). He is also working on several other H2020 projects (such as MICAT, STREAMSAVE, PROSPECT, ENEFIRST, SENSEI, TRIPLE-A, DEESME and others) and on evaluation and monitoring projects from the European Commission DG ENERGY on energy efficiency. He has finalised his PhD on interactions of White Certificates energy and climate policy instruments, where he has published a series of articles in books and journals in this field and he is invited as energy efficiency policy expert in various EU policy conferences. He speaks English, Greek, French, and Dutch.

Lawyer, Associate Professor at the International University of Greece. Graduated from the Faculty of Law of NKUA. LLM in IT Law and Legislative Techniques from the Faculty of Law of the University of Salento, Italy. PhD from the Faculty of Law of the Democritus University of Thrace. He is member of Athens Bar Association since 1981, specializing in energy law, environmental law, corporate law and public procurement law. He is managing partner of the law firm "THV LAW" (www. thvlaw.com). Former Vice Chairman of the Regulatory Authority for Energy (2005-2010). BoD Member of the National Energy Council (2006-9). BoD Member of the Industrial Property Organization (2005-6). BoD Member of DEPA INFRASTRUCTURES S.A. (2022-present). Member of the Committee of the Open Door for the granting and use of authorizations for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons (2012-13). Lecturer at various conferences in Greece and abroad on energy issues. Author of numerous monographs and publications on energy, regulatory issues, energy policy and public procurement.

George Pantelidis is Head of Design and Project in ZEB. He is a Mechanical Engineer from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) with MSc from Imperial College in Advanced Mechanical Engineering. He holds the certification of the European Energy Manager (EUREM). He has worked in the field of electromechanical installations with 25+ experience, both in the field of design and construction. At the same time, he has more than 1,000 hours of teaching on energy saving issues and is the author of the book "New Guide for Energy Inspection of Buildings". He is a member of the committee for the revision of the Technical Instructions of the Technical Chamber of Greece 2017 for the energy efficiency of buildings. He is an active member of ASHRAE having served as president of the Hellenic chapter for the period 2019-2020 and is a member of the Global Technical Interaction and Publications committees. He is a C' class energy auditor (AM 1006) and a C' class energy inspector and certified as LEED AP.

Faidon Papadimoulis is a clean energy and technology modeller in the Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks Directorate at the IEA, with over a decade of experience in energy systems modelling and analysis.

At the IEA, he works with the Global Energy and Climate (GEC) model, focusing on clean technology supply chains, hydrogen and alternative fuels, and industrial sector modelling. He has contributed to major IEA publications series such as the Energy Technology Perspectives, the World Energy Outlook, and the Net Zero Emissions by 2050, and has participated to the UN SDG workstream and energy balances methodology.

Previously, he served as a strategy analyst and modeller at the Energy Systems Catapult and the Energy Technology Institute in the UK, delivering projects for UK government departments. He began his career in Greece as an electrical engineer in renewables at Terna Energy.

He holds an MSc in Economics and Policy of Energy and Environment from UCL and a Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from NTUA.

Dr. Alexandros Papaspyridis is a leading expert in Artificial Intelligence (AI) with over 20 years of experience in developing innovative technological solutions. As the Managing Director of Nefos Consulting, he guides business executives in strategically leveraging AI to enhance productivity, achieve corporate objectives, and redefine business models.

Dr. Papaspyridis advocates for elevating AI as a strategic pillar within organizations, enabling them to derive significant business value. He believes AI is crucial in building agile, adaptable entities capable of thriving in an ever-changing world. He emphasizes the importance of engaging every employee in AI, empowering them to contribute meaningfully to this new work paradigm.

During his international career at Microsoft, Dr. Papaspyridis served as the Global Director for Azure Data & AI solutions in Education, developing strategies for integrating Generative AI and shaping the future of AI in education.

He holds a PhD in Electronic Engineering from Imperial College and is certified in AI through the Microsoft Professional Program. Dr. Papaspyridis is an active member of several advisory boards, regularly publishes articles on AI, and is a frequent keynote speaker at international conferences, continuing to influence the discourse on AI'.

