9th HAEE Energy Transition Symposium

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nikos Hardalias was born on 10 November 1968 in the Municipality of Vyronas, Attica and has origins from Granitsa, Evritania.
He graduated with distinction from the Varvakeios Model School (Varvakeion Lyceum).
He studied Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent, England, specializing in European Integration and Regional Development.
He did his military service in the Hellenic Air Force from 1996 to1998.
He served as Mayor of Vyronas for 3 terms of four years (2003-2014), President of the Union for the Protection and Development of Hymettus Mountain – SPAY (2003-2014), and Chairman of the Civil Protection Committee of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece – KEDE (2006-2012). He was also Executive Secretary of the Region of Central Greece (2014-2016) and Regional Councillor of Attica (2014-2019).
In addition, he was Secretary-General for Civil Protection from 19 July 2019 to 16 March 2020, Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management from 17 March 2020 to 30 August 2021 and Deputy Minister of National Defence from 31 August 2021 to 25 May 2023.
On 27 June 2023, Nikos Hardalias took office as Deputy Minister of National Defence and held the office until 28 August 2023.
On 8 October 2023, Nikos Hardalias was elected as Governor of the Attica Region.
He is married to Ms Panagiota Panagiotopoulou, Physical Education Teacher (graduate of the School of Physical Education and Sport Science, TEFAA, Athens), and has two daughters, Ioanna and Dimitra.
He speaks English and French.

Giannis Kefalogiannis was born in Rethymno in 1982.
He is a lawyer and a Member of the Hellenic Parliament. He is a graduate of the National and Kapodistrian University Law School. He continued his studies at Columbia University in New York, obtaining a Master's Degree in Politics and International Relations. Following his graduation, he received training on negotiation techniques at Harvard Law School. He started his professional career in United Nations Security Council – UNSC and he continued as an attorney at law specializing in the areas of Criminal and Civil Law.
In June 2012 Giannis elected MP for Rethymno on the Nea Dimokratia ticket. He was reelected in January 2015, September 2015 and July 2019. From July 2019 until August 2021, he served as Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of the Hellenic Republic.
From January 2016 to July 2019, he was the Parliamentary Spokesperson for Nea Dimokratia. He was elected Secretary of the Hellenic Parliament for three consecutive parliamentary terms. He served as a Vice President in Special Permanent Committee of the Regions, as a Member in Standing Committee on National Defense and Foreign Affairs, Committee on European affairs, Committee on the Monitoring of the Social Security System and as Shadow Defense and Foreign Affairs Secretary for Nea Dimokratia.
He speaks English and German.

Dimitris Papastergiou was born in 1973 in Trikala.

He graduated from the Polycladic Lyceum of Trikala and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of NTUA (National Technical University of Athens). At the same time, he attended journalism courses, while he maintains strong ties with technology and the internet, a relationship that was strengthened at the Multimedia Laboratory of NTUA.

In 2001 he built and presented, together with a group of his colleagues, the first integrated website for the Prefecture of Trikala, 3kala.gr.

Since 2002 he has been practicing the profession of Electrical and Computer Engineer in the city of Trikala. He was involved in studies and construction of private electromechanical projects and the creation of software programs. In 2007 he entered the field of renewable energy and has constructed more than 300 private renewable energy projects.

His involvement in the community began in 2002, with his election to the City Council. He was re-elected in 2006, and in 2014 he was elected Mayor of Trikkaion and member of the Board of Directors of KEDE. He was re-elected Mayor in 2019 and, in the same year, he was elected President of the KEDE.

He is married to the engineer Soula Brakis and is the happy father of Faye, Kostas and Nikos.

