I am energy modeller and analyst at the IEA’s World Energy Outlook team, where I focus on road and rail sectors. Before joining IEA two years ago, I worked as an energy analyst in the buildings sector, mostly in Sweden and in my home country of Lithuania. I did my graduate studies in Paris, completing master’s programme in energy policy, and I finished my undergraduate in Lithuania where I studied thermal energy engineering.
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.
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.
George Kofinakos is a Senior Advisor at Alvarez & Marsal, based in London, with over 30 years of experience in Banking, Project Finance, and Capital Markets. He specializes in Asset Management, Debt & Liability Management, Securitization, Equity & Debt Raising, Hedging, and Balance Sheet Restructuring for Financial Institutions and Corporations. His diverse clientele includes Sovereigns, Supranationals, Financial Institutions, Corporations, and Maritime Companies.
Before Alvarez & Marsal, George was Managing Director and Senior Advisor at StormHarbour LLP London, where he advised on the consolidation of Greece’s
financial system and raised over $2 billion in maritime, equity, and debt financing. He also led, as a CEO, a Renewable Energy Private Equity Fund in Luxembourg, developing over 500 MW of projects in South-Eastern Europe and Japan.
At Citigroup, where he worked for 20 years, George held senior roles including CEO of Citigroup Global Markets Greece and Managing Director of Capital
Markets and Banking. He oversaw key projects in monetization, infrastructure, and liquidity solutions, and was instrumental in establishing Greece’s Public
Debt Management Agency (PDMA).
Beyond finance, George chairs the Investment Committee of Sporos Platform, promoting Circular Economy in Greek SMEs, and serves on the board of "New Agriculture-New Generation," a youth empowerment initiative. He holds a bachelor’s in Economics from the University of Piraeus and an MBA from Rutgers University, where he is also a Distinguished Executive in Residence.
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
Richard has worked in the insurance sector for nearly 40 years starting his career in the 1980’s as an Average Adjuster working on behalf of Greek shipowners.
Richard then moved into, what was in the early 1990’s , a rapidly developing Energy Insurance market where he has held different roles spanning from Loss Adjusting to Underwriting Claims Management to Insurance and Reinsurance Broking.
Richard’s experience spans different sectors including Upstream, Midstream, Downstream, Power, and Renewables for operational and construction business.
Over the last 5 years the focus has been purely Renewables, initially working as a Board Advisor to a company offering patented technology for the monitoring and optimisation of wind turbines before moving back to the broking sector where he now has responsibility for the Renewables practice at Oneglobal broking.
This combination of his experience in insurance broking and claims management coupled with industry knowledge allows for a unique perspective into the world of Renewable insurance covering Solar, Wind, Battery Energy Storage and Hydrogen.
Oneglobal are a rapidly expanding specialist broker, headquartered in London with a strong heritage in Greece and an expanding global network.
Max VAUTHIER is a seasoned expert in global LNG trading and gas infrastructure investments. He is the founder of LNG Brokers sas (2003) and LNG Value Ltd (2014), two companies which have been providing LNG brokerage and commercial advisory services to multiple global players ( producers/ offtakers, LNG terminal developers) over the entire LNG value chain. He has also acted as expert witness with the UK courts over LNG contracts disputes. He is a regular contributor to LNG Publications and Conferences. Previously, he held senior management positions in major trading and energy groups: Minemet, BP and SUEZ. Max Vauthier holds a MSc degree from Ecole des Mines de Paris and an Masters in Management from Sorbonne University.
Dr Katja Yafimava is a Senior Research Fellow on the ¬Natural Gas Research Programme at the OIES. She holds a DPhil in Geography and an MPhil in Russian and East European Studies from Oxford University. Her main research areas include EU pipeline gas and LNG regulation, regulation of decarbonisation, transit security of Russian gas exports to Europe. She is the author of The Transit Dimension of EU Energy Security (OUP 2011) and the author of chapters in other books, including The Russian Gas Matrix and Russian and CIS Gas Markets and their Impact on Europe. She is also the author of many papers on regulation, including ‘Building New Gas Transportation Infrastructure in the EU – what are the rules of the game?’ (2018) and ’Finding a home’ for global LNG in Europe: understanding the complexity of access rules for EU import terminals’ (2020). Her most recent publication is ‘EU hydrogen strategy: regulatory opportunities and challenges’ (2020).
