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Dr. Panagiotis N. Skandamis

Dr. Panagiotis N. Skandamis is Assoc. Professor of Food Microbiology and Food Quality Control and Food Hygiene in the Agricultural University of Athens and member of the BIOHAZ panel of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). He received his Bachelor Degree on Food Science & Technology and a PhD on Food Microbiology by Agricultural University of Athens (AUA). He has worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Animal Science of Colorado State University in USA. In 2004, he joined the Department of Food Science & Technology of AUA, teaching Food Microbiology and Food Quality Control and Hygiene. Dr. Skandamis has (co-) authored 135 original research papers in journals of SCI, 30 book chapters, edited 1 book, more than 200 oral or poster presentations in conferences and has a total number of 6280 citations (h-index 36).

His research is funded by 5th, 6th and 7th EU Framework Program, HORIZON 2020, multiple competitive Grants from Greek Research and Technology Funding Agency, Hellenic institute of Research and Innovation, as well as direct contracts with the Greek Food Industry in the following areas: (i) active antimicrobial and intelligent packaging of foods; (ii) assessment of microbial food spoilage; (iii) survival/growth of pathogens, with emphasis on the adaptive response to food-related stresses, (iv) biofilm formation and removal by chemical and natural disinfectants, (iii) predictive microbiology of foods and quantitative microbial risk assessment, (v) application of mild preservation technologies and antimicrobial interventions; (vi) detection, isolation and subtyping of foodborne pathogens from foods and food processing environments and (vii) ecology of mycotoxin-producing fungi. He has been Associate Editor in Food Research International (2012-2017). Currently he is serving as scientific co-editor in Journal of Food Protection and member of the Editorial Board in Applied and Environmental Microbiology and International Journal of Food Microbiology.

Dr. Skandamis is member of the scientific committee of International Conference in Predictive Microbiology in Foods (ICPMF) since 2008, member of the organizing committee of European symposium of International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) since 2015, and current co-President of the FoodMicro 2020. He is also Chair of the Professional Development Group of “Microbial Modelling and Risk Assessment” of IAFP.

Dr. Skandamis is the Head of “Department of Dietetics and Quality of Life” and co-ordinator of the WG “Food Safety” of the National Technological Platform “Food For Life”. He has been involved in the task force established by SEVT and the National Food Safety Authority for the development of guidance documents for Good Hygiene Practices against SARS-CoV-2 in the food processing and catering services, producing one document for risk profile and a Guide of Good Hygiene Practices against Covid-19 for personnel of the Food Industry.

Predictive Modeling software development: Dr. Skandamis has also developed a Predictive Modelling Software tool, entitled GroPIN, which constitutes a database of 714 kinetic and probabilistic models for pathogens and spoilage organisms in response to a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic foods parameters (e.g., T, pH, aw, preservatives, atmosphere, etc.). GroPIN is capable of simulating microbial growth and inactivation under static and dynamic processing and distribution conditions along the food chain, both deterministically and stochastically, via Monte Carlo simulation.

Mr. Vassilis Exarchos

Accomplished Executive Director with 25+ years of management experience and a successful background building and leading top performing teams focused on exceeding goal in business development and sales. A growth-focused approach and a keen client needs assessment aptitude, with the ability to design and implement customer engagement strategies, that enhance customer acquisition and retention figures significantly. An entrepreneurial leadership and talented in developing people while instilling a common vision based on trust and mutual respect. Sales network development expertise and accountability in establishing sales objectives by forecasting and developing annual sales budgets for territories and regions.

 

Professional Experience

  • Piraeus Bank S.A., Director, Athens, Greece, 01/2015 – present
  • Geniki Bank S.A. Head of Affluent Banking, Athens, Greece, 01/2014 – 01/2015
  • EFG Eurobank Ergasias S.A. Area & Business Development Manager , Athens, Greece, 1992 – 2013
  • P&P Marine Consultants Inc, Financial Analyst, Investment Department, New York, USA, 1991 – 1992
  • Optimum Portfolio Management Inc, Account Manager, New York, USA: 1989 – 1991
  • National Bank of Greece, Αssistant to the Operations Manager, Boston, USA, 1986– 1987

Dr. Chrysoula Tassou

Dr. Chrysoula Tassou, born in Xanthi, with BSc in Biology from National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Ph.D in Food Microbiology from University of Bath, UK, and postdoc in Colorado State University, USA, is Research Director, Deputy Director and President of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Technology of Agricultural Products (ITAP) of the Hellenic Agricultural Organization DEMETER (HAO-DEMETER). She is also deputy member of the Scientific Council of HAO-DEMETER.

Her research fields are: Food Microbiology-Safety (pathogens, mycotoxins), Food microbial diversity, Emerging technologies in Food Microbiology/ Technology/ Preservation, Natural antimicrobials, Fermented traditional products (olives, wine, meat & dairy), Functional foods – Probiotics. She has more than 80 scientific publications in SCI journals, 15 scientific book chapters, >200 articles in conference proceedings (citations 4750, h-index: 33, i10-index: 68, May 2020).

Dr. Tassou has implemented successfully as Coordinator (FP7-SME-2008-PROBIOLIVES; FP7-SME-2012-WILDWINE; 14 partners, budget of 2.000.000€ each, PROBIODAIRYMEAT) or as Scientific Leader for ITAP, more than 30 competitive EU and national research projects, attracting significant funding for ITAP.

