Konstantinos Agas, Training & Development Manager, Pantheon Tankers; Alpha Gas; Alpha Bulkers

Konstantinos Agas has served for 30 years in Hellenic Navy as an Engineer officer and retired in 2018 with the rank of Commander. He specializes in Maritime Training – E-learning Instructional Design and Learning Management Systems Administration.

He holds an MSc in Information Technology Management and an MBA from Naval Post Graduate School USA.

Since August 2024 he holds the position of Training and Development Manager for Pantheon Tankers, Alpha Gas and Alpha Bulkers. He is also, a visiting instructor for Hellenic Navy Naval War School and visiting instructor / e-learning instructional designer for NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Center of Excellence (NMIOTC).

Fotis Belexis, Technical Director, Star Bulk Carriers Corp

Fotios Belexis is the Technical Director at Star Bulk Carriers Corp., the largest dry bulk shipping company listed on Nasdaq. With 30 years of professional experience, He has held various technical managerial positions in leading shipping firms, overseeing diverse fleets, including LNG and LPG carriers, tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships.

In addition to his role at Star Bulk, he serves as Vice President of the Martecma , Chairman of Verifuel Technical Committee and is an active member of the BV and ABS Technical Committees, Council member of CIMAC NMA Hellas, and member of MERC advisory committee.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Maritime Engineering from the University of Southampton.

Maria Bertzeletou, Market Analyst, The Signal Group

With over 16 years of experience, Maria Bertzeletou has established herself as a leading authority in dry bulk freight market analysis and maritime sector decarbonization. Her deep understanding of global shipping trends, combined with her innovative approach to data-driven insights, has made her a highly sought-after expert in the field.

Maria's career has been marked by significant milestones. In 2017, she received the prestigious Greek International Women Award in London, recognizing her exceptional contributions to shipping research and her transformative impact on the global maritime industry.

Beyond her analytical expertise, Maria is a passionate advocate for sustainability in shipping. As a thought leader, she frequently shares her insights at international conferences, shaping critical discussions on market trends, decarbonization strategies, and the future of maritime logistics. Her work continues to influence policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers worldwide, solidifying her reputation as a driving force for innovation and sustainability in the shipping industry.

George Dimopoulos, Associate Professor, School of Naval Architecture, Division of Marine Engineering, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)

George Dimopoulos is an Associate Professor in the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and director of the ‘Ship Performance Analysis and Management postgraduate program.

He is also a scientific advisor to DNV’s maritime and R&D units. His field of expertise is the modelling and optimisation of ship energy systems with a focus on novel ship machinery concepts and technologies, decarbonisation solutions and performance improvement methods applied in all ship segments, including oil tankers, bulk carriers, gas carriers and FSRUs.

He is lead researcher or project manager in various funded R&D, ship concept design and advisory projects working closely with major Greek and international ship owners, yards and manufacturers.

He holds a PhD in optimisation methods for ship energy systems engineering from NTUA. George has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed papers in scientific conferences and journals.

Dimitris Fokas, Training Manager, Angelicoussis Shipping Group

Dimitris Fokas is the Training Manager of the Angelicoussis Shipping Group. He graduated as a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer from the National Technical University of Athens in 1983.

He joined the Hellenic Ministry of Mercantile Marine as an officer of the Hellenic Coast Guard in 1984. He served as Port State Control and environment protection officer in Piraeus port authority until 1993, when he was transferred to Merchant Ships Inspection Service until 2001, as head of the PSC department.

In 2001 he was appointed as the technical representative of Greece and councellor to IMO in London for 2 years, where he participated in all IMO meetings. He then joined the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) in Brussels as senior assessor of Classification Societies for a period of 3 years until 2007.

He served as Director of Safety of Navigation in the Hellenic Coast Guard, responsible among others for the Joint Rescue Coordination Center, for 2 years until his retirement in 2009. He then worked as Area Quality Manager of Germanischer Lloyd, responsible for Mediterranean-Middle East areas, until June 2011, when he joined the Angelicoussis Shipping Group as Training Manager.

