9th HAEE Energy Transition Symposium

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.

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.

Theodoros Skylakakis - Minister of Environment and Energy

He was born in 1959 in Athens. He is an economist. Member of Parliament for New Democracy (2022-2023). Minister of Environment and Energy from June 2023. Alternate Minister of Finance, responsible for Fiscal Policy and responsible for preparing and coordinating the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan "Greece 2.0" (2020-2023). Deputy Minister of Fiscal Policy (2019-2020), Member of the European Parliament (2009-2014), Secretary General for International Economic Relations and Development Cooperation (2006-2009), Municipal Councilor, Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Athens (2003-2006), responsible for preparing for the 2004 Olympic Games. From 1990 to 1993 he served as Advisor to Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis and Head of the Prime Minister's Planning and Communication Office.

He also served as President and Director General of the E21 Research Centre (1994-2001). He was the last President of Drasi (2014-2019), which suspended its activity to support New Democracy.

He has worked in advertising and communication since 1985 and he has founded four companies in the fields of communication (1994-1999), crisis management (2000-2006) and agricultural production & processing (2014-2019).

He studied economics in Greece (University of Athens) and business administration (MBA) in England (City University, London) and received a master's degree from the British Market Research Society in Market Research. He has received a PhD from the Department of History and Philosophy of Science of the University of Athens, entitled: "Social tolerance to corruption".

He is married to Eleni Papapanou, has two daughters, Marianna and Irene and four granddaughters.

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.

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 Skalkos was born in Athens in 1971. He graduated from the Department of Political Science and International Studies of Panteion University and holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Kent. Since 2004, he has been working for the Management Organization Unit of Development Programmes S.A. as an executive on the EU co-financed programmes. Mr Skalkos has served for several years as an adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Public Works, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Economy and Development. He has authored four books on political theory, economic reform and regional development and has published numerous research papers in academic journals. He has, also, participated as lecturer in scientific conferences and writes, regularly, in scientific magazines as well as the daily press. From 2019, Mr Skalkos he holds the position of General Secretary for Public Investments and Partnership Agreement at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. He is also a member of the Greek National Resilience and Recovery Plan Steering Committee, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Development Bank.

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

Matthew was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Marines on leaving school in 1986. He was sponsored through Birmingham University from where he graduated with a BA (Hons) in Modern Languages (French and Russian). Subsequent duties with the Royal Marines included service in Norway and the United States, and a secondment to the Army which included an operational tour in Northern Ireland and service in Kenya.

Matthew joined the Foreign and Commonwealth office in 1996. His early diplomatic career included work on the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean, service in Georgia and Armenia, and postings to Athens (1998-2000), Paris (2001) and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels (2001-2003). From 2004 to 2007 he was Private Secretary to the FCO Permanent Under Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service. In March 2007 Matthew was appointed as Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Baghdad. On his return from Iraq, Matthew attended the Higher Command and Staff Course (2008) at the UK Defence Academy before being appointed as Head of the FCO’s Afghanistan Group.

From 2010 to 2013, Matthew was Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Finland and from August 2014 to summer 2017 Matthew was Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the State of Kuwait. In spring 2017, Matthew was appointed as Minister at the British Embassy in Paris, serving concurrently as Ambassador and Permanent delegate to UNESCO (2017-2021).

Matthew is married to Alexia and they have twin boys.

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.

Haris Doukas is newly elected Mayor of Athens and Professor at the School of Electrical & Computer Engineering of NTUA.

His scientific and research expertise includes the development of decision support systems for energy and climate policy, placing the human factor at the core of the modelling processes.

He has almost 2 decades of working experience in the design of policies and programs for the promotion of renewables, energy efficiency and management at a national, European level as well as in Africa and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. He has more than 150 scientific publications in international scientific journals with reviewers, he co-authored the Greek Book “Multiple Criteria Decision Models for Energy and Environmental Systems”, the English Book “Multicriteria Portfolio Construction with Python” and the open access Book “Understanding Risks and Uncertainties in Energy and Climate Policy: Multidisciplinary Methods and Tools for a Low Carbon Society”.

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.

Mar 2024 Aiko Solar
General Manager South Europe Utility Scale

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

LANGUAGES: English, Italian, Spanish

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.

Panagiotis Doumas is a Director and Member of the Executive and Management Committee at Howden Hellas, having in his delegated authorities the business development and maintenance of big corporate accounts within a variety of territories. Panagiotis has been in the insurance world since 1999. He was a Managing Partner at Aplus Brokers, a boutique insurance broking firm, which he set up with his partners in 2017, specializing in Financial Lines (D&O, Cyber, Crime, Financial Institutions Professional Indemnity) and Energy, mainly Renewables. Aplus was the first acquisition of Howden Hellas due to their rapidly growing portfolio and expertise in the sector.

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.

