Archives

Ms. Maria Sarantopoulou

Maria Sarantopoulou is the Deputy Director of Communication and Public Affairs at the Hellenic Development Bank (HDB).

Maria has worked for several years in the European Commission in Brussels, at the Spokesperson’s Service, which operates under the political leadership of the President covering areas such as Competition, Entrepreneurship, Industry, Single Market, Budget, and Human Resources, thus working closely with the respective European Commissioners on a daily basis. She has also worked as European Commissioner’s Speechwriter and Political Coordinator for Migration and Home Affairs, having successfully undertaken the Commission’s EPSO exams. Furthermore, she has previously worked as a journalist and editor at Kathimerini and as a communication and international relations officer at the Office of the National Coordinator for Drugs representing the Service in international as well as European fora and institutions.

Maria Sarantopoulou is also an elected member of the BoD of the Hellenic Alumni Association of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She has the position of the Secretary General. She is also the Deputy Chairwoman of the Communications and Marketing Group at the European Association of Guarantee Institutions (AECM).

She holds an MSc from LSE and a BA from the Department of Communication and Media at the Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is a graduate of the German School of Athens and speaks Greek, English, German, French (and a little Chinese).

Dr. Angeliki Kavga

Angeliki Kavga is Associate Professor in the Dept. of Agricultural Science, of University of Patras (UPat), on «Greenhouse Construction and Operation» field. She has ΜSc in Environmental Studies from University of Patras (Dept. of Biology) and PhD in Agricultural Engineering from University of Patras (Dept. of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics) on “Energy Optimization of Greenhouse Using a Heating System with Infrared Radiation (IR). Her research interests focus on Greenhouse Constructions, Renewable energy sources in agricultural sector, Precision Agriculture, Smart Farming and Environmental Physics. 

She has presented remarkable research work in her scientific field with 32 published scientific papers in international journals, one book chapter and more than 35 entries in International and Greek Scientific Conferences. She is Project Manager (PM) in one research program (Erasmus +k2), Scientific Manager in 3 competitive research programs on Smart and Sustainable Greenhouse Modules and member of the research team in 2 research programs (Interreg, RIS3).

Dr. Demetrios Kouretas

Dr. Kouretas has a BSc in Pharmacy from University of Patras (Greece) 1985, PhD in Biochemistry from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki 1989 (Greece) and Post-doc at Harvard Medical School from 1990-1992. Dr. Kouretas has been staff member in the University of Thessaly since 1996 and from 2007 is Professor of ‘Animal Physiology – Toxicology’ at the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology of the University of Thessaly (Greece).  He has co-authored 220 articles in peer-reviewed journals and about 100 invited lectures in national and international conferences. According to Google scholar Dr. Kouretas’ publications have been cited 10000 times and their ‘h-index’ is 55. In 2017 has been elected member of the European Commission Committee (Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging risks, SCHEER) and the same year (2017) President of the Hellenic Society of Toxicology and Director of the National Master Program in Toxicology.

He has founded the spin-off company FoodOxys aimed at developing bio functional nutrition. He is Associate Editor in the ‘Food & Chemical Toxicology’ (from 2015), ‘Toxicology Reports’ (from 2017) journals of Elsevier and Academic Editor in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity (from 2017) and Antioxidants (from 2018).

Dr. Dimitrios Skuras

Dimitris Skuras is the Vice Rector of Economics and Planning at the University of Patras and Professor at the Department of Economics. He studied at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Universities of Aberdeen and Essex in the United Kingdom.

His research is in natural resources and environmental economics, particularly analysing the impact of agricultural and rural development policies on GHG emissions, on the use and quality of water and soil resources, and on biodiversity and ecosystem services. His work has appeared in over 100 articles, studies and books. In 2008 his work was awarded the Academy of Athens award in the “Class of Ethical and Political Sciences”. He has developed programs and studies for the European Union, the OECD, the United Nations (FAO) and many government agencies in Europe, Latin America and Africa.

Dr. George Zalidis

George Zalidis graduated from the Agronomy Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with doctoral studies at the Department of Soil Science and postdoctoral studies in Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering Department at the State University of Michigan US.