He was the Chairman of INTERTANKO Human Element is Shipping Committee for the period 2021- 2025.

Thodoris Galanis, Group IT Manager, Latsco Marine Management Inc

Thodoris Galanis is an Electrical & Computer Engineer and he is currently leading the Group IT and Cyber Security Teams of Latsco Marine Management.

He has extensive experience in leading IT & Technology functions and managing large scale transformational programmes in various industries from the concept inception to the customer delivery, always having a customer centric approach to create value, growth and data driven decision making mindset.

Before joining Latsco as Head of Group IT and Cyber Security, he has worked in the UK in technology and consulting companies (Symbian, Nokia, Accenture), while in Greece he has worked in Unify as Sr SW Engineer, in AXA Assistance as CIO, in Bayer as Digital IT Business Partner and Digital Operations Manager and lately in Qualco as Senior Engagement Manager.

Within his role in Latsco Marine Management, he is managing all activities of IT and Cyber Security, driving the digital transformation and the adoption of new technologies for Offices and Vessels, while maintaining high Cyber Security standards.

Haris Giantzikis, Technical Manager, Arcadia Shipmanagement Co Ltd

Charalampos (Haris) Giantzikis holds a High National Diploma (HND) in naval architecture, a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in mechanical engineering from City University of New York.

He launched his career in 1979 as assistant superintendent engineer at A. Halcoussis.He worked as superintendent engineer at Tsakos Shipping, Piraeus (1987-1991) and as senior superintendent engineer at Seven Seas Maritime in London (1991-2001). He was fleet manager at Marmaras Navigation (2001-2002) and technical manager at Tsakos Shipping (2002-2005). From 2005 to date he holds the position of technical manager at Arcadia Shipmanagement.

He is member of ABS European Technical Committee, Bureau Veritas Hellenic Marine Technical Committee, DNV GL Greek Technical Committee, Lloyd’s Register Hellenic Technical Committee, Class NK Greek Technical Committee and is a member of the MARTECMA council.

 Christos Hadjigeorgiou, Managing Director, Almi Marine Management SA

Christos Hadjigeorgiou is the Managing Director of Almi Marine Management SA, since 2014.

He holds an M.Sc and B.Sc in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering from The University of Glasgow.

He worked in Ship Building and Repair Shipyards and Ship management Companies before joining Almi Marine in 1998 as the Technical Manager.

Stavros Hatzigrigoris, Advanced Engineering Services; Zodiac Maritime

Stavros has set up his own consulting Co (Advanced Engineering Services) whilst at the same time works for Zodiac Maritime. He held the position of Managing Director of Maran Tankers Management between 1992 and 2014 and in addition he was the Managing Director of Maran Gas Maritime between 2003 and 2020. During his years with the Maran Group Stavros has been responsible for the contracting , construction and delivery of more than 160 new ships in Korea and China including 45 LNGCs in Hyundai Samho and mainly DSME.

He holds a B.Sc.degree in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering from University College London as well as an M.Sc. in Marine Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens. He has studied Management of Ship Operations in the University of Strathclyde.

He is a member of numerous national and international shipping bodies and committees.

 
Evangelos Kartimpelis, Managing Director, Anglo-Eastern Ship Management (Hellas) Ltd

Evangelos Kartimpelis (born 28 July 1977) is a Greek maritime executive and Mechanical Engineer with extensive experience in ship management, technical operations, and fleet performance management within the international shipping industry.

Since September 2025, he has served as Managing Director of Anglo-Eastern Ship Management (Hellas) Ltd., where he is responsible for the strategic leadership of the company’s operations in Greece, overseeing fleet management, technical performance, client relations, and organisational development.

Prior to this role, he worked at Euronav Shipmanagement Hellas Ltd., initially as Fleet Manager (2018–2023) and later as Technical Manager (2023–2025). In these roles, he managed major fleet owner accounts and supervised the technical performance, maintenance planning, and operational reliability of tanker fleets. Earlier in his career, he gained hands-on maritime technical experience as a Technical Superintendent in the oil and chemical tanker sector at a private shipowner company and worked as an R&D Manager specialising in marine products and technical innovation.