In parallel, Dr. Tassou is serving as reviewer, editor and guest editor in many SCI scientific journals, president of the Greek Scientific Society “Mikrobiokosmos”, member of international scientific societies and expert evaluator or reviewer with great experience for national and EU projects (FP7, ERC, H2020, BBI). She is member of the working groups of “Food Safety”, “Food Processing and Packaging” and “Nutrition-Health-Consumers” of the Greek Technology Platform “Food for Life”, member of the European Technology Platform ETP “Food for Life”.

She is co-inventor of the patent «Probiotic olives» and team member for the development of innovative food products with the 1st or 2nd prize in ECOTROPHELIA 2012, 2016, 2017. She has been awarded in 2013 by the Minister of Rural Development and Foods for the research on probiotic traditional fermented foods.

She has teaching experience in graduate and postgraduate level (Universities of Patras and West Attica) and is Supervisor for many PhD and MSc students of Cranfield University (UK), Reading University (UK), Agricultural University of Athens, Democritus University of Thrace and Aegean University.

She is married to Prof. George-John Nychas (Agricultural University of Athens) and mother of 3 children. Member of the Lyceum Club of Greek Women.

Dr. Eleni Maloupa

Dr. Eleni Maloupa (BSc Agronomy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, MSc & PhD in Plant Biology and Physiology, “Pierre et Marie Curie” University of Paris) is Director of the Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Head of the Laboratory for the Conservation and Evaluation of Native and Floricultural Species (LabCENFS) and Curator of the Balkan Botanic Garden Kroussia.

Her research fields focuses on protection, conservation, propagation and utilization of native Greek plant species (mainly aromatic-medicinal). She has teaching experience in graduate and postgraduate level (Universities, MAICH). She participated in the MSc program “The biodiversity and sustainable exploitation of native plants” (School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and supervise MSc and PhD thesis in school of Pharmacy and Athens Agronomy University. Her research work has been published in more than 60 international and Greek journals. She has also participated in the publication of 3 book chapters.

She has implemented major research programs in collaboration with internationally renowned researchers. She has organized and materialized educational programs and seminars addressed to farmers, enterprises and interested civilians on the above-mentioned subjects. She has educational certification for adult training from the National Organization for the Certification of Qualifications & Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP).

Abstract (EN/GR): here

Dr. Dimitrios Vlachos

Professor Vlachos is the Director of the Laboratory of Statistics and Quantitative Analysis Methods, Logistics and Supply Chain Management (LASCM) of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Greece.

He conducts research and consulting in the fields of supply chain management, logistics, applied operational research, combined transport systems management, business restructuring and strategy development. He has participated in more than 60 research projects (in 15 of them as a principal investigator) in the field of Supply Chain Management, and he has co-authored the respective technical reports.

He has published more than 200 papers in scientific journals, conference proceedings and book chapters. He has participated as a consultant or expert in numerous projects funded by public and private organizations. He is President of the Greek Association of Supply Chain Management (EELBE).

Dr. Eleftherios Iakovou

Dr. Iakovou is the Director of Manufacturing and Logistics Innovation Initiatives at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES); the Associate Director of Supply Chain Management and Applied Operations Research at Texas Center for Applied Technology (TCAT) of TEES; and a Professor and a Holder of a TEES Research Professorship at the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University.

His research areas include: Supply Chain Management, Inventory Management, Intermodal & Maritime Logistics, Green Logistics – Sustainability, Port Management, Global Logistics & Free Trade Facilitation, Manufacturing & Production Systems, Humanitarian Logistics, Emergency Response Management and Innovation, Policy-Making & Strategy Development.

Prior to joining Texas A&M in 2015, Dr. Iakovou served as the Department Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Dr. Iakovou has published more than 230 papers in peer reviewed journals and conference proceedings, as well as two books. He has served as a keynote speaker for a plethora of national and international events, while he has been consulting extensively for a number of governmental and corporate organizations both in the U.S. and in the EU for more than two decades. He served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and briefly also as its CEO for the Alexandrian Innovation Zone S.A., in Thessaloniki, Greece. For more than ten years, he was the President of the Greek Association of Supply Chain Management (EEL ΒΕ).

Dr. Philip Papadopoulos

Dr. Philip Papadopoulos holds a PhD from London School of Economics and is currently the Director of the Strategic Project Management Office of the American Farm School (AFS). In this capacity he is responsible for the Agrifood Entrepreneurship Centres run by AFS in the cities of Thessaloniki and Kalamata, and oversees training and consultancy projects in over thirty locations throughout Greece. Building and managing multi-actor alliances between research institutes, civil society institutions and the real economy is one of his core activities.

His fields of interest include Consumer Behavior related to the Mediterranean Diet, Alternative Tourism, Food Anthropology, Entrepreneurship, E-commerce, Organizational Culture & Climate, Leadership and Management, including motivation and performance management.

Dr. Spyridon Kintzios

Spyridon Kintzios is the Rector of the Agricultural University of Athens. He graduated from the same university (grade: Excellent), then received his PhD from the Technical University of Munich. He has worked as a researcher at the Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry.

In 2010 he was elected Full Professor at the Department of Biotechnology of AUA having passed through all the previous academic positions. He is the founder and Director of the Laboratory for Cell Technology and the Center for Cell Biological Applications (KEKYTE). He has research and teaching experience for more than 30 years in the field of Biotechnology and especially in the field of Cell Biology, Cell Technology and Biosensors. H

e has authored 120 original research publications in international journals as well as 6 international and 3 Greek scientific books, while he holds a number of international and national patents. He has coordinated 38 internationally and nationally funded programs and supervised more than 250 undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral dissertations. He is a founding member of the Hellenic Biotechnology Cluster and a full member of the Hellenic Agricultural Academy.