From June 2023, he is Minister of Digital Governance in the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Nikos Papathanasis presently holds the office of the Alternate Minister at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and he was also elected, at the 2023 elections, as a member of the Parliament in the district of Athens North. From August 2020 until May 2023 he held the office of Alternate Minister at the Ministry of Development and Investment with the responsibility of the portfolio of private and strategic investments, PPP’s and the Just Transition Fund. Also from July 2019 until August 2020 he held the office of the Deputy Minister at the same ministry with the responsibility of the portfolio of Industry, Commerce and Consumer’s Protection.
During his thirty five year career, he served as a C-level executive for large corporations with a successful track record in developing business plans, reorganizing and streamlining operations that led to significant positive economic outcome.
He received his B.A.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and his M.A.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Toronto, followed by a Masters in Management Science at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.   
He commenced his career at the DeHavilland Aircraft Company (Bombardier Aerospace) in Toronto while later he served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI) and executive Vice President of Olympic Aviation, a regional airline company. During his professional years, he worked mainly in the private sector while he reached high executive and C level managerial positions in companies in Greece and abroad. He managed companies in the fields of construction, real estate development to
public transportation as he served as CEO in the Athens Line 1 metro rail system and subsequently Chairman and CEO in the Athens Metro and Light rail system for a total of eight years. From 2008 to 2010 he served as a President- elect of the Greek branch of the European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services (CEEP) which is a General Cross Industry social partner recognized by the EU Commission. From 2017 holds the Chair of the President of the Institute of Democracy “Konstantinos Karamanlis”, a scientific non-profit organization. He served from 2016 until the national elections of 2019 as Director General of the presently governing political Party of “Nea
Democratia”.

Geoffrey R. Pyatt, a career member of the Foreign Service, class of Career Minister, was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources on September 19, 2022.

Ambassador Pyatt served as U.S. Ambassador to Greece from 2016 to 2022 and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine from 2013 to 2016.  Among other recognitions, he received the State Department’s Robert Frasure Memorial Award in recognition of his leadership of the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2014.

Previously, Ambassador Pyatt was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs from 2010-2013. He was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna, Austria from 2007 to 2010. He also served three times at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2006 to 2007, Political Counselor from 2002 to 2006, and Political Officer from 1992 to 1994.  Ambassador Pyatt was Economic Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong from 1999 to 2002 and Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Lahore, Pakistan from 1997 to 1999.  Since joining the Foreign Service in 1989, he has also served on the National Security Council staff, on the staff of Deputy Secretary Strobe Talbott and at the U.S. Embassy in Honduras.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service, he worked with The Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank that brings together leading citizens of the Americas.

Ambassador Pyatt grew up in La Jolla, California and holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Yale and B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine.

Deputy Minister of Environment & Energy

Alexandra Sdoukou currently serves as the Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, assuming this position in June 2023.

Prior to her current role, she held the position of Secretary General for Energy and Mineral Resources from 2019 to 2023.

From 2004 onwards, she has actively participated in the administration of co-financed European programs within the Development Program Management Organization Unit (MOU S.A.). Throughout her career, she has occupied significant administrative roles within various ministries, including the Ministries of Economy, Development, as well as Environment, Energy and Climate Change. Her expertise lies in the formulation, execution, and supervision of energy policies. Notably, between 2017 and 2019, she assumed the position of special adviser to the President of the New Democracy Party, focusing on energy and mineral resources matters.

Academically, Mrs. Sdoukou holds a degree in Law from the Democritus University of Thrace. She furthered her education by obtaining an LL.M. in European Commercial Law from the University of Bristol, as well as an MSc. in International and Economic Studies from the Athens University of Economics.

She is married and a devoted mother of three children which is the greatest, yet most rewarding, challenge in her life.

Theodora Antonakaki, Director of Bank of Greece’s Climate Change and Sustainability Centre (CCSC), is coordinating BoG's work on climate, sustainability and research at the Climate Change Impacts Study Committee (CCISC) and representing BoG at the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) and at the newly established Eurosystem Climate Change Forum.
She is a member of Hellenic Ministry of Finance’s working group for Sustainable Finance and Green Economy Transition and she has been an advisor on issues of sustainability and socioeconomic impact in a wide range of projects, in planning, urban and architectural design. Ηer work has gained awards from Europa Nostra and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, while she has been honored, by the French Republic, with the title of Knight of the French National Order of Merit (Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite), as an acknowledgment for her contributions to climate and sustainability issues. She is a graduate of the Polytechnic School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of London, where she was an Honorary Research Fellow. She has lectured at the Syracuse University, the University of Stirling, the School of Nordic Urban Design and has taught at the Hellenic Open University. Her work has been published at peer reviewed journals and she has written book chapters in edited books. 