Dr. Stavros Papathanasiou is a professor at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of NTUA. His area of expertise is renewable generation, electricity storage and electricity grids. He is active in the field for 30 years, having engaged in research and development of renewable energy and storage technologies, their network integration and market participation, the application of RES and storage in autonomous island systems and their interconnection. He has collaborated with State institutions, regulatory authorities and network operators on regulatory, operational, technical and market aspects and he is active in consulting significant RES generation, storage and grid projects in Greece and abroad. He has been supporting the development, approval and implementation of all recent State-aid support schemes for RES and storage in Greece, as well as the development of the latest NECP edition and he is coordinating the Ministry of Environment and Energy Task Force on RES curtailments and management of electrical space and the Committee dealing with grid access issues of offshore wind power.

Marie-Athena is an international environmental and energy lawyer and non-practicing Barrister, based in Switzerland, UK and Greece.

Educated in France and the UK, she holds a Doctorate degree in International Comparative Law from the University of Paris II Sorbonne as well as a LL.M and JD in International Environmental Law and Policy from the London School of Economics.

She has strong experience as Counsel in Shipping, Infrastructure and Clean Energy in the UK, Europe and Greece. She has gained significant experience and expertise in renewable energy as General Counsel EMEA for a major global Energy corporation and has also developed solar and waste management projects across Europe.

Currently working in the development of energy sustainability solutions, Marie-Athena combines her knowledge and interests in Environmental Sustainability and Energy Prosperity with originating and progressing Clean Tech Ventures focused on accelerating the energy transition and advancing decarbonization.

Andreas Petropouleas has MSc in Finance & Banking, Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), MSc in Electrical Power Engineering, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), BSc & MSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH), Since February 2010 he works at ELPEDISON S.A. (Joint Venture of EDISON SpA & HELLENIC PETROLEUM S.A.) as its Energy Management Director. In this context he is in charge of the management of the  commercial operation & economic optimisation of the current asset infrastructure (Two Power Plants of 830MW installed capacity), the management of the Dispatching Team/Strategy, together with the management of Natural Gas wholesale activity as well as the Cross Border Activity (IT, South East Europe) & CFDs. From June 2005 to January 2010 he was Commercial Manager of ELPEDISON Power S.A. (Former: Thessaloniki Power S.A). He was responsible for the commercial organization and business development of the first IPP, 400MW CCGT, in Greece. From January 2003 until June 2005 he worked in the Hellenic Transmission System Operator (HTSO) as a Senior Energy Analyst in the Power Exchange Department responsible for wholesale and retail market measurements. From June 2001 until January 2003 he was Project Engineer of TITAN Cement S.A. with responsibilities involving system studies, design and project management of new projects of the TITAN Cement factories in Greece and abroad. From November 1999 until June 2001 he worked in ALSTOM (Greek Branch) as a Sales Engineer.

His responsibilities involved promotion of Power Generation and T&D products like: Medium voltage Indoor and outdoor Switchgear for primary and secondary distribution, Distribution and Power transformers, M.V & H.V Substations. Furthermore, was responsible for the after sales service and customer care of MV & HV transformers. He served as Member of the Transmission and Distribution Networks committee of National Technical Chamber (TEE) of Greece (2005 -2008). He contributed in the Master Plan research into the International airports of Corfu in cooperation with the Spiekermann GMBH (consulting engineers). (1999). He worked for the Business Plan of the Ithaca Airport in cooperation with the Spiekermann GMBH (consulting engineers). (2001). He worked at M.A.K as Energy Systems Engineer participated in electricalmechanical studies with a total budget of 1.000.000 Euro. (1998-1999).

Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator

2012-today:  Director of the Regulatory Affairs Dpt

Processing Regulatory topics such as: The coordination and negotiations with RAE for HEDNO’s Revenues and Distribution Network Tariffs. The adjustment of the Company's Units in the regulatory framework and the Compliance Program. The following of European & international regulatory practices and trends in order to configure the Company’s positions and develop an appropriate strategy and targets on regulatory issues.

EU

2022-today:  Vice Chair of Strategic Advisor Group to BoD of the EU DSO entity.

2022-today:  Member of Country Expert Group EU DSO entity

2012-today:  Member of Distribution & Market Facilitator Committee Eurelectric

2020-today:  Member of Policy Committee of E.DSO

Public Power Corporation SA

1991-2011: Various positions at Strategy Dpt: Dealing with issues such Sustainability, CSR, Strategy, Business & Environmental Plan, Energy Market Analysis, Opportunities for expansion in SE Europe, Regulatory aspects.