Today, he is the  Director of the Laboratory of Remote Sensing, Spectroscopy and Geographical Information Systems, and member of the Laboratory of Applied Soil Sciences at the Department of Agriculture of the School of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He is also the  Scientific Coordinator of Interbalkan Environment Center (i-BEC) since 2007.

His research focuses on issues of quality and restoration of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, the use of Earth observation data (space and terrestrial) in the  Societal Benefit Areas, the OECD indicators of sustainable development and the use of spectral data in the monitoring of agricultural ecosystems and natural terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

 

CURRENT POSITION

  • Professor of Pollution and Soil Degradation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Land Reclamation Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, Laboratory of Applied Soil Science.
  • Director of the Laboratory of Remote Sensing, Spectroscopy and G.I.S., Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Agriculture.
  • Member of the Laboratory of Applied Soil Science. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Agriculture.
  • Scientific Director, Interbalkan Environment Center (I-BEC)
  • Member, Hellenic Quality Assurance & Accreditation Agency (HQA) Council
  • Representative of the Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Rural Development and Food at the international Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring Initiative (GEOGLAM) of GEO.

Mr. Xenophon Kappas

Since 2011 he is the General Director of “Captain Vassilis & Carmen Constantakopoulos” Foundation, promoting and supporting sustainable development in Greece. He has worked with various organisations from different positions gaining an extensive experience on issues of sustainable development and social cohesion. His previous professional experience was in similar positions in organisations and companies related to sustainable management and development. Since his youth he is active volunteer mainly the last years as Board member at national and international organisations with humanitarian and environmental focus.  His studies are on Business Administration and he holds MAs  on European Studies and Latin American Studies, specializing on politics and development.

Mr. George Pontikas

George Pontikas is President and CEO at Syngenta Hellas Single Member SACI. He began his career in 1990 at Ciba Geigy Hellas (Legacy company of Syngenta), as Seed Development Manager. In 1997 he became Director of the Seed Division and in 2011 Head of Sales of the company’s consolidated business and Managing Director since 2015.

In January 2020 along with the position of Head of Sales for Crop Protection Products he assumes the duties of President and Managing Director at Syngenta Hellas Single Member SACI as well as the position of Business Area Manager for the countries Greece, Israel/Palestine, Cyprus, Albania and Kosovo (BA Mediterranean).

He is President of the Hellenic Crop Protection Association (ESYF). He was President of the Greek Seed Trade Association (SEPY) from 2010 to 2016 and member of the Board of the International Seed Federation (ISF) from 2010 to 2013.

George Pontikas is agronomist with a master degree in rural economy, marketing & sociology, and a master degree in Business Administration (MBA).

Ms. Francesca Ydraiou

Frantzeska Ydraiou is an Agronomist Msc., holder of Maitrise Special title in Phytopharmacology and Phytomedicine. She worked both as a public servant (Ministry of Agriculture in Greece) and for the private sector (industry of plant protection products) before becoming the Director General of the HCPA in 1997. During this period, she has dealt with matters of National and European legislation concerning plant protection products sector and sustainable agriculture as well as with the implementation of programs for the protection of PPP users and water, the collection of empty PPP containers, raising awareness on risks of illegal pesticides, in cooperation with municipalities, institutes, services and farmers. She has attended numerous seminars, conferences and workshops primarily as speaker as has also lectured at the Agricultural University of Athens, the University of Aegean and the Medical School of Athens. She is also an external member of the Council of Administration of Agricultural University of Athens.

Dr. Konstantinos Tsimpoukas

Tsimpoukas Konstantinos is Professor of the Laboratory of Agribusiness Management, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development in the Agricultural University of Athens. He is a graduate from the Agricultural University of Athens and has a M.Sc. from the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Montpellier , D.E.A. and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics  of Montpellier III University, France.

He teaches Rural Economy & Policy, Introduction in Agricultural Economics, Farm Management and Economics of Animal Production at undergraduate level and Economics of Animal Production and Farm Management at postgraduate level. His research interests focus in techno-economic analysis of agricultural production systems and in decisions making at farm level. He participates in research projects (national and EU funded) as a coordinator and researcher in areas concerning economic analysis of agricultural production systems and economic viability at farm level.