Dr. Avgerinopoulou is Greek Prime Minister's Special Envoy for the Ocean and the Coordinator of Our Ocean Conference 2024. She is Member of the Hellenic Parliament with the New Democracy Party and serves as Chair of the Special Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Environmental Protection and its Subcommittee of the Watercourses of the Hellenic Parliament. She is Vice Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Member of the Executive Committee of IPU from the Twelve Plus Group, while she has served as the Chairperson of the Standing Committee for the UN Affairs of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, in Geneva, Switzerland. She is also Member of the Energy and Environment Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce and ICC Hellas as well as Member of ICC Women Hellas. She has previously served as the Vice-Chair for the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development, the Vice-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Global Water Partnership Organization in Stockholm, Sweden, and the Head of Water of the Commission on Environment and Energy of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, France.

Dionysia is an attorney-at-law by profession, specialized in international law, with a particular expertise on the law of international organizations. She holds an LL.M. in International Legal Studies from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. and holds a Doctorate in International Environmental Law (J.S.D.) from Columbia University School of Law in New York, N.Y. She teaches International Public Law, International Environmental Law, Climate Change Law and Sustainable Finance Law.

She has been presented with several international environmental and humanitarian awards.

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

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

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

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

Sotiris Batzias is a Strategy Partner at Deloitte. He brings over 20 years of professional experience in strategic advice, business planning, investment analysis and performance improvement. He is working across a wide range of economic sectors, developing innovative strategies to support growth and competitive advantage. He is particularly focusing on energy, utilities, industrials, construction and real estate, addressing mandates in the areas of energy transition, decarbonization, smart cities, e-mobility, innovation, industry 4.0, financing sustainability, etc. He is addressing corporate and business objectives for sustainable value creation, also employing economics for relevant policy advice and structural reforms. Sotiris holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), an MSc from the University of Leeds, and an MBA (Finance) in Business Administration from Leeds University Business School.

Guido Broggi is the Head of Business Development & Partnerships from Greening the Islands Foundation (GTI Foundation). He is an Italian professional with more than 20 years international experience mainly in the energy sector. While achieving a MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management from Politecnico di Milano, he joined bp as a young trainee in supply chain.

Since then, he has held a variety of managerial roles in business (e.g. pricing, strategy, planning) across Europe, Russia & Africa as well as in Communications & External Affairs.

After leaving BP in 2021, he had led a scale up in med-tech as Managing Director in Italy and acted as Group Demand Generation Director in an industrial firm backed by private equity in beverage dispensing industry.

He also is advisor of several digital start-ups. He is married, has 2 children and is based in Milan area.

Dr. Athanasios Dagoumas is an Assistant Professor in Energy and Resource Economics and Director of the Energy and Environmental Policy laboratory at the University of Piraeus. He holds a Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, where he elaborated his PhD in Energy Economics. He is Member of the Board of the Cambridge Trust for New Thinking in Economics. He has more than 15 years of work and research experience in energy related issues, including working as a Senior Researcher at the University of Cambridge and as a Senior Energy Analyst at the Transmission System Operator and at the Electricity Market Operator in Greece. Moreover he was enrolled as a Special Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change in Greece. His extensive experience builds his capacity for an in-depth understanding of multidisciplinary aspects of the energy sector: economic, engineering, environmental and policy. He is keen on developing models for the energy system, the economic-energy-environment (E3) systems and the real energy markets. He has been President to the Regulatory Authority for Energy since July 2020.

Francesco d'Avack, Associate Director at S&P Global, coordinates outlooks for power and renewable market fundamentals, including capacity and generation outlooks, and he leads the global cost analysis for renewables. He writes about the changing policy and market environment for global power markets, emerging technology trends, business models, and the impacts for clean tech supply chains. He regularly contributes to consulting engagements and multiclient studies.  Before joining S&P Global, Mr. d'Avack worked for Capgemini, a consultancy, and for Bloomberg New Energy Finance, where he analyzed global solar markets. Mr. d'Avack holds a Bachelor of Science in economics and environmental policy from the London School of Economics, United Kingdom, and a master's in economic governance from Sciences Po Paris, France . He speaks English, French, and German.