Liaison Delegator of PPC in World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

Education:

Master in Business Administration

DIPLOMA in ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING (NTUA) 1989

Born in 1963 in Athens, George Polychroniou graduated from “Lycee Leonin” Franco-Hellenic high school in 1981 and then earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) in 1986. He completed his studies at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL) and obtained his Master’s of Science degree in Energy Systems with a specialisation in Economics in 1994.

After beginning his professional career in the private sector, he joined the then newly established DEPA in the beginning of 1989. Since 2004 he has served in various management positions in the commercial, financial and operating activities, strategy and business development of DEPA. Since October 2020 he has been Executive Director of Strategy & Business Development, with responsibilities in strategy, corporate development and regulatory affairs and since December 2014 he has been Corporate Secretary of DEPA.

He also represents both European co-financed projects Poseidon Med II and BlueHUBS as Project Manager.

Mr Rallis is a Business Development expert, focusing on Energy (Renewables and Technology) and HR/Recruiting. He is the Managing Director of Invartia, BoD Member of EarthIndex in USA. In the past he has worked both in the private and public sector in Greece and UK. He holds an MBA (Alliance Manchester Business School), an Economics Degree (Athens University of Economics and Business ). He speaks fluently English, French, Russian and basic Italian.

John M. Roberts is a senior partner with Methinks Ltd, a consultancy specializing in the inter-relationship between energy, economic development, and politics. He is also a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Global Energy Centre, Atlantic Council, Washington DC. He is currently researching European energy security issues, including the role of Turkey in European energy security, Russian gas deliveries to Europe, the development of new supply pipelines and interconnectors within Europe, and the energy security implications of gas discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Roberts is a respected energy analyst who has testified to UK parliamentary committees on Middle Eastern, Russian, Caspian, Turkish and Kurdish energy security issues. He has lectured widely on a variety of subjects, including the development of Arctic oil and gas, the impact of social and political unrest in the Middle East and boundary disputes in the Caspian Sea. His recent papers include Democracy in Turkey: Implications for Regional Energy Security (JNU, Delhi, March 2017); Olive trees hold up Southern Gas Corridor (Platts Energy Economist, April 2017); and Iranian Gas Export Prospects and Energy Security (FLAME, Amsterdam, May 2017).

Roberts has recently completed studies for the Atlantic Council on oil and gas in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on gas interconnectors in Europe, and on the development of Russia’s Turkish Stream pipeline and its impact on the development of the Southern Gas Corridor to connect the Caspian to Europe. Private consultancy work has included investigation of investment conditions in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 programme. He is currently preparing a study on the Russia-China-Turkmenistan gas triangle.

His books include Caspian Pipelines (1996) and Visions & Mirages: The Middle East in a New Era (1995).

Katerina Sardi claims 27 years of experience as an energy expert.  She started her career in energy consulting in London working on coal gasification to synthesis gas for Hitachi.  She joined the Greek Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) in 2002 and in 2011 she became the Head of RAE’s Energy Planning and International Affairs Department.  Since 2015 she has been working as an energy expert, advising companies and consortiums on implementation of the overall EU legal and regulatory energy framework and claims not only specialized but also cross-sectional understanding of all aspects of EU energy and climate policy.

Her scientific work has been published in archive journals, and presented in peer reviewed conferences. She has contributed into several prominent technical assistance projects in the EU, Egypt, Turkey and other countries.  She has also been teaching postgraduate courses at Greek academic institutions for over a decade on topics related to climate change, emissions trading and numerical modelling of flows and turbulent combustion.

Katerina holds a Ph. D. in Fluid Mechanics and Natural Gas Combustion for Power Production, Mechanical Engineering Department, Imperial College, London and a Dipl. Eng. Mechanical Engineering Department, Artistotle University of Thessaloniki.

Nikos Satras, Msc Chemical Engineer (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), MBA Lancaster University, UK.

He leads the natural gas business unit of Motor Oil Hellas. He has over 27 years of extensive experience including oil refining, field operations, Project Development in USA and Italy with Chevron and Foster Wheeler respectively, strategic planning and new business development.

