Board of Trustees
Dr. Aris Candris, Chair. Dr. Aris Candris was president and CEO of Westinghouse Electric Company from 2008 to 2012. Prior to this, Dr. Candris served as senior vice president in charge of the Nuclear Services business unit first in 2000, and then resumed the role in 2004 after completing a special assignment as senior vice president, Operational Excellence, from June 2003 through August 2004, during which he developed the formative stages of the Westinghouse Customer 1st initiative. From 1996 to 1999, Dr. Candris was vice president and general manager of the Nuclear Services business unit; vice president of Nuclear Services operations; director of Nuclear Services projects; and, director of Nuclear Technology. Between 1980 and 1995, he managed Nuclear Technology and Nuclear Services organizations in the areas of operating plant marketing; strategic operations; nuclear safety analysis and strategic development; functional design; reliability technologies; and, reliability engineering. He began his Westinghouse career in 1975 as a senior engineer in the former Advanced Reactor Division. Dr. Candris holds a B.A. from Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is on the boards of NiSource Inc., Kurion Inc., and The Hellenic Initiative, as well as on the Board of Trustees of Carnegie Mellon and Transylvania University.
Steven C. Panagiotakos, Vice Chair. Attorney Panagiotakos served seven terms in the Massachusetts State Senate. He was appointed Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means in March 2007. Chairman Panagiotakos was responsible for the oversight and development of the Commonwealth’s $26.8 billion dollar budget. He has a long history of community and political involvement, particularly in the area of education. Before being elected to the State Senate in 1997, he served two terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and two terms as a member of the Lowell School Committee. Attorney Panagiotakos attended Phillips Academy, received his Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, and obtained a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School. He maintains a law practice not far from his home in Lowell, MA.
Jimmy Athanasopoulos, Vice Chair. As Greece Representative of Libra Group’s Social Responsibility, Jimmy Athanasopoulos is responsible for the Libra Social programs in Greece. Jimmy is also responsible for the public relations and liaison with partners, trustees and beneficiaries of Libra’s social responsibility activities. Following an MBA from Northeastern Illinois University, Jimmy began his career in Chicago as a provider of financial and investment services across various asset classes. He later undertook a variety of management roles at multinational corporations including DNV, Tyco Healthcare, and TetraPak before entering ship management as Chief Financial Controller with FreeSeas Inc. preparing statutory reports towards the SEC. He later joined G. Bros Maritime S.A. where he was responsible for financial reporting to the Board of Directors. Jimmy joined the Libra Group, in 2012, as Director of the Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award (now Envolve Entrepreneurship), an award program for Greek start-up businesses funded and operated by the Libra Group. In 2015, he joined Libra’s Executive Team as Head of Social Responsibility, providing strategic oversight of the group’s global responsibility and education programs. In 2016, Jimmy completed the Executive Education Program for Corporate Social Responsibility at Harvard Business School. In 2019, he served as Interim Chief Financial Officer of EuroEnergy, Libra Group’s energy company in Europe. At EuroEnergy, Jimmy managed the company’s economic strategy and was responsible for financial reporting to partners. Additionally, he is Chairman of Envolve Entrepreneurship and sits on the Advisory Council of The American Community School in Athens. He has previously been a member of Board of Directors of the HOME Project, an initiative founded in Greece by the Libra Group to provide a safe haven for refugees, with a special focus on unaccompanied children.
Thanasi “T.C.” Liakos, Secretary. Thanasi “T.C.” Liakos is President and CEO of The Liakos Companies, which consists of subsidiaries that invest in commercial and residential real estate development, and Chairman of the capital investment company Marcon Ventures. He is also Chairman of Greenleaf Development, the development and construction division of his company. Born in Elassona, Greece and raised in Nashua, NH, he graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1984 and began his career working in public relations and marketing for a large real-estate development company. Mr. Liakos serves on the Board of Trustees of various philanthropic and educational organizations including Leadership 100, the Alpha Omega Council and Rivier University. He lives with his wife and children in Nashua, New Hampshire, whose community he continues to serve as a volunteer basketball and soccer coach, President of the St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church Parish Council and Executive Board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua. In recognition of his dedication to the community and service to the Club’s mission, he was inducted into the Boys & Girls Club Hall of Fame in 2012.