Prof. Nancy Alonistioti (female) has a B.Sc. degree and a PhD degree in Informatics and Telecommunications (Dept. of Informatics and Telecommunications, UoA). She has over 25 years of experience in research and innovation development in new generation networks and services, IoT, AI/ML, SDN/NFV. She has worked in numerous (more than 30) national and European projects undertaking roles in project/technical management. She is currently leading the SCAN group activities in the Dept. Informatics in Univ. of Athens. She is currently Chair of one6G Board and member of the Board of the Greek Open University. She was included in the list of 100 more impactful women in 6G for 2024. She has served as Vice Chair of the Dept. of Informatics and Telecommunications and as member of the Future Internet Assembly Steering Committee. She is member of the ETSI Experts group and the Greek standardization group ELOT (5G, smart city, autonomic communications). She has over 200 publications in the area of Federated AI, new generation networks, 5G+/6G, Internet of Things and vertical applications, SDN/NFV, Future Internet/NGI, autonomic communications and systems (drones, vehicles, etc.). She is co-author of 4 WO Patents and has more than 4000 citations in her work.
George S. Atsalakis is an Associate Professor at the School of Production and Management Engineering at the Technical University of Crete. He holds a degree in Economics from the Athens University of Economics, a master's degree in Organization and Management, and a Ph.D. from the Technical University of Crete, focusing on stock market forecasting. He is also a member of the Data Analysis and Forecasting Laboratory.
He has authored over 120 scientific papers published in prestigious international scientific journals, conferences, etc. His research utilizes algorithms such as fuzzy logic, neural networks, neuro-fuzzy systems, and more.
He is the author of the following books: a) Stock Market Forecasting Techniques,
b) Simple Logics for Economic and Business Restructuring, c) Forecasts in the Economy and New Technologies, d) Modern Silk Roads, e) Analyses and Predictions of the Pandemic.
His article titled "The Causes of the Greek Debt Problem" was selected as one of the top 100 articles worldwide contributing to long-term sustainable economic development in this century.
He has written hundreds of articles analyzing topics related to new technologies and the economy, published in major national newspapers such as Kathimerini, Ta Nea, Naftemporiki, Realnews, Apogevmatini, and in magazines such as In-On, Kriton Epicheirin, Geopolitics, Epikaira, GR Diplomatic Review, Asfalistiko Marketing, and Business Administration Bulletin, as well as on various online news platforms like i-efimerida, liberal.gr, Huffingtonpost.gr, hubnews.gr, among others. He has participated in over 500 television and radio interviews.
Yiannis Yiarentis is currently the CEO and Chairman of the BoD of Renewable Energy Sources (Dapeep SA).
He was previously holding several High-Level managing roles in Greek and Multinational Energy Companies like Chairman of the BoD and CEO of ADMIE, Manager in Shell International, Shell Hellas , Shell Marine Products, Petros Petropoulos AEBE, in Operations, Supply Chain, Category management, and Procurement, in etc.
He has also been a member in International and National Committees, like Climate Plan, Supply Chain and Logistics, CIPS, Entso-e, MeDTSo, etc.
He holds an MSc In Sustainable Development, Diploma in Engineering and Industrial from Polytechnic school of Duth, bachelor’s degrees in petroleum chemistry.
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.
Kostis Geropoulos is the co-founder and the Director for Energy & Climate Policy and Security at NE Global in the UK. A member of the Foreign Press Association of Greece, he is an experienced journalist, moderator and columnist covering energy and climate issues, geopolitics and security. He has covered and reported from many areas around the world, including Central Asia, Russia, Northern Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans, and Central and Eastern Europe. His weekly column Global Energy Insider analyzes energy and geopolitics, including interviews with European leaders, politicians and experts. He has also been a guest or contributor for BBC TV and BBC Radio, Austrian radio ORF, LBC Radio, and Sky News, UK.
Dr. Athanassios Dagoumas is President of the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water in Greece. 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.
Among others he has held the Following positions:
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.
Dr S.Kapellos is a graduate of the Chemical Department of the University of Athens. He received a PhD on the field of Physical Chemistry from the same Institution. Between 1993 and 2007, he had the opportunity to fill various managerial posts within the BP Hellas Organization: Quality, Health, Safety and Environment, Human Resources, Customer Services, Pricing and Credit, Retail Fuels District Manager Northern Greece.