In the natural gas field he has been involved since 2004 from the initial connection agreement of Motor Oil Hellas Refinery with the natural gas grid and followed all the steps of the liberalization of the market since the emblematic import of the 1st private LNG cargo in 2010. Currently, he is developing a strategic project for the security of supply and the competitiveness of the natural gas market in Greece and South East Europe, namely “DIORYGA GAS” a Floating Storage & Regasification Unit.

Nikolaos Sofianos worked for IENE for ten years (2007 - 2017) firstly as a Researcher and later as Research Coordinator of the Institute. He is a graduate of the department of History and Philosophy of Science of the National Kapodistrian University of Athens while he holds a master’s degree in Economic Development from the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He has carried out extensive research into Renewable Energy Sources and their implementation in SE Europe. He was the Coordinator of the EU funded research project Geofar. His main area of interest is energy policy issues. He participates as a publishing assistant in the "Energy Issues" (IENE Monthly Newsletter) and in the "SE Europe Energy Brief" (a series of newsletters issued by the Institute). In addition, he has written many articles on energy while he has participated as a speaker at numerous conferences, seminars and workshops in Greece and abroad. Since 2016, he participates in the Board of IENE as a partner. Finally, he is currently a permanent external research associate, regularly contributing to the analysis of energy market issues.

Dr. Philip-Mark Spanidis is a Rural and Surveying Engineer and a member of the Technical Chamber of Greece, as well as a member of the Committee for Geopolitics of the Institute of Energy for Southeast Europe (IENE). He holds a MEng degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, an MSc in the Management of Industrial Systems from the National Technical University of Athens, and a PhD in Technology Management of Hydrocarbon Transportation Systems from the University of Piraeus. He currently serves as a Project Manager at ASPROFOS Engineering S.A., where he leads multidisciplinary projects of high complexity focused on the transportation, storage, and distribution of oil and gas. In addition to his primary responsibilities, he is actively engaged in the management of environmental engineering and safety projects within the same organization.

Dr. Philip-Mark Spanidis is also a research associate and scientific advisor in the Department of Industrial Management and Technology at the University of Piraeus and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of West Attica. His academic interests include energy geopolitics, geoeconomic corridors, regional security, and project and risk engineering/management. His research output includes over 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals, academic books, and international conference proceedings, with a total of 230 citations. He supervises MSc theses and serves as a reviewer for academic journals in the fields of environmental science, safety engineering, industrial geopolitics, and energy systems.

Mr. Costis Stambolis who is the Executive Director of IENE, has a background in Physics and Architecture having studied at the University of London, the North East London Polytechnic (NELP) and the Architectural Association in London from where he holds a Graduate Diploma in Architecture and Energy Studies (AA Dip. Grad). He also holds a professional practice license from the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), and a Masters Degree from the Said Business School, University of Oxford, where he studied "Strategy and Innovation”.

Costis has carried out numerous studies and projects on Renewable Energy Sources in developing countries. He has consulted widely on solar building applications for both private and institutional clients in various European countries. He has worked as a consultant and strategy advisor on natural gas, oil markets and energy security issues for large multinational companies, international organizations and governments.

Costis has lectured widely on energy issues and has organised several national, regional and international conferences, seminars and workshops. He has published several books, conference proceedings, research papers and studies on energy policy, solar energy, RES and energy markets. Among pthers he is the editor of  the "S.E. Europe Energy Outlook (2011,2017, 2022)”, which considered a basic reference on energy for SE Europe.

Since 2001 he supervises and edits daily Greece’s foremost energy sitewww.energia.gr. He is a founding member of the Institute of Energy for South East Europe (IENE), which he currently chairs. He is a member of the Energy Institute (UK), the International Passive House Association (IPHA), The Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE). Since 2018 he also serves as a full member of the Greek government’s standing committee on Energy and Climate Change (NECP).

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 (joint company of Endesa SA and Mytilineos SA) during 2007-2010 and in the Energy Supplies & Trading department of Mytilineos SA (2005-2007). In 2024, Dr. Stamtsis has served as President of Develop Athens SA.