Saif Abugulal is founding principal and chairman of Key2MiddleEast, a consulting business that connects European companies with opportunities to expand their efforts in the Middle East. A global business and international relations strategist with expertise in fields such as high-level business development, supply chain management, logistics and procurement, he specializes in launching, expanding and growing European businesses in the Middle East. Dr. Abugulal also currently serves as General manager for the Middle East for GIS International, a leading global procurement service provider for multinational, multisite companies. In the past, he has held leadership roles at the Saudi Aramco Overseas Company BV, which honored him with the Top Award of Saudi Aramco for his contribution to the company’s growth. He has worked at Stahl-Electromach as the General Manager for Saudi Arabia, at the Laureate Education, Inc. as a consultant, aiding clients in over 95 countries with business development solutions. Dr. Abugulal earned a PhD in Government and International Affairs from the University of Durham (UK), where he also completed a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies. He received his undergraduate degree in International Relations from Webster University (US). He is fluent in English and Arabic, including Gulf-GCC Arabic.
Vassilis Andrikopoulos is Special Advisor to the Prime Minister for Investment and Enterpreneurial Affairs. He started his career at TASTY FOODS S.A. (PEPSICO FOODS INTL) as Credit Control Manager and then assumed the role of Planning & Reporting Manager at HENKEL-ECOLAB S.A. From 1998 to 2012, he worked at DIAGEO Plc. in executive positions in Greece and abroad- CFO Eastern Europe, CFO Western Europe Markets and VP Greece. From 2013 to 2017, he worked at Olympic Brewery S.A., where he started as Deputy CEO, led the Joint Venture formation of Olympic Brewery S.A. with the Carlsberg Group and from 2015 to 2017 served as the COO & Vice Chairman of the business. In 2017 he also served as Vice Chairman and Member of the Supervisory Board for the Joint Venture. He has also served as CEO of NOVAL Property S.A., a Viohalco group company and as Managing Director at Green Cola Hellas S.A. Mr. Andrikopoulos also led the creation of several start-ups, including an e-supermarket (later sold to the Sklavenitis supermarket chain) and GFG Bakery, a US-based Greek bakery chain. He holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from the Athens University of Economics & Business and has attended executive seminars at Harvard Business School and INSEAD. He is a member of the Economic Chambers of Greece, member of the Association of Chief Executive Officers and of CEO CLUBS Greece, and a member of the Hellenic–American Chamber.
Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou has studied economics and law in the USA and in the UK and worked for several years as a lawyer in New York, specializing in financial transactions and international banking law. She worked as director of an NGO in Greece, focusing on ICT deployment and regional development. She also worked as an evaluator of projects funded by the European Commission and as a consultant in the private sector in Brussels and Luxembourg. She served as Deputy-Mayor of the City of Ioannina (2010-2012) and an elected member of the Hellenic Parliament (2012-2019).
She was appointed Spokesperson of the New Democracy Party in 2013. She was Head of Fiscal Policy Sector (2015), Head of the Development and Competition Sector (2016) and Head of the Digital Policy, Telecommunications & Media Sector for New Democracy (2016-2019). She is currently a Member of the European Parliament, Vice Chair of the Committee on International Trade, member of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection as well as the Committee on Petitions.
Nicholas Christodoulopoulos is a retired admiralty lawyer. He has been a ship-owner since 1973. He is President of Fidetrust Investments LTD., in London (UK), Vice-President of the Greek Tourist Ship-owners’ Association (2000-2015), and a member of the legal committee of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping for 18 years. He is also a member of the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce, New York. Dr. Christodoulopoulos earned a law degree from the University of Athens (L.L.B., 1960), a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Rome (scholarship 1963) and a LL.M. in Comparative Law from Columbia University ( fellowship 1966). He is also chairman of the Orama Foundation, a New York non-for-profit charity institution. He is a Greek- American residing in New York City.
