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Dr. Yiannis N. Tzortzis

Dr Ioannis N. Tzortzis was born in Agios Nikolaos Crete. He is the Legal Counselor of the Steering Committee of the Just Transition Development Plan, Attorney at Law at the Supreme Court, Regulatory Authority for Energy and Associate Lecturer of the Law School of Democritus University of Thrace, specialized in Energy and Environmental Law, as well as Law of Public Procurement. He has been elected as a lifetime Member of the Board of Directors of the “Lilian Voudouri” Foundation.

He is the representative of the “Greek In-house Lawyers Association” to the “European Company Lawyers Association (ECLA)”. He studied Law, Culture Management and Photography in Greece, England and Belgium. He is a Graduate of the Athens Law School. He holds a Phd of the University of London, an LLM of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a DEA of the University of Brussels, an MA of Panteion University, Athens, and a Certificate on Regulation of Energy Utilities of the European University Institute, Florence. For many years, he has served as a General Secretary of “Hellenic Alumni Association of the LSE”. He has published numerus monographs and scientific articles in Greek and in English. He is the President of the Non Profit Organisation “Green Project” for raising environmental conscience via the so called “green photo journeys”, which are being held under the auspices of the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO. He is a Member of the “Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain”. He has gained international awards for his photographs, which have been exhibited in Greece, England, France, Austria, China, Colombia, Uruguay, Australia, etc.

Dr. Dimitris 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.

Mr. Hubert Cottogni

Hubert Cottogni is the Head of the Mandate Management Department, as well as a Director for the EIF. He is responsible for originating and managing national/regional and centralised Mandates from EU Member States, the European Commission and European Investment Bank. Hubert also structures and manages Funds of Funds throughout Europe and beyond, aiming to leverage public funding with private resources. In parallel, Hubert serves on the Board of several regulated funds such as EFSE, GGF, ENEF and TII.  Prior to this position, he was a Director of Telekom Austria in Vienna, where he spent over 6 years as Head of Strategy and Business Development and later as Director of Mergers and Acquisitions.  He also spent more than 12 years working as a Senior Banker in institutions such as EIB and Creditanstalt AG.  Hubert holds an MBA degree from the University of Innsbruck and an executive degree from INSEAD.

Dr. George Tsangaris

Prof. George Th. Tsangaris was born in Chios, Greece. He holds a degree in Chemistry and a PhD in Biochemistry. He was post-doctoral fellow of French Government at INSERM U200 (Paris, France) and researcher at the same Unit up to 1994. From 1994, he joined the University Research Institute of Genetic and Malignant Diseases and the Haematology Unit, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Athens (Greece)  as principal investigator, responsible for the project “Molecular Study of Childhood Cancer”. In 2002, he joined the Roche Centre for Medical Genomics (Hoffman-La Roche LTD, Basel, Swiss) for sabbatical studies in proteomics. 

In 2003 he joined the Proteomics Research Unit of the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens as a Professor Level Research Scientist. From his research has published: 130 peer-reviewed research papers, 30 review articles in International and Greek journals, 1 book, 6 research papers in Greek journals, 4 book chapters, 26 presentations as invited speaker in International and Greek Congresses, 125 abstracts in International congresses and 65 abstracts in Greek Congresses. 

Prof. Tsangaris is owner of 11 Greek and 3 European patents. In 2016 he was awarded as Researcher-Entrepreneur of the Year, StartUp Greece Awards (established by EU and the Greek Ministry of Development). He is founded member and president of the Hellenic Proteomics Society, founded member and local representative of the European Preventive, Predictive and Personalized Medicine Association. From 2019 he is member of the Advisory Board of Human Proteome Organisation (HUPO) and from 2016 member at Large of Food and Nutrition Initiative (FaN), founded by HUPO. From 1998 he is member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Institute of Anticancer Research and member of the editorial board of three international Journals.

Dr. Antonis Zampelas

Professor Antonis Zampelas is President of the Management Board of the Hellenic Food Authority, Professor in Human Nutrition in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece and Honorary Professor in the Division of Medical Sciences, University College London Greece.