John Hambas, Economist, Senior Advisor at SEV (Industry, Growth, Technology & Innovation sector). Over the past five years, he has been active in developing policy proposals aiming to the facilitation and financing of Investments as well as encouraging SMEs growth. He brings in extensive experience in matters concerning state aid and funding of investments in the EU. His 13 years of experience as a business consultant have been marked by his specialization in submitting and managing investment plans under the Development Laws and the NSRF.
As an auditor of investment projects, he has conducted audits in the implementation and completion of NSRF projects for the state, of investments under the development law for banking institutions. Mr. Hambas is a certified member of the National Registry of Certified Evaluators (EMPA) under the Ministry of Economy and Development's Development Law.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from the University of Piraeus and a master’s degree in Automation Systems from the National Technical University of Athens. He is proficient in both Greek and English.

Ioannis Kalafatas

Member

Born in Athens in 1976.  He is married with 2 children.  Economist, graduate of the University of Piraeus. Joined Mytilineos Group in June 2005 and served as Executive Director - Group Financial Controller until October 2011, when he became the Group’s CFO. He is a member of the Board of Director of DELFI DISTOMO and other Group’s Subsidiaries, as well as member of the Tax Committee of Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV.).

Dimitris Kazazoglou-Skouras is the Group ESG coordinator of Alpha Services & Holdings (parent of Alpha Bank), a leading financial institution in Greece and the Balkans. He has 25 years of experience in the financial services and technology sectors.
He has previously worked at The Boston Consulting Group and held senior roles at British Telecom, Eurobank, the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund and the EU’s Single Resolution Board. He holds a BSc in Statistics from the University of London, Queen Mary College and an MSc in Management and Strategic Information Systems from the University of Bath, in the UK.
He lives in Athens with his wife and two daughters.

Dr. Spyros Kiartzis is the New Technologies and Alternative Energy Sources Manager, for the HELLENiQ ENERGY Group. He received his Diploma and his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the School of Engineering; and his degree in Economics from the School of Law and Economics; all from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and finally his MBA from the Hellenic Open University. Following a period in the construction sector supervising restoration projects in Mount Athos, he served as a part-time instructor in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in the University of Western Macedonia and in the International Hellenic University. He joins the HELLENiQ ENERGY Group in 2001 where he held a range of posts in maintenance and project construction sections (including the Project Management Team for the construction of a 390 MW CCPP), before becoming Manager of New Technologies and Alternative Energy Sources. He is Managing Director of ElpeFuture an e-mobility service provider (Subsidiary of HELLENiQ ENERGY Group), and also Managing Director of Energiaki Pylou-Methonis SA and of ELPE Renewables Aiolika Parka Evias SA wind park owners. He is also member of the Board of Directors of “ELPEDISON S.A.” and “HELLENiQ Renewable Energy Sources S.A.” (Subsidiary of HELLENiQ ENERGY Group) and has served as member of the Board of Directors of “EKO Bulgaria S.A.” (Subsidiary of HELLENiQ ENERGY Group).

Dimitris Kouklakis is the operational manager of the European Process Technology Cluster of TÜV NORD. Dimitris is a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer with more than 25 years of experience in Energy, Oil and Gas and Infrastructure Projects. Dimitris holds also the position of the Vice President of Process and Manufacturing Technology Division of TÜV HELLAS (TÜV NORD). The division is offering inspection, project management, Owner’s Engineer, performance tests services to major manufacturers, EPC contractors, refineries, power plant operators and technical due diligence, technical advisory services to investors and financial institutions.

Maurits ter Kuile is a career diplomat, working for the Dutch ministry of Foreign Affairs. He currently serves as deputy head of mission at the embassy of the Netherlands in Athens. At the embassy he is part of the management team. The embassy promotes the interests of the Netherlands and its citizens in Greece. Focus areas for the embassy are finance, trade, migration, climate and energy.
Maurits has extensive policy experience at the ministry of Foreign Affairs and served in the Philippines, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and at the Dutch permanent representation to the United Nations in Geneva.

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

Georgios Mitkidis is Head of Alternative and Renewable Fuels within the Strategic Planning and Development department of the Motor Oil Group since 2020.
He is Chemical Engineer with studies in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He also holds a Professional Doctorate in Engineering diploma from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and an MBA from the Hellenic Open University. He is chartered Engineer and Member of IChemE since 2016.
He has worked from 2006 to 2020 in the Shell Technology Center in the Netherlands with extensive professional experience in the areas of Oil Refining, Gas Processing and Petrochemicals technologies specializing in design, evaluation and project development of processing facilities. During his last role held the position of Front End Development Manager responsible for the development of large scale petrochemicals and renewable fuels projects

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.