George P. Chrousos MD, ScD, MACE, MACP, FRCP. Professor George Chrousos was born in Patras, Greece, in 1951. He completed his MD studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) as the valedictorian of his class in 1975. He obtained his Medical Sciences Doctorate from NKUA, and did his residency in Medicine, NKUA, and Pediatrics, New York University, and his fellowship in Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD. He was Chief of the Pediatric and Reproductive Endocrinology Branch, NICHD, NIH, and subsequently Chairman, First Department of Pediatrics, NKUA, Athens, Greece, until 2018. Currently, he is Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics and Endocrinology, Holder, UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, Director of the University Research Institute on Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine at the NKUA, and Senior Investigator at the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens. Professor Chrousos pioneered studies that elucidated the effects of stress on the organism at the behavioral, neuroendocrine, cellular and molecular levels and made fundamental contributions to the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of pituitary, adrenal and stress-related complex pathologies, i.e., major depression, obesity/metabolic syndrome, and autoimmune/inflammatory, reproductive and sleep disorders. He made seminal observations in the glucocorticoid signaling system of the cell and deciphered some of its key clinical implications. Professor Chrousos’s work has been cited over 179,000 times (H-index204) making him one of the top 100 cited authors (Google Scholar Sept 2022) and a highly cited physician-scientist (ISI) in both Clinical Medicine and Biology and Biochemistry. He has received numerous major awards, including the Fred Conrad Koch Award, the highest honor of the US Endocrine Society. He is a Doctor Honoris Causa of the Universities of Liege, Belgium, Universita Politechnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy, and University of Patras, Greece, and an honorary professor of the Universities of Warwick, UK, St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Russia, Xi’an Medical University, China, and Democritean University of Thrace, Greece. He served as Board Member and President of the International Society of Neuroimmunomodulation, the European Society of Clinical Investigation and the European Society of Pediatric Endocrinology. He is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Research, the Association of American Physicians, the European Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters Academia Europaea and the US National Academy of Medicine.
Metropolitan Gabriel of New Ionia and Philadelphia was born in Athens, Greece in 1976 and baptized George Papanicolaou. He was tonsured a monk in 1995 and given the name Gabriel. A year later he was ordained to the diaconate and in 2002 to the priesthood. In 2009 His Eminence became Vicar of the Archdiocese of Athens and assumed a pioneering role in modernizing the Church’s administration and creating social programs in greater Athens area; this social network of aid would become what is known today as “Mission” the non-profit organization of the Archdiocese of Athens. In 2012 His Eminence was elected to the Episcopacy of Diavleia and made Archsecretary of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece. In 2014 His Eminence was elected and raised to his current role as Metropolitan of New Ionia and Philadelphia (Greece). His Eminence has a Bachelor’s degree from the Theological Faculty of the Kapodistrian University of Athens, a Master’s degree from University of Freiburg (Switzerland); he is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Athens. He is fluent in French, English, Italian, and Greek.
George A. Gratsos is President of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping since 2004. Before that, he served as President from 1996 to 2000. He is a member of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Union of Greek Ship-owners (UGS), President of the UGS Maritime Safety and Marine Environment Protection Committee, former Vice-President and current member of the BoD of HELMEPA (Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association), as well as a member of many other boards and organizations. Mr. Gratsos has been President of the U.K. Freight Demurrage and Defense Association, and Vice-President of BIMCO. He holds a BSc in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering from MIT, and a PhD in Shipping Market Dynamics from the University of the Aegean.
Nicholas A. Karacostas holds a B.A. degree from New York University and a J.D. degree from the City University of New York Law School . He currently serves as chairman of AHEPA’s Board of Trustees, having previously served two terms as its supreme president. He is also Senior Vice President of Integrated Specialty Coverages (ISC), New York City. Mr. Karacostas was Senior Vice President of Claims at Arch Insurance Group for 15 years and worked at Zurich North America in various capacities, including Director of Claims Marketing and Customer Service, Director of Staff Counsel Customer Service and senior trial counsel. He has also served four years as a trial attorney for General Accident Insurance, Co., and two years as special assistant corporation counsel for the City of New York. He is also a board member of HANAC, Inc., and chairman of its subsidiary, Home Services Systems, Inc., and a board member of St. Michael’s Home. He has served as president on three occasions of the Parish Council of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of Flushing N.Y. Mr. Karacostas was invested a member of an Archon in the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the highest lay award presented within the Orthodox Church. Born in Kyrenia, Cyprus, he resides in Bayside, N.Y. with his wife, Anna, and his daughters, Georgia and Andreana.