Dr. Giorgos Stamtsis is a member of VDE, of the Climate & Clean Air Coalition, of the Climate Crisis & Energy Council of Ellet and of the Technical Chamber of Greece, 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

Profession: 
Associate Professor of International Law and Foreign Policy at the Department of International and European Studies at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Athens.

Studies:
He is a graduate of the Law Schools of the National University of Athens and of the University of Bristol, England where in 1994 he was conferred the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the field of public international law.

Parliamentary Activities
On July 7, 2019 he was elected as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament.
He is a member of the following Parliamentary Committees:
• Standing Committee on National Defense and Foreign Affairs
• Special Standing Committee on European Affairs
• Greek Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA)

Political/Social Activities

• He has worked as Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge (1993-1994), as Legal Expert to the Council of Europe and as member of the Law Bar of Athens and practising lawyer in Athens.
• He has served as Secretary General of Population and Social Cohesion of the Greek Ministry of Interior (August 2012 and May 2015) and Secretary for Intercultural Education and Greek Studies Abroad of the Greek Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs (2007-2009).
• He has served in positions of high management responsibility for foreign policy issues on minorities, transparency and telecommunications.
• He was awarded in 1992 by the Academy of Athens for his work on the Delimitation of the continental shelf.
• During his military service, he was honored with Praise by the 4th Corps in Thrace for services to the minority of Thrace and with Honorable Mention by the Army General Staff for his contribution to the creation of the Pomak-Greek dictionary.
• He has published books on Greek-Turkish relations, the Cyprus issue, the Prespa Agreement.

Efthimios Tartaras, leads the Geoscience department at HEREMA, overseeing carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrocarbon exploration. With over 20 years of experience in senior management and business development within the natural resources exploration industry, he has worked across Europe, including the UK, France, Italy and Norway.

Throughout his career, Efthimios has managed large, multi-disciplinary teams focused on integrating and interpreting geoscientific data. He has also led global sales and marketing of geoscience software and multi-physics data acquisition, processing and interpretation.

He holds a BS in Geology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), and MS and PhD degrees in Geophysics from the University of Utah (USA). His research expertise focuses on subsurface characterization and data interpretation for hydrocarbon, mineral and geothermal exploration.

Theodoros D. Terzopoulos has over 35 years of distinguished experience in the energy and gas distribution sector, having successfully combined technical excellence with strategic leadership throughout both the foundation and the structural transformation of Greece’s gas distribution industry.

He has served in a number of senior executive positions, including General Manager of Gas Distribution Activities at DEPA S.A., Director of Strategic Development at ENAON S.A., and Chief Executive Officer of EDA S.A. and of DEDA S.A.

Throughout his career, he has been a driving force behind the introduction and large-scale implementation of innovative gas distribution technologies in Greece, such as HDPE pipelines, 4-bar distribution networks, and advanced trenchless boring techniques. He has also led the organizational restructuring and unbundling of gas distribution and trading activities, aligning the sector with EU energy directives and enabling a competitive and transparent market environment.

A strong advocate for sustainability and energy transition, he actively contributes to the development of the biomethane and renewable gas sector in Greece, fostering synergies between innovation, infrastructure, and environmental policy.

Under his leadership, DEDA S.A. achieved major advancements in digital transformation, LNG utilization, and the nationwide rollout of smart gas metering systems, establishing new benchmarks for efficiency and service quality.

He has held distinguished memberships in the Engineering Council and the Institution of Gas Engineers in the United Kingdom, reflecting his longstanding engagement with international professional standards in the energy sector.

He currently serves as a Member of the Governing Board and chairs the Committee on Natural Gas, Biomethane, and Hydrogen at the Institute of Energy for South-East Europe (IENE), where he contributes to strategic dialogue and policy development across the region’s low-carbon gas landscape.

He holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, with postgraduate qualifications in Environmental and Gas Engineering, as well as an MBA.

His work focuses on the strategic development of integrated energy systems, the decarbonization of gas networks, and the acceleration of Greece’s transition towards a low-carbon energy future.

Is a USA trained Mechanical Engineer with an MSc from the University of Evansville, Indianna, and has 25 years experience in the energy sector. Constantinos’s special interests includes cogeneration and RES and was for many years chairman of Greece’s Cogeneration Association and also member of the executive council of COGEN Europe. He has served as chairman and CEO of the Athens based Centre of Renewable Energy Sources (CRES).