He holds an:

• MSc degree in Risk, Crisis & Resilience Management from the University of Portsmouth (UK).
• MSc degree in Quality Engineering & Management from the London South Bank University (UK),
• BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing Management from Middlesex University (UK).

He is an active member of the Marine Technical Managers Association (MarTecMA) and the Propeller Club of Greece.

Sang-Yeob Kim, Senior Researcher, Ship & Offshore Technology Team, Korean Register (KR)

Sang-Yeob Kim is a Senior Researcher in the Ship & Offshore Technology Team at the Korean Register (KR). He got a PhD in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, specializing in nonlinear hydrodynamics and extreme statistics. He specializes in ship performance analysis and maritime decarbonization, with a focus on bridging the gap between raw operational data and rational decision-making. His expertise encompasses seakeeping, sloshing, and structural rule development, alongside experience in validating energy-saving devices (ESD) such as air-lubrication and rotor-sail systems using real-sea operational data.

He developed the analysis philosophy and core methodology for evaluating ship performance analysis platform (KR-POWER). His work focuses on establishing realistic in-service baselines through power decomposition and steady-state filtering, moving beyond idealized sea trial curves. This methodology enables "Efficiency-Loss Tracking," providing the diagnostic clarity to distinguish between technical factors – such as hull fouling or engine degradation – and operational variables.

John Kokarakis, Technical Director, SEEBA Zone, Bureau Veritas

Dr Kokarakis a 1979 graduate of National Technical University of Athens, holds PhD (1986) and Masters degrees in Naval Architecture (1983) and Mechanical Engineering (1984) from the University of Michigan.

He worked for over ten years as a consultant undertaking technical problems worldwide. His specialization was in the area of technical investigation of marine accidents. In his capacity as a forensic engineer he participated in the technical investigation of the Exxon Valdez grounding, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, the drillship Sea-Crest capsize, the Piper Alpha fire and explosion, the Aleutian Enterprise foundering in Alaska as well as many other accidents of less notoriety.

The last twenty years he works in Greece, in the area of classification. He is today the Technical Director of Bureau Veritas in the Hellenic and Black Sea & Zone, responsible for the smooth technical operation in the Zone as well as in the harmonic cooperation with the BV offices worldwide to the benefit of the BV clients.

He is a member of SNAME since 1976 and a Fellow of the Society. He served in various capacities, being currently the Chairman of the Greek Section since 2014.

Lefteris Koukoulopoulos, Regional Decarbonization Specialist, DNV

Lefteris Koukoulopoulos is a Regional Decarbonization Specialist at DNV Maritime, with a background as a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer from NTUA and over five years of experience in Maritime Advisory and R&D.

Lefteris is distinguished for his in-depth expertise in computer-based simulation for complex ship energy systems and has a track record of successfully executing projects related to compliance with environmental regulations, including EEXI and CII.

Theo Kourmpelis, Global Tanker Segment Director, Lloyd’s Register

Theo Kourmpelis is LR’s Global Business Director for Tankers, a position he has held since February 2025. Based in Athens, he has previously worked as a Strategic Partner working with some of Greece’s largest shipowning groups and has a wealth of experience across the tanker sector.

Kourmpelis studied Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens, but he was drawn to a career in maritime. He has also represented LR as a subject matter expert and project manager on several EU-funded projects relating to sustainable power sources for ships, including electrification and alternative fuels.

For the past three years he has been the IACS representative to the IMO on aspects related to GHG emissions reduction.

Nikolaos Michas, Marine South East Europe Tanker Key Account Manager, RINA

Nikolaos Michas is currently working for RINA as Tanker segment Manager and is based in Piraeus, Greece.
Previously he worked as Global Tanker Segment Director, for Lloyd's Register, based in Dubai.
He has worked for DNVGL as Technical Service Manager & Tanker Segment Director for the South-East Europe and Middle East Region.
Additional have worked for eleven years with DNV GL in China in different positions. As the Production & QHSE Manager at Area Central China managing the production in 15 shipyards and Ship in operation service for the whole area.
As District Manager North of China based in Dalian and as Site manager in various shipyards.