In 2007, he is appointed as the CEO of BP Solar Hellas, to setup the new business.
Since 2010, he works for HELLENiQ RENEWABLES, 100% owned by HELLENiQ ENERGY Group (Former Hellenic Petroleum). He currently holds the position of the Chief Operating Officer and BoD member of the company. Τhe RES portfolio of HELLENiQ RENEWABLES is comprised of more than 4 GW of PV, Wind and Storage Projects, of which 241 MW PV and 100 MW Wind in operation in Greece and 41 MW PV in Cyprus. HELLENiQ RENEWABLES recently announced the acquisition of an under construction 180 MW PV project in Kozani and another one 211 MW in Romania, both to be fully operational in 2025. Adding up another PV project of 200 MW in Evros and the 100 MW Battery Storage that has been won in the last auction, both to be operational in 2025, the target of HELLENiQ to operate 1 GW RES projects in 2025 has already been secured.
Dr.S.Kapellos has published several scientific articles in international magazines during his academic career and several articles on subjects related to RES, Solar Technology and Energy Policy for newspapers, relevant magazines and e-media.
Since 2008, he is being an elected member of the board of the Hellenic Association of PV companies (HELAPCO) and since April 2013 Chairman of the board of the Association. Since April 2021 he has been elected as President of the Energy Committee of the Hellenic-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sotkap/
“Dr. Alexander Karyotakis is currently the Director of Strategic Development at TERNA ENERGY and the Executive Vice President of TERNA FIBER. He has lead the development and construction of projects in Europe and the USA of more than £4Bn in onshore wind, PV, offshore wind, floating solar, floating wind, green Hydrogen, waste to energy and waste management, fiber optics, public infrastructure and transport. He holds a PhD in Offshore wind from UCL (University College London) and has published a number of highly cited books and papers in Business Strategy and Renewable Energy.”
Education:
Professional (1982 – today):
Iakovos Koulouris is a member of the Energy, Utilities & Infrastructure Department of the firm.
Iakovos has experience in drafting commercial agreements and participating in Due Diligence reports. He advises on the legal and regulatory framework governing tender procedures, as well as on the development, licensing and construction of RES projects.
EDUCATION
LL.B. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Law (2014);
Erasmus Scholarship, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) – Faculty of Law (2011-2012);
LL.M. Public Law, Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas (2016);
LL.M. Public Economic Law, Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne (2017)
LANGUAGES
English, French, Spanish
MEMBERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS
Athens Bar Association (2017)
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.
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.
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.
Education:
1999-2003-Bachelor in International Relations, Baku State University, Azerbaijan
2003-2005-Master in International Relations, Baku State University, Azerbaijan
2008-2010-Master in International Relations and European studies, Prague Metropolitan University, the Czech Republic
2014-2017-Master in Business Administration, Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, Canada.
Work experience:
2004-2007-Attaché, Department of Human Rights, Democracy and Humanitarian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan
2007-2012-Attaché/ Third Secretary/ Second Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Czech Republic
2012-2016- Second Secretary/ First Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Canada
2017-2018-Head of Humanitarian Affairs Section, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan
2018-2020-First Secretary and Counselor, Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Switzerland
2020-2021-Senior Counselor / Head of Section, Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
2021-2023-Chairman of the Governing Board of the State Maritime and Port Agency, Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Since Oct. 2023-Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Hellenic Republic
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.
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?".
George Baltas is a Professor of Marketing & Consumer Behaviour at the Athens University of Economics and Business, Department of Marketing & Communication. Professor George Baltas is the Director of the AUEB MSc in Marketing Analytics and the AUEB Marketing Research Laboratory. His research interests include consumer behaviour, consumer analytics, market research methods, and quantitative models. Professor George Baltas has published extensively in research journals including Journal of Retailing, Journal of Service Research, Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Business Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Annals of Operations Research, Applied Economics, Decision Sciences, European Journal of Marketing, European Journal of Operational Research, Industrial Marketing Management, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Journal of International Marketing, Journal of the Market Research Society, International Journal of Market Research, Journal of Product and Brand Management, Journal of Retailing & Consumer Services, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Marketing Letters, and Transportation Research, among many others. His research work so far includes more than 130 refereed publications and has received more than 5,000 citations (h-index 30) as well as six best paper awards. Professor George Baltas received Best Paper Awards from the British Academy of Management Conference in 2012, 2016 and 2020. He has acted as Chair of the Methods, Modeling & Marketing Analytics Track for six annual EMAC Conferences. His research has attracted considerable mass media coverage with several hundred articles, interviews and reports in newspapers, magazines, trade publications, digital and broadcast media. He is also a frequent speaker and panellist in professional meetings, roundtables, and conferences.