Michael Thomadakis is the Strategy & Development Chief Officer of DESFA, since 2020. Formerly, he was the Vice Chairman and Member of the Board of RAE from 2005 to 2015, member of the BoR of ACER, the CEER General Assembly, the Board of MEDREG, the Board of Appeal of ACER and Chairman of the Investment Group of the Energy Charter. He has extensive experience in the development of the gas regulatory framework of the Greek gas market, and deeply involved in corresponding developments in South East Europe, especially in the regulatory framework for several gas infrastructure projects related to the Southern Gas Corridor. Started his carrier in DEPA, were he worked as the contractual administrator of the Gas Procurement contracts from Russia (pipeline) and Algeria (LNG), the LNG transportation contracts, the development of underground gas storage, the derivation of transportation tariffs and on the establishment of the Gas Distribution Companies in Greece. He is a Mechanical Engineer of NTU Athens with a PhD from the same University. He is the author of more than 40 scientific papers and reports and invited lecturer in many events of the energy industry worldwide.

Ioannis Togias is the Executive Director of the Marine Technology Business Unit of Asso.subsea Single Member S.A., a leading subsea power cable installation contractor based in Greece. With degrees in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and with over two decades of experience in the marine technology industry, he has played a pivotal role in developing and advancing Asso.subsea’s specialized fleet of cable installation vessels, supporting the company as a leader in innovative maritime solutions. His work focuses on improving operational efficiency and sustainability in the subsea energy sector, bringing valuable insights to the discussions on the future of energy at this conference.

Until 2002, he held positions in management, consulting, sales, and supervision of electromechanical constructions, in various companies in Thessaloniki and Athens. During the period 2002 - 2016, he worked for EPA Attiki SA (Attiki Gas Supply Company), holding successively the positions of Key Account Manager, B2B Sales Manager, Customer Technical Service Director, and Technical Director. From 2017 till mid-2019, following the successful split of EPA Attiki in 2016 in two companies for Supply and Distribution respectively, he undertook the positions of Distribution Operating (Technical and Commercial) Director and then, that of Commercial Director at the newly established EDA Attikis SA (Attiki Natural Gas Distribution Company). During the period 2019-2023, he was the Deputy CEO & Executive Member of the Board of Directors at EYDAP SA (Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company). Then till September 2024, he was the Head of Strategy & New Gas Division of ENAON (former DEPA Infrastructure), a company of Italgas Group.

He holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, an MSc in Technical Change and Industrial Strategy from the Alliance Manchester Business School, UK, as well as an Executive Diploma in Business Administration (SHELL mini-MBA) from ALBA Graduate Business School, Greece. He has also completed the Leadership Development Program Advanced (PLDA) at Harvard Business School, USA, and the International Directors Program at INSEAD, France.

He has extensive experience in utilities and energy market, being a member of management teams since 2009. He also serves voluntarily as the Vice Chairman of the BoD of the Hellenic Association for the Cogeneration of Heat and Power (HACHP) and as a member of the BoD and the Executive Committee of the Institute of Energy for South-East Europe (IENE). He recently assumed the role of Coordinator of the "Energy Innovation Group" of IENE.

Aris is Director of Decarbonization Strategy at TITAN Group, responsible for developing large decarbonization projects such as CCS, waste management, etc. He has developed and is leading IFESTOS, TITAN’s flagship CCS project in Greece.

Prior to joining TITAN, Aris was a Partner with McKinsey & Company for 17 years in Athens, New York, and Rio de Janeiro. He worked with electricity and oil&gas producers and energy-intensive industrials, focusing on energy strategy, growth projects, policy, operational improvements, etc.

He represented the Greek Industrials Federation in the Board of the Greek Center for Renewable Energy Studies, and is a member of the Board of Cimento Apodi, a TITAN joint venture in Brazil.

Aris holds Masters degrees in Engineering, Economics, and Management from Oxford and Stanford.