Marianna Nathanail is Head of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Representation in Greece, engaging actively with EU delegations, national, local, public, and private sector stakeholders, business associations and academia partners in Greece and Cyprus to promote the strategic orientations and priorities of the EIB, supporting sustainable investments, energy transition, climate adaptation, research, innovation, female entrepreneurship, social investments and skills. A professional with 25 years of service in the banking, finance, and legal sector.
Having joined the EIB in 2015, she worked at the EIB Headquarters in Luxembourg in Capital Markets and Risk Management positions, participating in horizontal EIB Group working groups for the development of Group policies on Market Conduct, Regulatory Compliance, Sustainable Finance and Corporate Governance.
Prior to joining the EIB, she worked for the European Commission, DG FISMA and DG Internal Market, as seconded national expert, coordinator of the EC drafting team for the Market Abuse Regulation, representing the European Commission in the Interinstitutional negotiations with the European Parliament and the Council (trilogues) for major financial services regulations.
Before joining the European Commission, she served as Legal Advisor to the Hellenic Capital Markets Commission, also representing Greece as Delegate in Council negotiations, and Legal Counsel for major international and Greek groups of companies in the energy, construction, and shipping sector.
She holds a degree from the Athens University Law School, a master’s degree in law (LL.M.) and a master’s degree (MSc) in Banking and Finance.

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).”

Dr. Giorgos Stamtsis

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 February 2024, Dr. Stamtsis was appointed President of the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency.

Dr. Giorgos Stamtsis is a member of VDE, of the Climate & Clean Air Coalition 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.

Dr Athanasios Stubos is Research Director at the National Research Center Demokritos, Greece. He has studied Chemical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens, holds MSc and doctoral degrees in Fluid Dynamics from the Von Karman Institute, Belgium, and has worked as Research Associate at the University of Southern California. His main research interests include Hydrogen Technologies, Environmental Fluid Mechanics, Transport in Porous Media, Energy Processes and Environmental Impacts. He has acted as project coordinator for various European and National R&D projects, and performed industrial R&D in Belgium and Greece. For several years, he represents Greece in the State Representatives Group of the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking of the European Commission.

Antigoni Synodinou was born in Athens, Greece. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering with Master's studies in Business Administration and Environmental Resources Management. She started her career in the private sector in a dynamic Greek industrial company and then in a leading multinational consumer goods company.
Afterwards she joined EYDAP where she has held several positions of responsibility since 2003. In particular, in 2016 she served as Assistant General Director of Water Supply, in April 2019, she took over the Executive Division of Coordination and Support Operations and from June 2021, the Executive Division of Transformation. She is fluent in English and French

Zaira Trivyza studied Chemical Engineering at NTUA and completed the master's degree in Techno-Economic Systems in 2003. She started her career in 1996 with an internship in Paris, in Gas de France, and continues to be active in the energy sector to this day. From 2002 until now she has been working at the Attiki Gas Distribution and Supply Company which in 2017 evolved into the Natural Gas – Hellenic Energy Company. She holds the position of Director of Energy Sourcing and Regulatory Affairs Director leading a team of approximately 20 people.

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.

Chrysanthi Vakla, Deputy CEO, Susten

• Partner and deputy CEO of Susten, a UK based investment firm focusing in technologies that enable the energy transition.
• 20 years in Investment Banking at Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse and RBC having held senior roles.
• Chrysanthi has advised Hedge Funds, Private Equity Partners, and Private investors in areas such as investment portfolios, private placements, sustainability and financing;
• Experienced network builder and member of various investment committees and Boards including the British School of Athens and The Hellenic Tech Investor Network (Theti club)

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.

Nikolaos Bakatselos is the President & CEO of “Pyramis Metallourgia A.E.” and “Pyramis Deutschland GmbH”. 

Nikolaos Bakatselos was Member of the Board of Directors, and Deputy Managing Director, of “Northern Greece Publishing S.A.”. He has held the position of Managing Director of “Imperium AEEX”, and Member of the Board of Directors of “Egnatia Bank Securities S.A.”.  He was a Member of the Board of Directors of Attica Bank from February 2014 until June 2016.

Nikolaos Bakatselos was a Member of the Steering Committee of the “International Hellenic University” from 2006 until January 2014 and Member of the Board and President of the Northern Greece Committee of EEDE.  He is Member of the Committee Support CERTH, Trustee of Anatolia College, Member of the Board of Directors of SVE, Member of the Board of Directors of IOBE and Honorary Consul of Belgium for Northern Greece. 

After being a Member of the Board of Directors of the American – Hellenic Chamber of Commerce for several years, in June 2010 he was elected Vice President of AmChamGR and President of the Northern Greece Committee and since June 2019 he is the President of AmChamGR.

Nikolaos Bakatselos is Founding Member and Member of the Board of Council of Competitiveness of Greece.

From October 2019 until February 2022, he was elected as President of HEDNO by the General Assembly of HEDNO.

He holds a B.A. in Sociology from University of Reading and a MSc in Shipping, Trade and Finance from City University Business School. 

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.