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.
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.
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.
Gus is with the Energy and Infrastructure department of the firm. His main area of practice focuses on the energy industry and as a corporate-business lawyer he provides corporate, commercial, transactional and regulatory advice to multinational clients in the energy sector. Due to the complexity of the issues associated with the energy market regulations he is advising on regulatory issues of the electricity and gas market, including oil & gas. Gus is mandated by key international energy companies investing in Greece in the early stages of their investment program for the implementation of important projects (such as, oil and gas investments, licensing and development of gas pipelines, CCGT power generation plants, wind parks, gas distribution networks, gas interconnection systems, etc.).
Gus has a strong track record as to public sector-privatization projects for which he is regularly mandated by the private sector. Energy financing is a strong practice and leading financial institutions, as well as a variety of local banks and private equity funds in their many roles as lenders, arrangers, issuers of letters of credit and as investors, are instructing the team.
Gus acted as the Vice Chairman of the Institute of Energy of South East Europe (IENE) which has a dynamic presence in the region of south east Europe promoting the cooperation of institutions and serving as a forum for experts and professionals in the energy sector. Gus also acts as co-chair of SEE LEGAL Group and heads the Energy Infrastructure Practice Group of SEE LEGAL. He is also a founding member and a non-executive Director of the Energy Center of Europe (ECE) which promotes the cooperation of institutions/organizations in the energy sector and is a venue for experts and professionals active in the energy sector. Gus also serves as Chairman of the firm’s Management Committee.
Papastamatiou Panagiotis holds Diploma in Electrical Engineering from NTU of Athens with PhD in Operational Research and Energy Policy & Planning and postgraduate lessons in Economics and Management in Athens University of Economics and Business. Since 1995 he has been active in the wind energy sector and the rest Renewable energy Sources in Greece and abroad. He is Chief Executive Officer of the Hellenic Wind Energy Association, ELETAEN, an elected member of the Board of Directors of the Greek Association of RES Electricity Producers, GAREP, and elected member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Electricity Association, H.EL.AS. P. Papastamatiou is also Director of ENTEKA Group. He directs the development and financial sectors of the Group, which since 1984 deals almost exclusively with wind energy projects, development, ownership and operation of wind farms.
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
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.
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
He has worked in the gas distribution sector for 35 years, holding, between others, the position of the General Manager in Gas Distribution Dept. at DEPA SA and General Manager of Strategy and Renewable Gases at DEDA SA and ENAON SA.
He had a leading role for the introduction and application in Greece of modern gas distribution technologies, including polyethylene grids, 4bar distribution pressure, tree shaped grids, smart meters and underground boring technology.
He headed the Maintenance & Safety Planning Directorate at British Gas for two years.
CEO at EDA SA and DEDA SA (gas distribution companies).
Pioneered the need for partial substitution of natural gas with locally produced renewable gases.
Member of:
• The Institution of Gas Engineers (UK): Member
• The Engineering Council (UK): Chartered Engineer
• Eurogas (EU): Distribution Committee, Member,
• GEODE (EU): The Association of European Energy Distributors, Member
• ISTT (INTER): The International Society for Trenchless Technology. Member
• ΙΕΝΕ (GR): Natural Gas, Biomethane and Hydrogen Committee, Chairman
Mr. Theodore Tzouros is Executive General Manager, Chief of Corporate and Investment Banking at Piraeus Bank S.A.
He is responsible for the design, implementation and overseeing of the Bank’s strategy across the entire wholesale segment, including large corporate, SMEs, shipping, structured finance, agricultural banking, transaction banking products and investment banking. He is the chairman of the boards of directors of Piraeus Factoring and Piraeus Leasing. Additionally, he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Bank and various senior committees of the group.
Mr. Tzouros with over 20 years’ experience, headed the Corporate & Shipping Recovery team at Intrum Hellas, after a successful tenure at Piraeus Bank as General Manager in Corporate Recovery. He also served as Director in the IB team of National Bank of Greece, with key involvement in a number of landmark transactions and privatizations, as well as a senior member in the IB and project finance teams of Eurobank. He started his career in Deloitte UK as a chartered accountant.