Prof. Vescoukis holds a Diploma and a Ph.D. in Engineering from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Scholl of NTUA. Professor of Software Engineering and Geoinformation at NTUA. Visiting Professor at ETH Zurich and the University of Groningen NL (2014-2015). Executive VP of the National Cadaster and Mapping Agency S.A. (2015-2017). Chief scientific officer in funded research projects focusing on state-of-the-art technologies such as Blockchain, time series data infrastructures, distributed and heterogeneous systems, environmental simulation and crisis management, smart grids, optimization and multi-dimensional analytics. Worked as a special consultant on Information Systems for public and private Greek and global entities including the Council of Europe and the World Bank. Since 2018 he works as a researcher and consultant in Energy Data Infrastructures, digital transformation and intelligent services, for operators and major participants in the Greek Energy market. Head of R&D in the development of tools for hybrid storage optimization, investment planning and policy making for RES with P2x applications, at the Hellenic Energy Competence Center, a spinoff company founded by NTUA with the participation of major research and industrial partners in the Energy sector. His professional and research interests focus on IT strategy and architectures, SaaS, spatio-temporal Energy data infrastructures and analytics, as well as optimization and forecasting problems for the Energy sector.

Nikos Vettas is the General Director of the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research – IOBE since 2013 and Professor of Economics at the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) since 2003, where he has also served as the Chairman of the Economics Department and a member of the University Council.

He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, USA, and has been an Associate Professor at Duke University, USA, and a visiting Professor at INSEAD in France and Singapore.

He serves as Associate Editor of the International Journal of Industrial Organization, a Research Fellow at CEPR, UK, and a member of the Executive Committee of the European Association for Research in Industrial Economics. He has served as an Associate Editor of the Journal of the European Economic Association and the Journal of Industrial Economics, a member of the Hellenic Competition Commission and the Economic Advisory Group for Competition Policy at the European Commission. He is a co-organizer of the annual Conference for Research on Economic Theory and Econometrics, since 2002.

His research has been published in leading journals such as the International Economic Review, European Economic Review, Rand Journal of Economics, and the Review of Economic Studies. Co-editor of Beyond Austerity: Reforming the Greek Economy (MIT Press, 2017). Vice-Chairman of the Growth Plan Committee of the Hellenic Republic for the Greek Economy, 2020.

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.

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

Nikolaos Vourgidis is an Electrical and Computer Engineer, Researcher and PhD Candidate at the Decision Support Systems Laboratory (EPU-NTUA), National Technical University of Athens. His research focuses on advancing energy efficiency in the industrial sector through the development of decision support tools that facilitate the implementation of energy-saving measures derived from energy audits, incorporating non-energy benefits and digitalisation aspects. He has held leading roles in several EU-funded projects, contributing to the design and demonstration of innovative approaches for industrial decarbonisation and energy management. His broader work integrates energy policy analysis, corporate sustainability, and digital innovation to support the green transition of European industries.

Dr. Xenos holds a Diploma and PhD in Chemical Engineering. He has a long-term working experience in Industry and in several Companies in Greece and abroad. He has an extensive experience in public and private management positions such as: Managing Director of "Hellenic Saltworks SA", "EYDAP SA", "THRYLOS SA", Chairman and Managing Director of "HELLENIC AEROSPACE INDUSTRY SA".

Currently, Dr Xenos works as an independent consultant, providing consulting services in Solid Waste Management, Water Management, Reorganization of Water Supply and Sewerage Companies, Renewable Energy, etc.He has been involved in several Research Programmes and Feasibility Studies, in evaluating Investment Projects as well as in National and Regional Development Programmes.

He also has teaching experience (University of Ioannina). Dr Xenos is the author of four books and has also published several Articles in International Journals. He has also participated in various National and International Conferences.

Konstantinos YAZITZOGLOU has over three decades of C-level executive experience in the manufacturing industry, in food, feed and mining. He has been a key player in the turnaround and transformation of several Greek companies. Since 2012 he is the CEO of GEOHELLAS, an industrial minerals company exploiting the unique Greek deposits of Attapulgite around Grevena. 

He has served on several Boards of Directors, both as executive and as non-executive member. He has also served on Boards of not for profit organizations and independent authorities, national and international.  Currently he is the chair of Greek Mining Enterprises Association.

He is involved as advisor and/or investor in various innovative entrepreneurial projects, in movie production, medical technologies, f&b and real estate.

Konstantinos holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Management from the National Technical University of Athens, an MSc in Management Science (by Distinction) from Imperial College, University of London and a Certificate in Global Management from INSEAD.