Maria Karloutsos is known throughout the Boston area for her long-standing commitment to teaching and her belief in public education. Having served in the Boston public schools for nearly thirty years as a classroom teacher and reading specialist, Ms. Karloutsos has dedicated her life to providing quality learning to those who need it most. A graduate of Boston College and Lesley College, she has been consistently recognized for her expertise and ability to serve as a leader in the public-school system. She has taught graduate courses on teaching literacy and has mentored countless student teachers and first-year teachers. In addition to her responsibilities as a teacher and mentor, Ms. Karloutsos has represented her school system in the fight to reform funding for public education in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Working hand-in-hand with Massachusetts Senator Sonia Chang Diaz, Ms. Karloutsos fought to gain support for the Educational Funding Reform Bill. She also worked with the Education Committee of the National Football League Players Coalition to bring additional needed funding to schools across Massachusetts. Currently, Ms. Karloutsos serves as an educational resource for CBS News in Boston. Lastly, while Ms. Karloutsos is best known for her work in education, she is also a proud Greek-American with a great passion for her family history and heritage.
Sofia Konstantopoulou is the Global Head, Marketing & Events of IBIA. She focusses on the business strategy and commercial development of the company. After more than a decade working in organizations such as UNESCO, European Parliament and in the private sector, she managed strategy development projects for multinational companies across different industries, where she has specialized in Corporate Marketing, Sales, Events and CRM practices. Ms. Konstantopoulou has been rewarded with the European Award for the ‘Most Innovative Marketing’ in Europe representing Greece in CEBIT Dublin. She has also been listed in the ‘Who is Who 2018’ as one of the most eminent personalities in Greece and ‘One of the most Influential Professionals’ in the shipping industry in 2018, according to allaboutshipping.co.uk. She is the Founder and Chair of the Greek International Women Awards. Ms. Konstantopoulou holds a BA in Arts Management and Theatre Studies (North London University) a MA at Arts Administration and Cultural Policy (Goldsmith’s University) and a MA in International Politics (CERIS – ULB Diplomatic School of Brussels).
Nikolaos - Socrates Labroukos earned an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, an MBA degree from Manchester Business School, and a PhD from London Business School, where he later pursued post-doctoral studies. An experienced senior executive and business consultant, he is founding member, shareholder and Chairman of the business consulting firm BPM SA and Venture Partner in the Odyssey Venture Partner Fund. He serves on the Boards of Quest Holdings SA, Motodynamics SA and various technology start-ups and is a member of the General Council of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV). As a business consultant he advises numerous mid- and large-size companies and organizations in the private and public sectors in a variety of challenging projects mostly related to strategic, business and corporate development. As a senior executive he has served in various senior management positions, including Executive Director of INTRACOM Holdings, Managing Director of INTRACOM IT Services Group, Chairman of Attica Telecommunications, Chairman of INTRACOM IT Services Denmark, Chairman of INTRACOM Jordan and Chairman of Encode SA. He was a Research Fellow at London Business School and Visiting Assistant Professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business and has published scientific papers in refereed management journals. He speaks Greek, English and French and is operational in German.
Minos Matsas graduated from the Law School of Athens in 1990. He then continued his studies at Juilliard School of Music and Orfeion Conservatory. He has composed music for films, theater, modern dance performances as well as instrumental ensembles. His music has received awards both in Greece and the USA.
In 2006 and 2008 he was awarded with the Greek State Music Award for the soundtracks of the films “Eduart” και “Slaves in their Bonds” correspondingly. His film music has been presented in the Metropolitan Opera with “The Parthenon”, directed by Kostas Gavras, in Alice Tully Hall with his “Diary of a Lost Girl,” in Athens Music Hall, New York, and many theaters in Europe, too.
His most recent works include the soundtracks of “Eftyhia”, “Green Sea”, “Fantasia”, “Kazantzakis”, “Amerika Square”, “God Loves Caviar”, “Undisputed III", “The Stan Lee Story”, and the music for the modern dance performances "Rebetiko" and “In Limbo,” which have met with great success in Athens, San Francisco and Berlin.
He has also composed music for the theatrical performances “The Birds (Ornithes)”, “Peace (Eirene)”, “Oedipus at Colonus” and “Oedipus Rex”, which were presented in the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus at the Athens Epidaurus Festival. He has composed music for many theatrical plays ever since; his work indicatively includes the music for the shows “The third wedding wreath”, “Macbeth”, “The Cherry Orchard”, “The Lighthouse”, “Pillowman”, “God of Carnage”, Dostoyevsky’s “Demons”, “Woyzeck”, “Skylight”, “The Idiot” et al.
