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Christos Megklas was born in 1957 and studied Agriculture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He is married and he has a son. Since November 2011 he has been elected President of the Serres Chamber.
On 1974, he has begun his own business, in 1988 he merged 3 companies and established the “Christos Megklas SA”, Fertilizer & Seed Industry, where he is President and Chief Executive Officer. He is also the owner of the Football Team F.C. SERRES
2015-2017: Member of the Board of TIF – HELEXPO S.A.
2016 until today he is Member of the Board of Fertilizer Producers & Merchant Association and Member of the Management Committee of the Agro-Food Partnership of Region of Central Macedonia.
2014 until today he participates in the Chambers European Parliament, in 2012 until today he’s elected Vice-President of the Board of the Macedonian Development Union (ANEM – KEPA, EFEPAE Member – E.F.D., EPAN), President of the Serres Chamber’s Development Company “EPANESER” and Member of the Committee for Strategic Planning of Agriculture and Agri-Food Sector of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Nikos is an Officer with the Investment Promotion Directorate at Enterprise Greece. Before joining Enterprise Greece has worked in the Information Technology and Market Research industries, and the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance. Nikos has also worked, on a 3-year secondment, for the Greek Energy Regulator (RAE), in RES licensing.
He is a graduate of Lancaster University (BSc Economics) and holds an MSc in Business Economics from UMIST.
Ioanna Tavanidou joined National Bank of Greece in 1994.
As Sector Supervisor of NBG’s Mid Corporate Banking Division, she leads a group of Team Leaders responsible for banking relationships in the Mid-Market Enterprise segment.
She holds a BSc in Business Administration for the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and an MSc in International Banking & Finance from Southampton University.
Born 1971 in Lund, Sweden, married, three children.
Current position: Researcher and lecturer, Department of Cultural Sciences, Division of European Ethnology, University of Lund.
Coordinator of Lund University Food Studies. Member of Food Nexus Nordic secretariat.
Research Profile: Applied Cultural Analysis. Has conducted research on food and consumption in the new experience economy. Teaches classes in Food Studies and European Ethnology. Is involved in several applied cultural analysis projects encompassing food concept development, regional foresight and culinary tourism.
Doctoral degree 2005. Discipline: European Ethnology. Title “Mjölk – En kulturanalys av mejeridiskens nya ekonomi. Supervisor: Professor Orvar Löfgren
Dr. Anagnostis Argiriou was born in Drama. He graduated Biological Sciences with full honors and degrees. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Medical Biotechnology from Italy.
From 1996 to 2003 he worked in the Center for Genetic Engineering (CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate) in Italy where he developed and improved gene therapy and molecular diagnostic protocols, but also participated in the sequencing program of the first plant genome.
Since 2006 he holds the position of Researcher and from 2014 the position of Deputy Director at the Institute of Applied Biosciences of the Center for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH).
His main research field is the study of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms related to nutrition and the effects on health. Furthermore, he works on the management and introduction of technological innovations based on modern genomic technologies for the promotion and exploitation of the Greek biodiversity.
He participates in various scientific councils of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, the Mistry of Rural Development and Food and the Ministry of Health. He has many years of teaching experience in university; he participates in research projects, and is the author of a significant number of scientific publications in international journals.
Dr. Balafoutis is an elected Researcher (Grade C) at the Institute for Bio-Economy & Agro-Technology (www.ibo.certh.gr) of the Centre of Research & Technology Hellas (www.certh.gr). He is an Agricultural Engineer with an MSc on Environmental Engineering and a PhD on biofuels production and use within a farm. He has over 13 years of experience in both teaching and research in energy systems in agriculture and smart farming technologies.
Dr. Balafoutis has a strong fund raising record, participating in the preparation of numerous research proposals in calls opened by the EC, by national funds and private companies. He has participated as main researcher and manager in 11 EU funded projects, 11 Greek national projects and 3 corporate projects. He was a senior researcher in the interim Office Technology Transfer Office of the Agricultural University of Athens for 2 years assessing agriculture related products for exploitation together with business angels, funds, venture capitals. He has 50 papers in peer-review journal papers, book chapters, international and national conferences.
Aristodimos Zamidis has a first class degree in Mechanical Engineering. His career in the agricultural sector, started in the family business of Zamidis agricultural machinery. Taking advantage of the gained work experience, he begins to create his own ecosystem, focusing upon the implementation of the theory of precision agriculture. In the past decade, Aristodimos became the founder of two Greek technology companies (TractorGPS and Agromet) that continue their occupation as smart farming pioneers, to date. He has participated in numerous conferences and seminars on precision farming as an invited speaker.
Degrees
DVM (1993), School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Doctoral Thesis, (Animal Husbandry), School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (1993-1997).
Ph.D, Behavioural nutrition, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK (1997-2001).
Awards
1988: Under-graduate scholarship (Greek Ministry of Education)
1994: Research studentship (Research Committee, Aristotle University)
1997: Post-graduate fellowship (Hellenic State Scholarship Foundation)
1998: Sir Kenneth Blaxter Award (British Society of Animal Science)
1999: Travel fellowship (The Nutrition Society)
2006: Honorary Lecturer (The University of Liverpool)
2006: European Science Foundation Exploratory workshop award
Foreign Languages: English (fluent), Italian (good command)
Scientific Society Memberships
Hellenic Veterinary Society (HVMS)
Hellenic Veterinary Association (HVA)
Hellenic Geotechnical Chambers (GEOTEE)
Dr. Tsaftaris holds a M.Sc. and two Ph.D. degrees from Greece and the United States. He has more than fifty years of teaching experience in undergraduate and graduate programs at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Dr Tsaftaris has supervised more than 100 M.Sc. and Ph.D. theses and has published over 300 peer reviewed articles in international scientific journals with a cumulative impact factor of 500. In 2016, he was included in the F1000Research list among the top 1000 scientists. As an expert in the fields of Genetics, Genomics and Plant Breeding, he held various positions in education, research and technology, in Greece, the EE and worldwide.
Among other achievements, Dr. Tsaftaris established the Center for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) and served as elected Director in one of its Institutes (Institute of Applied Biosciences) for 8 years. He served as Secretary General of Research and Technology. As President of the Board, Dr. Tsaftaris contributed significantly to the establishment and the construction of the new premises of NOESIS (Science and Technology Museum of Thessaloniki). He had compiled the proposal for the creation of the Alexander Innovation Zone of Thessaloniki. From 2012 until 2014, he served as the Minister of Rural Development and Food of Greece. Currently, he holds the position of the Dean of Graduate Studies of Perrotis College at the American Farm School.