Before joining DNV GL he worked as Superintendent Engineer for a period of 4 years, and he has sea going experience of 2 years.
He holds a Master of Engineering for Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture from the University of Newcastle and an MBA from the University of Hertfordshire.

Dimitris Mytilinis, Senior Performance Engineer, Operational Technology and Energy Management Department, Latsco Marine Management Inc

Dimitris Mytilinis is a Senior Performance Engineer in the Operational Technology and Energy Management department at Latsco.
He holds a Diploma in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from NTUA and an MBA from Edinburgh Business School.
He began his career as a Superintendent Engineer at Danaos before transitioning to Latsco’s Newbuildings department.
Over the past five years, he has focused on digitalization initiatives, vessel performance optimization, energy management, and environmental compliance.

George Nikolaidis, Engineer II, Regulatory Affairs, ABS

George Nikolaidis is a Regulatory Affairs Engineer at ABS, where he serves as the IACS Environmental Panel Member and supports clients in understanding the impact of international, regional, and national environmental regulations – particularly those relating to GHG-reduction measures.

George holds a degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens. Prior to joining ABS, he worked on the EU-funded RETROFIT55 project, where he developed a vessel performance monitoring tool utilizing machine learning techniques and authored several related research papers.

George-Paul Perantzakis, Technical Manager, Dynacom Tankers Management Ltd

George-Paul Perantzakis is a senior maritime executive with over 25 years of experience in the oil and gas shipping sector. Based in Athens, he specialises in Oil, LPG and ammonia transportation, green ammonia development, liquid CO2 shipping, and energy transition strategies. He currently serves as Technical Manager at Dynacom Tankers Management Ltd, overseeing the technical operations of 76 tankers and leading strategic feet planning, newbuilding integration, and technology evaluation.

Previously, he held senior leadership roles, including Fleet Director and Technical Director, managing large-scale feet operations, newbuilding programs, and dual-fuel ammonia carrier projects . He has extensive experience in drydocking, S&P transactions, regulatory compliance, and commercial negotiations.

A former Board Member of SIGTTO, he actively contributed to LPG crew competence and STS standards development. He holds advanced degrees in Shipping Finance, Naval Architecture, and Civil & Environmental Engineering.

Alexander Prokopakis, Executive Director, IBIA

Alexander is the Executive Director of IBIA. Under the direction of IBIA’s Chair and Board he is leading the Secretariat, heading all the activities of the organization and he is responsible for the overall management of the Association.

Alexander was the founder, CEO and the architect of probunkers. Prior to founding probunkers, he served Mamidakis Brothers Group as a senior executive, leading all of the Group’s Shipping, Bunkering and Aviation activities, through its respective companies: JetOil, JetTank and STYGA Compania Naviera.

Alexander has over 25 years of professional experience in leadership positions, over which he has attained deep knowledge and expertise mainly in the industry of shipping and bunkering. He is a Graduate of St. John’s University with an MBA in Executive Management and holds a BSc Degree in Business Management from the State University of New York.

George Skevis, General Manager, CLEOS

Dr George Skevis is the General Manager of CLEOS, a leading Greek innovation hub dedicated to the decarbonization of the maritime industry and bridging the gap between research and industrial application. A Mechanical Engineer by training, he holds degrees from Imperial College London (BEng, PhD) and Stanford University (MS).

Prior to establishing CLEOS, Dr Skevis was a Senior Researcher at the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) and has served in multiple research and academic roles. He has significant expertise and published extensively in the fields of energy efficiency, combustion of conventional and alternative fuels, emissions control and carbon capture, storage and utilization and has a long experience in managing multinational R&D projects as well as providing consulting services to the industrial and transportation sectors.