He obtained his BSc in Food Science and Technology from the Agricultural University of Athens, Greece, his MSc degree in Food Science from the University of Reading, UK and his PhD in Human Nutrition from the University of Surrey, UK.

He worked as Research Fellow at the University of Surrey, Senior Scientific Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, UK, Assistant Professor at the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Harokopio University, Athens, and Professor at the Nutrition and Health Department, UAEU.

He has been involved in numerous trials and projects related to the effects of diet on parameters influencing the development of cardiovascular diseases. He is the Principal Investigator of the Hellenic Nutrition and Health Examination Survey and of the GRECO Study.

Professor Zampelas co-authored 20 text-book chapters and contributed to 170 peer reviewed publications in international scientific journals.

Mr. Hans Nijhoff

Hans Nijhoff is a private sector development expert with a track record of over 20 years in the agriculture sector. He is an experienced project manager of multi-year projects in the local economic & agriculture market development, agribusiness finance & investment, and institutional development domains. His main interest is in business models for upscaling climate-smart agriculture (CSA), and in creating business clusters and Triple helix platforms to overcome blockages to growth. He has worked closely with hundreds of SME and large agribusiness companies, assisting them in the design and write-up of bankable business plans for development banks and investment funds. Related to this he has managed a major research project in six East African countries on the role of agribusiness SMEs as drivers for regional development. Hans Nijhoff is a part-time lecturer & trainer, of both students and professionals, on the key concepts of agribusiness management. He recently started his PhD on ‘success factors of innovation ecosystems to support climate-smart agriculture (CSA) farm operations’. He is senior expert with Maastricht School of Management.

Mr. Kostis Moussouroulis

Kostis Moussouroulis is an economist and senior officer of the European Commission, currently Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Just Transition Development Plan. He has been seconded from Brussels to Athens, upon request of the Greek government, and appointed by the Inter-ministerial Committee on delignitisation, on March 2020.

He comes from the island of Chios.

He is former Minister of Shipping and the Aegean (2012-2013) and former Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy in the caretaker Government (2015).

He served as Secretary General of Investments and Development (2004-2007) and as Secretary General at the Ministry of Development (2007-2009) responsible for Energy.

In the parliamentary election of 2009 he was elected for the first time as a New Democracy MP for the constituency of Chios. He was re-elected in the parliamentary elections of 2012.

He has received a number of honorary distinctions, major being the Golden Cross of the Order of Excellence for Shipping (French Republic).

He has occupied Chairman’s positions in committees and councils and has been Member of the Board of the European Investment Bank (2007-2009), of the Hellenic Public Gas Company (2007-2009) and of the National Energy Strategy Council (2009), this not being an extensive list though.

He is author of two books and of a number of articles. He is also lecturer in University postgraduate courses.

He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Athens University of Economics and Business. He holds a MSc in European Economics and a MA in International Relations from the Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Kostis Moussouroulis is married to Mary Panoussi and is father of three children.

Dr. Konstantinos Aravossis

Professor Konstantinos Aravossis is Secretary General of Natural Environment & Water at the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy. He is a Mechanical Engineer (Technical University of Aachen-Germany) with an M.Sc. in Management Science from Imperial College- University of London. He has further been awarded a PhD by the National Technical University of Athens, focusing on Operations Research.

He is Professor of “Planning, Management and Assessment of Technological and Environmental Investments at the NTUA (National Technical University of Athens), Professor at the ATHENS MBA (NTUA-Athens University of Economics) since 1997. He is the Coordinator of the “Environmental Economics and Sustainable Development Research Group” of the Sector of Industrial Management and Operations Research of the Mechanical Engineering School. He was the Environmental Advisor to the President of the Greek New Democracy political party and current Prime Minister.

He was President of the Greek Branch of the Waste to Energy Research and Technology Council  coordinated by Columbia University and associate researcher of the Earth Engineering Center -Columbia University as well as visiting Professor at Imperial College-London. He was President of the Coordinating Committee of the Institute of Production and Operations Management / Hellenic Management Association.