Konstantinos Eleftheriadis is the Energy, Resources & Industrials Industry Leader and a Financial Advisory Partner at Deloitte Greece. He specializes in Financial Advisory, M&A Transactions and Forensic Services. With over 19 years of professional experience, Konstantinos’ expertise has been instrumental in a range of sectors with special focus in the Energy & Resources market, both locally and internationally. Konstantinos specializes in services and areas like: transactions support, M&A assistance, feasibility studies, independent business reviews, liquidity, business and e-mobility plans, storage, gas and new fuels, and advice on Power Purchase Agreements, having provided such services for many Greek and international clients that are operating in Power generation, Renewables, Oil & Gas, Mining & Metals, Waste treatment, etc.

Vasilis Georgiou was born in Athens, in 1966. He received a BEng degree on Electrical Engineering, an MBA and a MSc in Management of Energy Systems.
During his professional career he has developed his expertise in strategic management positions such as business development, project management, strategic design, organizational development, and transformation. Since 2002, he is the President and Managing Director of PROTASIS SA, a company providing studies, consulting, design & engineering and advanced system solutions for electrical power systems and networks.
Before his current position, he has worked for various SMEs and multinational companies in the fields of electrical energy and telecommunications.

Dr. Panagiotis Grammelis is Director of Research at the Chemical Process and Energy Resources Institute of CERTH (CERTH/CPERI). The scope of his research is the exploitation of solid fuels, i.e. biomass/waste and coal, with emphasis on the thermochemical conversion technologies. He is experienced in numerous EU and national funded and industry oriented projects, with an extensive knowledge of the South-East European market. Since May 2011, Dr Grammelis is Head of the Laboratory of Alternative Fuels & Technologies and guides a team of highly-skilled researchers. He has been Steering Committee member of the Biomass Panel in the RHC-ETP (responsible for industrial boilers and district heating), national expert for the standardisation of solid biofuels and member of DHC+ (District Heating & Cooling) Platform. Member of the Editorial Board in IJER and IJGW and the Scientific Committees of international conferences (EUBCE, GCGW, WSED). He is co-author in 380 papers in scientific journals, international conferences, workshops and books, with 2777 citations and h-Index 30 according to Scopus.

Ioannis Kaltsas holds a Ph.D. in Economics and an MSc in Applied Economics from Virginia Tech (USA),  an MA in Industrial Economics from the University of East Anglia (UK) as well as a bachelor’s degree in  Agricultural Science from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece). 

He is Head of the Investment Team for Greece & Cyprus at the European Investment Bank (ΕΙΒ). Prior  to that, he worked in various managerial positions within the EIB and as a Senior Advisor to the EIB’s Management Committee, as well as an expert for the evaluation of industrial and agricultural projects  financed by the Bank. Before joining the EIB, he worked as an Economist in a UN Commodity Board  and the World Bank, as well as an engineer in the champagne industry in France. His academic  publications include papers in urban land values, futures markets as well as technical efficiency. He speaks fluently Greek, English, French and Spanish. 

Thanos Mathiopoulos brings over 17 years of diverse experience across the Energy Sector, Finance, and Innovation, having worked in the US, UK, Italy, Israel, and Greece. His background encompasses roles in Renewable Energy, Electric Vehicle charging, Battery Storage, Fintech, and Cyber sectors, serving in various management capacities including Chief Business Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Global Head of Valuation. With a passion for entrepreneurship, Thanos co-founded two companies, including a technology startup. Academically accomplished, he holds a PhD, MSc, and Bachelor's degree in Renewable Energy Engineering

Barbara Morgante is the Chief Executive Officer of enaon. Born in Livorno, she is graduated in Statistical Sciences and Economics at the University of Bologna in 1986. In 1987 she obtained an MBA degree in Economic Development for the Advanced Tertiary Sector financed by EU and managed by the Union of Italian Chambers of Commerce and in 2019 she was awarded the Certificate in Corporate Governance at INSEAD Business School (Fontainebleau – France).

She has held positions of increasing responsibility throughout her career. From 1988 to 1995, she worked as a corporate management consultant, dealing with projects in the areas of strategy, marketing and organization for clients working primarily in the Transport, Construction and ICT and for Public Administration sectors. In 1995, she joined TAV (Treno Alta Velocità) as Marketing Manager. In 1998 she moved into the Commercial Department of the then Infrastructure Division (which later became Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, the Italian Railway Infrastructure Manager) of Ferrovie dello Stato Group.

