Mr. Michael Spanos is a corporate executive with extensive hands-on entrepreneurial experience in sustainability, corporate responsibility, management consulting, investments and business information with exceptional communication and networking skills and a demonstrable track record of delivering sustainability and business development solutions. Michael is an accomplished project manager, accustomed in working in international and multi-cultural environments, with solid analytical and quantitative skills and strong synthesis and strategic thinking ability. He is an expert in representing initiatives in high-profile settings and venues with outstanding stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to build meaningful and long lasting relationships with clients and partners.
Ms. Mina Valavani, Head of Sustainability, CSR and Media Relations manager for ELAIS-UNILEVER HELLAS
Born in Athens, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry & Master of Science in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the USA Universities: Fairleigh Dickinson, Teaneck, NJ and New York University, New York, NY, respectively.
Ms. Vanya Veras has more than 15 years of experience in waste management legislation, practices and systems. She joined Municipal Waste Europe as their Secretary General in 2012; the association which represents municipalities and their public waste management companies, in their public responsibility and engagement in waste management services.
Dr. Bruce Piasecki is the president and founder of AHC Group, Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in energy, materials, and environmental corporate matters, whose clients range from Suncor Energy, Hess, FMC, the Warren Buffet firm Shaw Industries, Toyota and other global companies in his Corporate Affiliates training workshops. Piasecki is the author of several seminal books on business strategy, valuation, and corporate change, including the Nature Society’s book of the year, In Search of Environmental Excellence: Moving Beyond the Blame as well as recent New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller Doing More With Less. Since 1981, he has advised companies about the critical areas of corporate governance, energy, environmental strategy, product innovation, and sustainability strategy with his teams of Senior Associates. See www.ahcgroup.com for more details.
Mr. John Perkins. As BT’s programme manager for Sustainable Business Team, John Perkins leads BT’s digital inclusion initiatives that are key to the company’s responsible and sustainable business activities, and on the measurement of the resulting social and business benefits.
Mr. Manuel Lianos is European Director of LNE Group. He leads a team of international grant writers, developing and writing grant applications for a wide variety of national & international funding programs, including the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020.
Prior to joining LNE Group, he worked as concept manager with the init AG, one of the leading German providers for e-government solutions. He designed communication concepts for several clients, including federal ministries. He started focusing on political journalism and public affairs. He played a substantial role in establishing the leading periodical on professional public affairs in Germany, “politik&kommunikation”. He holds a Diploma in Political Science from the University of Marburg, Germany.
Mr. Yannis Salavopoulos, after having worked as a Lawyer in Athens with expertise in company law for a few years, he entered, the Diplomatic Corps. He held posts at Embassies of Greece in United Arab Emirates, Dubai (2006-2007) and in Germany, Berlin (2007–2014).
Mr. Spyros Kouvelis was born in Athens, Greece. He holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Athens and an MSc in Agricultural/Environmental Economics from the University of Reading in the UK.
He runs his consulting firm on sustainable development and international business development, including green energy, innovative technology, and quality products, with client companies from Japan and UAE to USA and India.
Mr. Panagiotis Louizos is Senior Coordinator Planning & Strategy at the GRI, and he is responsible for the business planning and project management of the Corporate and Stakeholder Relations department. The focus of his work is on the GRI Organizational Stakeholder Program, which connects more than 600 organizations from over 60 countries committed to advancing sustainability reporting. He is also working closely with GRI’s Regional Hubs, which are national offices that drive GRI activity in particular countries and regions. Panagiotis holds an MSc in Management (University of Bath, UK) and a BSc in Forestry and the Natural Environment (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece).
Mr. Dimitris Ioannou is a holder of BEng(HONS) degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering and a MSc In Telecommunications Technologies from Portsmouth and Aston Uniersity, UK respectively. He started his professional carrier in Schneider Electric France in 2005 as a Business Developer in High End Automation products, where he was responsible in developing the new automation platform in Central & Eastern Europe. After two years he returned to Greece in the greek commercial entity as Automation Product Manager where he deployed the new automation concept in the greek customers and market.
Ms. Athanasia Karananou joined the PRI in October 2011. Her role includes developing, coordinating and facilitating investor engagements, with a focus on corporate governance issues. Previously Athanasia worked as a corporate governance analyst at HSBC Global Asset Management, where she was responsible for engagement with portfolio companies on corporate governance issues, as well as proxy voting and governance analysis of FTSE All-Share companies.
For the past 25 years Mr. Τhanos Βelalidis has been exploring ways to contribute towards a sustainable and caring world. Today he is an accomplished project manager focused on social contribution and CSR projects, with significant experience in cause related marketing.
Along with Alexander Deliyannis he is a founding member of “Sympraxis Team”, an agency with 15 years of experience in operational planning, fundraising, project management and communication of environmental and social projects. Sympraxis Team has supported more than 200 initiatives, of some 25,000,000€ worth, funded by 100 companies, 7 foundations, the European Commission, local and international institutions.