He has been an advisor of the deputy Minister of Culture for the Olympic Games Constructions and their Post-Olympic utilization, President of the Greek Association of Environmental Protection Companies, President of the Hellenic Solid Waste Management Association (HSWMA) (now Hon. President) ,President of the Ordinary Environmental Committee of the Technical Chamber of Greece and member of Evaluation Committees for Investment and Energy Projects of the Ministry of Development. Furthermore, he has been member of the Board of the Organization of Labor Residencies (OEK).and General Manager of Environmental Companies. He has organized 11 Int. Conferences and has over 100 Publications / 30 research projects.

Mr. Christoforos Chatzopoulos

Christoforos Chatzopoulos is head of Retail Loans for consumers and small businesses in the National Bank of Greece. He has been the head of the Mortgage Lending of the National Bank, the head of Consumer Credit of the National Bank, he is the Vice President of the Board of Directors of TIRESIA SA, a member of the Board of Directors of National Leasing and a member of the Board of Directors of National Insurance Brokers SA and was a member of the Board of Directors of EAEDO (Ethnokarta). He has also been the Credit and Recovery Manager at Eurobank, a member of the Boards of Directors of Euroline (Bulgaria), ERS Euroline (Romania) and Euroline (Cyprus) and a member of the Board of Visa (Greece). He was the manager of Statistical Decisions for Greece and the Gulf area. He holds an MSc in Management & Operational Research from Warwick Business School and a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Patras.

Dr. Konstantinos Baginetas

Dr. Konstantinos N. Baginetas was born in Lamia (Greece) in 1977. He studied Agronomy at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He continued his studies at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London on issues of Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (M.Sc.) and the University of Nottingham in matters of Interdisciplinary Development of Agro -environmental Sustainability Indicators (Ph.D.).

In June 2021, by decision of the Prime Minister Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Minister of Rural Development and Food Mr. Spyridon – Panagiotis Livanos, he was appointed Secretary General of Agricultural Policy and International Affairs of the Ministry of Rural Development & Food.

In July 2019, by decision of the Prime Minister Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Minister of Rural Development and Food Mr. Makis Voridis, he was appointed Secretary General of Agricultural Policy and Management of European Funds of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.

Since 2007 he works in the Directorate of Rural Affairs of Central Greece of the Decentralised Administration of Thessaly-Central Greece, where he is principally engaged with investment projects regarding the modernization of agricultural holdings, projects focusing on young farmers entering agriculture and matters of agrotouristic development investment projects. He has, also, served as an officer-administrator of tens of Technical Assistance projects in the Special Managing Authority of the Region of Central Greece.

He has been a consultant of the Deputy Minister of Development and Competitiveness and of the Alternate Minister of Finance Mr. Chr. Staikouras during 2013-2014.

In July 2016, the President of the political party of New Democracy (ND) Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis, appointed him as the Secretary of Rural Organisations of ND.

He participated as a member of the Thematic Group for the Strategic Planning on «Innovation-Research-Training» of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food regarding the preparation of the programming period 2014-2020 and in Working Groups of the Geotechnical Chamber of Greece regarding the formulation of proposals within the Rural Development programming period 2014-2020.

He has participated in numerous research and vocational training sessions abroad and in Greece. He has attended many workshops, seminars, national and international conferences, where he has presented research papers. He was a leader and a member of several European research programs and best practice exchange programs. He is an External Expert-Evaluator of the European Commission for the program «Horizon 2020» on issues of «Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine, Maritime Affairs and Bio-Economy».

He is a certified adult educator and has participated as an instructor in educational programs related to environmental education, environmental management, rural development and rural entrepreneurship.

He has been elected a Representative of the Agricultural Sector of the Geotechnical Chamber of Greece (GEOTEE) in the Regional Branch of Central Greece.

He has been elected President of the Agricultural Association of the Prefectures of Fthiotida-Evritania and a member of the Board of the Panhellenic Federation of Agricultural Associations (POSG).

He has authored the books entitled “Rural Development Program 2014-2020 & Rural Development Proposal for the Municipality of Lamia“, “Sustainable Leadership in School Units. Theoretical Approaches and Empirical Research” and “Two Years of Action – Kostas Baginetas – Secretary of Rural Organisations ND”.

He is married to Evangelia I. Bakogianni, a speech therapist, and has a son.

He speaks English and French.