He has composed the score for a series of successful TV programs such as “The Island”, “The word you don’t say”, “Carte Postale” and “Comandos and Dragons,” while he has collaborated with a variety of renowned Greek singers, too. His latest albums include two song cycles performed by the singers Fotini Velesiotou and Eleonora Zouganeli.
Basil N. Mossaidis holds a dual degree in History and Political Science from Eastern College, Radnor, Pa. He is executive director of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), responsible for the overall management and efficient operation of the AHEPA’s Global Headquarters located in Washington since December 2002, having raised millions in charitable donations. He is also co-owner of Philadelphia Cheesesteak Factory, a dining establishment in Alexandria, VA, with his brother. In 1989-1990, he served as Supreme President of the Sons of Pericles—the Junior Order of AHEPA. In October 2010, he was invested an Archon in the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the highest lay award presented within the Orthodox Church. As an Eagle Scout, he was awarded Alpha Omega Award, the highest honor to an Orthodox Scout and National Eagle Scout Association Outstanding Eagle Scout Award. Mr. Mossaidis is married to Jeannette (nee Nevel) and proud father of Kyriakos Mossaidis, and stepfather to Madisen Zaykowski.
Arthur Mourtzinos holds an M.D. degree from Boston University School of Medicine, an MBA from Babson College, and a sub-specialty certification in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. He is vice-chair of the Lahey Health Medical Center’s Institute of Urology and Director of Continence Center. He is also Associate Professor of Urology at the University School of Medicine and a mentor for Tufts Post-Baccalaureate Mentorship Program. Mr. Mourtzinos holds medical licenses in California, Massachusetts and New Hampshire and has served as co-chairman, vice-chairman, director, executive director and member of several committees at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine as well as the Board of Trustees of Parkland Medical Center. He has authored, co-authored, and edited numerous books and articles in the field of medicine.
George N. Pavlakis, M.D., Ph.D., Chief, Scientist Emeritus, Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, National Cancer Institute, USA. Dr. Pavlakis received his M.D. from the University of Athens, Greece, and his Ph.D. from Syracuse University. He has been associated with the National Cancer Institute since 1980 and is currently Chief of the Human Retrovirus Section. He has directed both basic research and clinical development projects based on his pioneering research achievements. Dr. Pavlakis has extensive research and development experience in molecular biology, virology, and immunology. He is credited with the first production of mature human hormones in mammalian cells by recombinant DNA technologies. He continues this work by the development of new production methods and clinical application of heterodimeric IL-15 (hetIL-15). Dr. Pavlakis co-developed codon/RNA optimization methods that have found wide applications in biotechnology, gene therapy protocols and DNA vaccines. He developed DNA vaccines for HIV and showed they provide strong and long lasting immunity. He developed strong fluorescent GFP mutants that are in wide use in biology. His studies have provided new insights on the biology of several viruses and have aided the development of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. His work has also led to the development of innovative biotechnology drugs and gene therapy procedures. Dr. Pavlakis is member of several professional societies, including the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the American Association of Physicians. He is a highly cited researcher, has authored more than 200 publications and is inventor of more than 50 US and International patents.
Peter Poulos is Executive Director of The Hellenic Initiative (THI), a global not-for-profit organization that raises funds to support Greek NGOs and entrepreneurs. He previously served as the organization’s Development Director for 7 years. In 1993, Mr. Poulos opened Poulos Brothers, a fundraising and event-planning firm based in San Francisco, CA. Poulos Brothers worked with over 100 national and local nonprofit organizations and political candidates. He has raised millions of dollars for causes related to breast cancer research, civil rights, HIV/AIDS, homelessness, and the environment. A third-generation Greek-American, he is an active member of the Greek-American community. Mr. Poulos is the Founding Director of the San Francisco Greek Film Festival, which has grown into one of the largest Greek events in the United States. He is also a Partner in the gourmet Greek food company Greka Icons that produces Navarino Icons and TREA food lines. Mr. Poulos is a graduate of the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University, where he received his degree in International Relations with a concentration in Modern Greek History. Since 2007, he has been living and working in Athens, Greece.