Thereafter, she held a number of different positions in companies of the FS Group in the areas of Strategy & Planning, Investments Evaluation, International Relations, M&A, Sustainability policy, Regulatory affairs and Coordination of the Group ICT systems. She was Chief Executive Officer of Trenitalia SpA from December 2015 to September 2017. She has been a member/chairperson of several Boards of Directors of both Italian and foreign companies, and is currently in the BoD of Italgas Newco, Rai Way and Finint Infrastrutture SGR Società di gestione del risparmio.

Papastamatiou is Director of ENTEKA Group where he directs the development and financial sectors of the Group. Moreover, he is Chief Executive Officer of the Hellenic Wind Energy Association, ELETAEN. He has a vast experience in energy projects development in Greece and in Balkans with special focus and deep knowledge in wind energy. In the past he worked as advisor for the Hellenic Ministry of Development as well as for other public and private corporations. He 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. He is elected member of the Board of Directors of the Greek Association of RES Electricity Producers, GAREP.

Dr. Andreas Poullikkas holds a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) degree in mechanical engineering, a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) degree in nuclear safety and turbomachinery, a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in numerical analysis and a Doctor of Technology (D.Tech.) higher doctorate degree in energy policy and energy systems optimization from Loughborough University, U.K. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET). Dr. Andreas Poullikkas is currently the Chairman of the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) and he was for several years the Chairman of the Cyprus Energy Strategy Council (both appointments by the President of Cyprus). In his professional career he has worked for academic institutions and for the industry, such as, a Visiting Faculty at Harvard University, USA, the Cyprus University of Technology (Professor of Power Systems and Chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering) and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (founder and director of the Research and Development Department). He is the Associate Editor of the Journal of Power Technologies, member of the Editorial Board of the journal Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments and the author of various peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals, book chapters, conference proceedings and the author of ten books. He is included in the World’s Top 2% Scientists and the World’s Top 100000 Researchers Lists, both published by Stanford University.

François de RICOLFIS

Head of the Regional Economic Service for South East Europe

Embassy of France in Greece

After graduating from Ecole Nationale d’Administration, François de Ricolfis has been working at the french Treasury (Ministry of finance) since 1989.

His main areas of expertise are in country risk, banking issues, project finance and export finance.

His recent posting include :

• From 2006 to 2008, Deputy assistant secretary for export finance (Ministry of finance)
• From 2008 to 2019, Mananging director the SGFGAS (french agency  dealing with housing finance schemes for homeowners)
• From 2019 to 2022, Head of the regional economic service in Beyrouth (covering Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Irak, Iran, Lebanon)

François de Ricolfis is currently economic counsellor at the Embassy of France in Greece, head of the regional economic service (Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania).

Dr. Roland Roesch has been Director at the Innovation and Technology Center (IITC) in the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) since June 2023. In this role, he oversees the agency's work on advising member countries on energy scenarios and planning, power sector transformation, renewable generation, cost and markets, technology status and innovation outlooks, and project development guidelines. Before becoming Director, he served as IITC Deputy Director from 2018.

Roland joined IRENA in 2012 and has worked in multiple work programs since. For two years prior to joining IRENA, Roland had been Professor for Energy Economics at the University of Applied Science in Damstadt. Previously, he worked for 15 years in the oil and gas and utilities industries for Shell and E.ON, latterly as General Manager Power with Shell and as Head of Division, Project Leader, Project Executive and Technical Project Developer with E.ON. Previously, he worked as an Energy Market Consultant for Lahmeyer International and as a researcher in renewable energy. Roland has solid business experience in energy markets, energy economics and strategies, renewable integration management, energy project development and project financing.

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

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

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

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

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.

Dionysis Tsitos is Managing Director and member of the Board of Directors of Volton S.A., which is active in the production, supply, and trading of electricity, as well as in the supply of natural gas in Greece. He started his professional career in 1998 and since then he has served as a senior executive in large business corporations such as Nova, Forthnet, Demco Group etc. He has many years of experience and expertise in the field of Energy, Media, Telecommunications and Retail. Born in Athens in 1972, he is a graduate of the Leonteios School of Athens and the University of Plymouth, he holds a BA and MBA, with specialization in Marketing and speaks English and French. He is the Vice President of the Hellenic Association of Energy Suppliers and a member of the Advisory Board of The Marketing Hub. He has also been a regular member of the Hellenic Management Association and vice president of the Hellenic Institute of Marketing.