Mr. Tzouros holds MSc & BSc in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics. He is also a Fellow Chartered Accountant in the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.
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.
Mikelis Chatzigakis is the CEO of Hexicon Power, a subsidiary of the listed Swedish company Hexicon AB, a project developer and a technology provider for floating offshore wind. Previously, he worked as Chief Operating Officer at Cobblestone Energy, a British energy trading company. He previously worked as an executive at Alpha Bank and as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), with a focus on banking and energy.
Mr. Chatzigakis studied economics, specializing in political economy, at the London School of Economics (LSE). He holds Master degrees in Diplomacy & International Economics from the Fletcher School of Tufts University, Boston, and in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School.
She has been working in both the electricity and natural gas sector for the last 13 years mainly focusing on business development and business planning. Starting as an Energy Trader dealing with electricity transaction mainly between Greece and Bulgaria, she moved in the strategy team of the National Natural Gas Transmission System Operator (DESFA).
Her main responsibilities include analyses of new-business proposals that create and nurture opportunities and partnerships, identifying risks and benefits of said investment proposals with main outcome the building of action plans for strategic initiatives improving business performance as per DESFA’s corporate strategy.
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.
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).
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.
Nikos Frydas is Vice President of the Board of Grant Thornton Tax and Business Advisory Solutions SA, and Principal in the Energy Department. His career spans more than 30 years of international experience in the energy sector, specializing in the Design and Regulation of Electricity Markets, and in new Business Models for energy utilities in the energy transition era.
Mr. Frydas’ professional record includes working with major European Utilities (National Grid UK, PPC) and Energy Trading firms (EDF Trading, Merrill Lynch), and as member of the management team of ENTSO-E in Brussels. In the period of 2004-2007 he was appointed by the United Nations, as the first Chairman of the Regulatory Office of Kosovo, while subsequently he spent several years as senior staff member of the World Bank based in Belgrade.
Nikos holds a BSc degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from DUTh (Greece), a MSc degree in Power Systems Engineering from University of Strathclyde (UK), and a MSc degree in Energy Economics and Regulation from University of Strathclyde. He holds also Certificates from London School of Economic and University Luigi Bocconi, for courses in Energy Regulation Economics.
Mr. Frydas is a Chartered Engineer in the UK’s Engineering Council, a Member of the Technical Chamber of Greece, as well as member of the International Association of Energy Economists. He is a regular visiting Lecturer of “ESCP Europe” in their London and Paris campuses. He is also a Member of the Board of Great Sea Interconnector.
Manos Manousakis is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO SA) since June 2017.
Previously, Mr. Manousakis was the CEO of OTE Rural North and South, having held various positions of responsibility in the Greek Telecommunications Company, where he played an instrumental role in the design of cutting-edge telecommunication services. He was appointed Secretary General of the Hellenic Ministry of Economy (2015), as well as a Director at Black Sea Trade and Development Bank for the same period.
Mr Manousakis holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens. He has also academic experience, having been a lecturer at the University of Piraeus. His career combines business development leadership and complex project management with country strategic planning.
Mr. Papageorgiou has a long and successful European experience in the Energy sector. He has worked as Head of Organization and Head of Logistics and Operations in Energy companies in Italy, while over the last six years he was a Key Account Manager of power and environmental markets as well as a Senior Sales Manager for Southern Europe at the European Energy Exchange, based in Milan.
Mr. Papageorgiou holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics as well as a MSc in Economics, Environmental and Energy Management from the University of Bocconi, Italy. He was born and raised in Athens.
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.
Thomas I. Achimastos is currently vice chairman of Copelouzos Group and chief business development & strategy officer. He has held various managerial positions in the private sector in the field of Energy, Technology, Finance and Gaming.
He holds MSc. in Mechanical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, and he has completed his Doctoral Studies at the NTUA and at German Universities.
He carried out research activity with emphasis on the field of Energy and Technical measurements. His research was funded by European research organizations in Greece and in Europe. He has numerous publications in Scientific Journals and Conferences since 1994.