Nikolaos Renieris is an entrepreneur who has started several successful specialty companies for products he has developed. He is currently CEO of National Bio+Green Sciences, an FDA licensed medical device, RX and OTC drug developer; which is the parent company of NBGS PHARMA and MASKEX PPE. Prior to that, he served as CEO of THIRA Trade Corp, a company he co-founded soon after his studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and which manufactures brewing devices and single cup packaging technology. He continues to serve as head of THIRA’s research and development team.
Anastasia Sideri holds a degree in Chemical Engineering and brings with her 35+ years of professional experience in Marketing, Strategic Communications, Sustainability & Public Affairs fields. She started her career with PROCTER AND GAMBLE and held a series of senior positions in large Greek and multinational companies, including FAGE, BOUTARI, DIAGEO, DHL, the ATHENS INTERNATIIONAL AIRPORT and THE COCA-COLA COMPANY. She held a series of positions of increased responsibility and in her latest role as Communications Director she provided Communications leadership and crisis management in 26 countries in Coca-Cola in Central and Southeast Europe. She retired at the beginning of 2020 and in June 2020 she was appointed as Honorary Professor at the ADAM SMITH School of Business at the University of Glasgow. She is Board member in MY SPECTRUM, a Markeing Sevices Agency and member of the Suprvisory Board of the charitable Foundation ESTIA Agios Nikolaos in Galaxidi, a lifesharing community for people with special needs. She has also served as the Chair of the Women in Business (WIB) Committee of American Chamber of Commerce in Greece. She is a founding member of the Hellenic Network of Corporate Social Responsibility and the Hellenic Communications network and served as Board member in the Hellenic Advertisers Association. She is an advocate of lifelong learning, is NLP trained, speaks 6 languages and is very active in areas related to Effective communications, Crisis communications, CSR, Volunteerism, Ethical leadership, Accountable Marketing, Growth mindset and Women and Youth empowerment. She is a speaker in fora and conferences around the globe in all areas above. She also became a Tedx Talker at the Agricultural University of Athens. She is a mother of two children, 27 and 25 years old, and lives with her husband in Athens Greece.
Constantine (Costa) Sideridis is President and CEO of Ferro-Ceramic Grinding Inc., a private Massachusetts firm specializing in the manufacture of advanced ceramic materials supplying the semiconductor, medical, aerospace, defense, electronic, and microwave industries in the US and throughout the world. Mr. Sideridis has served as a trustee and advisor for a variety of organizations, including president of the Alpha Omega Council from 2020-present, partner at Bridgemedica from 2008 to 2018, founding member of the New England CEO network from 2011 to present, trustee at the Brain Science Foundation from 2011 to present, Boston regional co-chair for the National Hellenic Society 2014 to present, and a member of the Order of AHEPA. Mr. Sideridis is also actively involved within the Greek Orthodox Church as he was bestowed an Archon (2015) by the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Order of Saint Andrew, a founding member of The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation, a fulfilled member of Leadership 100, a member of the Archdiocesan council of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of New York, a council member of the Metropolis of Boston in Brookline, chairman of the Metropolis camp golf tournament, and parish council board member and former Stewardship chairman of the St. George parish in Lynn, MA. Mr. Sideridis holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Ceramic Engineering (1992) and Bachelor of Arts in Economics (1992) degrees from Rutgers University. He resides in Salem, MA with his wife Allyson and their 2 boys.
Symeon Tsomokos is the founder and President of the Delphi Economic Forum, an independent and impartial non-profit organization committed to promoting innovative ideas for sustainable and competitive growth for Southeast Europe. He established SGT S.A in Athens in 1997, and TGI in Belgrade in 2001 and in Brussels in 2016, of which he has been President ever since. He is the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Serbia in the region of Thessaly in Greece. He is also the founder of the Business Council for Greece-United States, the Greek-Hungarian Business Council, and the Greek-Egyptian Business Council, while in 2006 he established the Greece-Serbia Chamber of Commerce, of which he serves as President. In the past he has served as Commercial Specialist at the US Embassy in Athens (1973-1980) and CEO at the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce (1980-1997). He has also served as Secretary General and Treasurer of the Council of the American Chambers of Commerce based in Europe (1990-1993) and as Secretary General of the Business Council Greece-Turkey (1993-1998). He was an Eisenhower Exchange Fellow in 1993.