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

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

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

Since 2016 she is co-founder and owner of Faria Group and Faria Thess S.A, companies focused on investment, development, construction and operation of renewable energy projects.

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

Eleni Vrettou has more than 20 years of international experience in Banks in Greece and abroad, specializing in corporate and investment banking. She has been Attica Bank’s Chief Executive Officer since September 2022.
Ms Vrettou held the position of Executive General Manager, Chief of Corporate and Investment Banking at Piraeus Bank Group. Prior to that, she worked for 14 years at HSBC Bank Plc in Greece and the United Kingdom. Her most recent position at HSBC was that of Managing Director and Head of Wholesale Banking Greece, while previously, she was Head of Multinationals and Business Development at HSBC for the CEE, CIS, Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan Africa regions. She also held the position of Chief Strategy and Investor Relations Officer at Lamda Development. Before HSBC, she worked for Greek and international financial institutions in Athens and New York in the fields of credit and risk and investment banking (M&A). Between 2019 and 2021, she served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Piraeus Factors S.A, Piraeus Leasing and Piraeus Leases, and a member of the Board of Directors of ETVA VIPE.
She is currently chairman of the Board of Directors of Attica Bankassurance Agency and an independent non-executive member of the BoD of STARBULK Carriers Corp and MOTODYNAMICS S.A.

Professor Dr. Kostas Andriosopoulos is the Executive Director of the Energy Transition & Sustainability Center at Audencia Business School, where he holds the position of full Professor in Finance and Energy Economics.
Kostas holds a PhD in Finance (Cass Business School, City University London), where he has been the recipient of the prestigious Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation’s scholarship. He holds an MBA and MSc in Finance (Northeastern University, Boston, USA), and a bachelor’s degree in Production Engineering and Management (Technical University of Crete, Greece). He holds leadership positions in various academic and professional associations, such as the Energy Committee of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce (President), the Decarbonization Fund of the Greek islands for the Hellenic Ministry of Environment & Energy (President), the Hellenic Association for Energy Economics (Founder & BoD Member) and the Global Gas Center (Board Member).
In addition to his academic roles, Kostas has extensive professional experience, including serving as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Public Gas Company. Since August 2018, he is the Country Manager of Akuo Energy in Greece.
Kostas has contributed significantly to his field, publishing in international finance and commodity-related journals, and participating as a speaker at conferences worldwide. He is the Associate Editor for the International Journal of Financial Engineering and Risk Management, Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Energy Markets.

Lee Beck is CATF’s Senior Director in Europe and the Middle East, leading CATF’s climate strategy to advance a broad portfolio of solutions in both regions. She is also responsible for advancing CATF’s efforts on the global climate policy stage through CATF’s presence at COP28 in the UAE and at COP27 in Egypt. Having worked on climate and clean energy and lived in the U.S. and Europe, Lee is an expert on transatlantic partnerships and international affairs, and is passionate about advancing and strengthening the transatlantic relationship to achieve climate goals.

Before stepping into her current role, Lee was CATF’s Global Director for carbon capture, leading the team’s expansion in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, and helping launch CATF’s overall European efforts. Under her leadership, the carbon capture team played an integral role in advancing cutting-edge carbon management policies globally. The team helped secure $12 billion in funding for carbon capture, removal, and storage in the U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as well as make improvements to the 45Q tax credit in the Inflation Reduction Act.  The team also put forward the vision for a European Strategy for Carbon Capture and Storage.

Lee came to CATF from the Global CCS Institute, where she served as a Senior Advisor leading the Institute’s advocacy efforts in North America, and was part of a global team focused on advocacy and policy. Previously, Lee worked for the Vermont Energy Investment Cooperation, and at Eni USA in their Washington DC International Relations Office, focusing on international affairs and government relations. She also worked for the EU Delegation to the U.S. as a trainee on transportation, energy, and environmental policy issues. Before working in the energy field, Lee was a journalist reporting for multiple outlets reporting from Germany, Italy, Tanzania and Hong Kong.

She has a Master of Arts in International Affairs & Economics with majors in Energy, Resources & Environment and Political Economy from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). A German citizen, she speaks German, French, and Italian. She is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center.

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

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

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

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

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