Nikos Tsafos serves as the chief energy adviser to the Prime Minister of Greece. A leading authority on energy, Nikos has worked with companies, banks and governments in over 30 countries on some of the world’s most complex energy projects. Most recently, he held the Schlesinger Chair for Energy and Geopolitics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and served on the Climate Advisory Committee of the Export Import Bank of the United States (EXIM). From 2016 to 2019, he was a lecturer at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Nikos has testified before Congress, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, the Canadian House of Commons, and the Alaska State Legislature. He has written extensively on energy, including for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, EURACTIV, the National Interest, and others. Nikos is also a regular commentator on current affairs: he has been quoted in The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Bloomberg, and he has appeared on CNN, NBC, the BBC, NPR, Al Jazeera, and other leading media outlets.
He holds a B.A. in international relations and economics from Boston University, and an M.A. in international relations from Johns Hopkins SAIS.
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.
John Karydas is the Chief Executive Officer of the Renewables and Battery Storage Business Unit of Copelouzos Group. He is the Managing Director or an Executive Member of the Board of major companies of the Group developing and operating RES, energy storage and electrical interconnection projects. Prior to joining Copelouzos Group, he held senior and commercial positions in Greek and multinational companies.
He received an M.B.A. degree from Bath University in the UK, an M.Sc. in Computing Science from Oxford University, and a B.Sc. (with First Class Honors) in Computer Science with Mathematics from London University. He is a graduate of Athens College.
John Karydas is the Chief Executive Officer of the Renewables and Battery Storage Business Unit of Copelouzos Group. He is the Managing Director or an Executive Member of the Board of major companies of the Group developing and operating RES, energy storage and electrical interconnection projects. Prior to joining Copelouzos Group, he held senior and commercial positions in Greek and multinational companies.
He received an M.B.A. degree from Bath University in the UK, an M.Sc. in Computing Science from Oxford University, and a B.Sc. (with First Class Honors) in Computer Science with Mathematics from London University. He is a graduate of Athens College.
Alexandra Sdoukou is a lawyer and has served as a legal consultant in both the private sector and public administration. In 2007, she was formally employed by the Management Organisation Unit of Development Programmes (MOU S.A.).
She holds a Law degree from Democritus University of Thrace, complemented by postgraduate degrees in European Commercial Law from the University of Bristol and in International and European Economic Studies from the Athens University of Economics and Business.
From 2004 to 2012, she held significant advisory roles within various ministries, including the Ministries of Economy and Finance, Development and Environment, and Energy. From 2012 to 2015, she served as the Director of the Minister’s Office of Environment, Energy, and Climate Change.
Her extensive expertise lies in the formulation, execution, and supervision of energy policies. Notably, from 2017 to 2019, she served as a special advisor on energy and mineral resources matters to Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the President of New Democracy Party. From July 2019 until June 2023, she held the position of Secretary General for Energy and Mineral Resources (GSEMR) at the Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy.
On June 27, 2023, she was appointed as Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy.
Aristofanis Stefatos holds a PhD in geology from the University of Patras and is specialized in environmental oceanography. In 2020, he was appointed by the Council of Ministers of the Hellenic Republic as CEO of HEREMA. He has 15 years of experience in the oil and gas industry focused mainly on exploration and production (E&P) activities. Prior to assuming HEREMA’s leadership, he managed private Norwegian hydrocarbon E&P companies, having acted as General Manager of Operations at M Vest Energy AS, and Director of Land Management and Technology at Atlantic Petroleum Norge AS before that. He is also a founding member of four Norwegian companies. His exploration work has been exposed to several geological settings, namely in Europe, North America, the Indian Ocean, West Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Dr. Antonios Mountouris is Head of the Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainable Development Division and a member of the executive management team of the HELLENiQ ENERGY Holdings S.A.
He holds a Chemical Engineering Diploma from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), a PhD in waste management and energy utilization from the NTUA and an MBA from the Hellenic Open University.
He has been working for HELLENiQ ENERGY Group since 2006 on sustainability, environmental management and climate change areas, while representing the HELLENiQ ENERGY in the relevant working groups of international and Greek organizations, such as the Scientific Division for Health, Safety and Environment of the European Fuel Manufacturers Association (CONCAWE) and Business Council for Sustainable Development of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEVBCSD).