Nicolas Timpelis, IT Projects Support Manager, IONIC

Nicolas Timpelis serves as IT Projects Support Manager at IONIC, a diversified group primarily active in Tankers and Bulk Carriers, since 2018.

With more than a decade of professional experience at the intersection of shipping and technology, he represents a new generation of maritime professionals contributing to the industry’s digital transformation. While his academic background is in Shipping and Maritime studies, his career is focused on leading and supporting technology initiatives within maritime organizations.

He has played an active role in embedding digital capabilities into core shipping functions, from operations and commercial management to performance monitoring and stakeholder reporting. Working closely with cross-functional teams, he translates complex maritime requirements into practical, scalable technology solutions that deliver measurable value, ensuring innovation remains aligned with operational realities and long-term strategic objectives.

Constantinos Triantafillou, Head of Maritime Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement, HELMEPA

Constantinos is a passionate marine sustainability professional with a demonstrated history of 25+ years working in the maritime industry at the intersection of shipping, policy, and ocean protection—where real-world decisions shape the future of the seas. Born in the UK with postgraduate studies in marine resource management and sustainability in shipping, he has built his career around a simple question: how can shipping grow while respecting planetary limits?

Since joining HELMEPA in 2001, he has helped turn environmental responsibility into everyday practice for 350+ member-shipping companies and 45,000+ seafarers, coordinating one of Greece’s leading certified Maritime Training Centres and an ever-expanding international network of maritime stakeholders. Beyond training rooms, he operates where global rules are written—serving as technical advisor to the Greek delegation at the IMO and contributing to UN and EU scientific bodies and industry expert committees such as the Green Award Board of Experts and the Korean Register Hellenic Committee. He has coordinated multiple capacity-building projects in the Mediterranean region, with the latest being “METAVASEA: People-centred Transition for Maritime Decarbonization in the East Mediterranean”, a landmark project running until 2027 engaging to date 250+ shipping companies and maritime stakeholders in the region with the strategic and financial support of Lloyd’s Register Foundation.  

His journey reflects a core belief of modern leadership: that tomorrow’s shipping leaders must think like ecologists—understanding systems, long-term impacts, and the responsibility that comes with moving 90% of world trade across a fragile ocean.

Nikolaos Ventikos, Professor, Laboratory for Maritime Transport, School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)

Dr Nikolaos P. Ventikos is a Professor in the Laboratory for Maritime Transport at the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece. He is the Founder of the Maritime Risk Group (MRG).

Dr Ventikos’s expertise is in marine safety; risk engineering; maritime transport; (oil) marine pollution; risk-based design for ships and (transport) systems; human reliability (incl. human-centered design); autonomous shipping and operations; marine casualty investigation; marine health risk analysis; systems engineering; transport ecosystem design, resilience engineering; and offshore and environmental risk.

He has published and presented his work in journals such as Nature, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Maritime Policy and Management, Ships and Offshore Structures, Journal of Risk Research, Reliability Engineering & System Safety etc., and in more than 155 relevant scientific conferences.

Dr Ventikos was awarded the G.P. Livanos Grand Prize on Environmental Issues sponsored by the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping (2000).

 
Charalampos Yakinthos, Director, School of Engineers, Merchant Marine Academy of Macedonia

Charalampos Yakinthos is a distinguished Electrical and Computer Engineer and the current Director of the School of Engineers at the Merchant Marine Academy (AEN) of Macedonia. Born in 1969 in Thessaloniki, he holds a PhD and a Diploma from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), both with honors.

With over 30 years of experience, his career spans academic leadership, specialized instruction in maritime technologies, and high-level project management. He has served as a Software Project Manager for major defense contracts involving the Hellenic Air Force and NATO. An active researcher, Dr. Yakinthos has participated in numerous EU-funded programs (e.g., EU-DEEP, WINGS) focusing on energy management and maritime IT applications.

He is a published author and a member of the Technical Chamber of Greece. Fluent in English (Proficiency level), he combines deep technical expertise in power systems and computing with extensive administrative experience in higher education.