George Satlas is an accomplished professional with a diverse background and extensive expertise in various industries. Currently serving as the Executive Officer and Board Member of ICGB AD, he plays a crucial role in overseeing the operations of the IGB gas pipeline, as the independent transmission system operator. Additionally, Mr. Satlas holds the esteemed position of Vice Chairman of the Hellenic Business Council in Bulgaria, further highlighting his influential presence in the business community. With a strong educational foundation, George Satlas holds a Mechanical Engineering degree and has complemented his technical expertise with an MBA degree. This unique combination of qualifications allows him to excel in both technical and managerial aspects of his career. His wealth of managerial experience in the financial sector has equipped him with a comprehensive understanding of investment principles and real estate management, gained through his involvement in a wide array of projects. Prior to his current roles, Mr. Satlas has held high-ranking executive positions in notable organizations, including the Greek sovereign wealth fund and subsidiaries of all four systemic Greek banks. These esteemed positions have provided him with valuable insights into the intricacies of the financial industry and further honed his leadership abilities. Overall, George Satlas stands as a highly accomplished professional, leveraging his extensive knowledge and expertise to drive success in the energy sector and contribute to the growth of business relations between Greece and Bulgaria.
Education: Mr. Sifnaios graduated from the school of Mathematics and Applied Sciences of the University of Athens. He went on to work as a research and faculty assistant at Columbia University, New York, U.S. where he received a Master of Science (MSc) in Operational Research and Applied Business Administration.
Professional Experience:
Mr. Sifnaios started his professional career at Mobil Oil Hellas in 1987 as a Strategic Planning analyst. He continued in a number of positions within Sales and Marketing reaching the post of Sales Manager for South & Western Greece.
He was then transferred to Mobil Oil International in London and Madrid where he assumed posts in supply and trading.
In 1997 he moved to BP International, based in Brussels to work on the European restructuring of the company.
He returned in Greece as General Commercial Sales Director for BP Greece (2000 – 2002) to then once more resume his international career within BP’s European supply chain till 2007.
In June 2007, joined Copelouzos Group assuming initially the role of New Projects Manager and then becoming Group Energy Director in the sector of Gas.
As of 2010 he manages the Alexandroupolis LNG Terminal Project and as of January 2022 he has been appointed as the Managing Director of Gastrade S.A., the project development and operation company.
Personal Info: Mr. Sifnaios was born in Athens in 1960 and originates from the island of Lesvos.
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.
Miltos Aslanoglou is currently working as an energy and regulatory economics consultant, supporting governments, organizations, and private companies on regulatory issues, developing climate change national strategies, and designing energy markets.
In December 2020, he was appointed General Manager of the Hellenic Association of Energy Suppliers.
In January 2021, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of AirEnergy S.A., a company focusing on the development of renewable energy projects.
He served as an Alternate Member of the Board of Appeals of ACER (Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulator) between 2016 - 2021, and he lectures at postgraduate level on energy regulation.
Miltos Aslanoglou served as the Vice President of the Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) from 2010 to 2015 and headed the Energy Markets Monitoring and Competition Department at RAE from 2002. During his period at RAE, he was actively involved in the market design, restructuring, competition, unbundling of activities and the restructuring of end-user tariffs and trading activities in electricity and gas markets. He had a leading role in the public debate regarding the re-organization and the structural reforms in all aspects of the Greek electricity market towards adopting the European Power Target Model.
Before joining the Greek Energy Regulator, he worked for major electricity and natural gas traders in London.
Miltos Aslanoglou is a Mechanical Engineer and holds an M.Sc. in Applied Economics & Finance from Athens University for Business and Economics (AUEB) and an M.Sc. in Environmental Technology, from Imperial College London, UK.
Born 1952, a Chemical Engineer (UK), PhD in fuels and energy (Leeds, UK), Member of the Hellenic Chamber of Engineers, Chartered Engineer in UK, Member of Association of CEOs in Greece, Member of BoD of Hellenic Association of Cogen Producers.
An energy business analyst and expert over the years widely known in the country. Has scientifically researched coal, then worked with oil following up with gas and currently with electricity. Currently Director for Institutional and Regulatory Affairs of Endesa Hellas, Member of the BoD of Endesa Hellas and Energy Advisor to the Chairman and CEO of Mytilineos Holdings. Member of the BoD of various companies.
In the past has worked in various companies in Greece and abroad, specifically in Greece reference is made to Mytilineos Holdings as Director General to Energy Division, Managing Director to Mytilineos Power Generation and Supplies and to all RES companies, in METKA as General Manager, and earlier in companies of HELPE Group specifically to ASPROFOS as Managing Director and in DEPA as responsible engineer for gas supply negotiations and the project of introduction of gas in Greece.
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.