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Mr. ΥU Zenggang

Mr. Yu Zenggang is the Executive Chairman of Piraeus Port Authority S.A. He started his career in August 1984, and served as the Chief Representative of the Japan Representative Office of Shanghai Shipping Bureau, Director and General Manager of Shanghai Haixing Shipping (Japan) Co. Ltd., Deputy General Manager, General Manager of the Development Division of China Shipping (Group) Company, Executive Vice President of China Shipping (North America) Holding Co., Ltd., President of China Shipping (Europe) Holding GmbH, General Manager of the President Office of China Shipping (Group) Company, Director of BOD Office and General Office, Executive Vice President and BOD Secretary of China Shipping (Group) Company, Executive Vice President and Member of China COSCO SHIPPING Corporation Limited. He has over 30 years’ working experience in shipping industry, and has abundant expertise in corporate management, corporate governance, overseas industry development, international operation, and listed company management. He has taken his current position since June, 2019. Mr. Yu Zenggang graduated from Wuhan University of Technology with a Bachelor’s Degree of engineering science in 1984 and obtained the Master’s Degree in 2012 from CEIBS (China Europe International Business School).

Ambassador Xiao Junzheng

Male, born in March 1970, Ji’an, Jiangxi Province, and holds a PhD degree in history

1997-1998     Assistant Research Fellow, China Institute of International Studies

1998-2002     Third Secretary, Second Secretary, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Iran

2002-2003     Assistant Research Fellow, China Institute of International Studies

2003-2008     Second   Secretary,    Deputy    Division    Chief,    Division    Chief,   the Department of West Asian and North African Affairs, MFA

2008-2012     Counselor, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Turkey

2012-2019     Counselor, Deputy Director General, the Department of West Asian and North African Affairs, MFA

2019-2021     Minister Counselor, Minister, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Arab Republic of Egypt

2021-             Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Hellenic Republic

Married

Mr. François Davenne

Mr. François Davenne is the Director General of UIC since June 2019. He graduated from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications d’Evry in 1988 and from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA) in 1999. Throughout his career, he has consistently promoted interdisciplinarity as a key factor for success. Having gained experience in international satellite telecommunications, he initially held various roles in the housing sector, making use of his strong financial and legal skills. He was involved in policy and regulation of the sector and managed key operational programmes, most notably for the city of Paris.

After three years with the French Ministry of Transport, working on railway safety and regulation, with an emphasis on European regulations, he was elected in 2012 as Secretary General of OTIF, the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail. From early 2013 to the end of 2018, he promoted interdisciplinarity and partnership building in order to expand and develop the uniform regulations for international carriage by rail.

Mr. Olivér Várhelyi

  • Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement/Member of the European Commission, 2019-present
  • Permanent Representative of Hungary, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, 2015-2019
  • Deputy Permanent Representative of Hungary, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, 2011-2015
  • Head of Unit responsible for Industrial Property Rights, European Commission, Directorate-General Internal Market and Services, 2008-2011
  • Head of the European Union Law Department, Ministry of Justice, Hungary, 2006-2008
  • Head of the Legal Service, Permanent Representation of the Republic of Hungary to the European Union, 2003-2006
  • Legal counsellor, Mission of the Republic of Hungary to the European Union, 2001-2003
  • Head of cabinet, Head of the Legal Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cabinet of the Deputy Head of the State Secretary for Integration, 1998-2001
  • Desk officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department for EC Harmonization, State Secretary for Integration, 1996-1998
  • Desk officer, Ministry for Industry and Trade, Office for European Affairs, Department for EC Coordination and Harmonization, 1996
  • Trainee, Ministry for Industry and Trade, Office for European Affairs, 1995
  • Bar examination, 2005
  • Law degree at University of Szeged, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, 1996
  • Master of European Legal Studies, Aalborg University, Denmark, 1994

 

Mr. Anthony D. Papayannides

Has read Law in Athens University. Post-graduate studies in Law, Economics and International Relations and in Medieval History in Strasbourg and Cambridge.  DEA European Law, DIHEE European Economy. Practiced business law and EU law. Consultant on E.U. topics to the Athens Daily Newspaper Publishers’ Association.

Member, then national representative, of the negotiating team for the Integrated Mediterranean Programmes. Counsellor to the Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs, Counsellor to the Minister for Culture, Chairman of the Committee of Cultural Affairs at the E.U. Council. Consultant to the Bank of Greece. Founding member and member of the Board of a number of European affairs institutes and reviews in Greece (EKEME, EKEM, EEK)

From 1972 onwards a journalist and then a columnist at the Greek political daily “TO VIMA” and at the economic and financial weekly  “ECONOMICOS TACHYDROMOS”, specialising in macro-economic policy European affairs and foreign relations. Has also worked at “ELEFTHEROTYPIA” and “IMERISSIA” newspapers, managing editor of “ELEFHEROS TYPOS”.

Writes a bi-weekly column at “NAFTEMPORIKI”. Presently managing director of ECONOMIA Publishing. Participates to the talk show “Evening Report” at ACTION 24 Channel.

Ambassador (a.h.) Michael B. Christides

Ambassador Michael B. Christides has been  the Secretary General of the Permanent International Secretariat (PERMIS) of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey.

Born in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1949, Ambassador Christides joined the Hellenic MFA in 1976 as first in his Class and served with distinction until his retirement in August 2014. Among other assignments he served as Ambassador of Greece to Bulgaria, to Turkey and to Argentina and held senior posts in the Hellenic MFA as Political Director for South East Europe, as Director General for International Organizations, International Security & Cooperation and as Director General for International Economic Relations.

Ambassador Christides has spent more than 20 years dealing with S.E. European and Balkan issues. He acquired a broad knowledge of the political and economic realities there and established a wide network of high-level political, business, academic and media contacts. He speaks fluent English, German, French, Italian and moderately good Spanish.

 

Mr. Giannis Balakakis

He is a forward thinking and results oriented strategist specialized in event management, marketing, BtL communication and hospitality industry. In his career, Giannis has been appointed as Planning | Product | General Manager & Chief Executive Officer in various Greek and International firms.

He currently serves as President of the Board at Geo Routes Institute, Chair of the Organizing Committees at the Balkans & Black Sea Forum and AgriBusiness Forum and Chair of the leading event & destination management company Gnomon Performance.

Giannis has repeatedly leaded large scale projects and events around the globe, has been founder and initiator leading socioeconomic platforms, and has been regular speaker to international fora related with business strategies, innovation, culture-tourism-development and policy strategies.

He has served as member of the BoD of the Association of Chief Executive Officers Greece, former VP of the Society of Incentive Travel Executives, member of Meeting Professionals International, member of UN Global Compact and other relevant organizations.

Giannis has a financial background (banking marketing & management), he speaks Greek (mother tongue), English and French, and has excellent skills in planning, negotiations and cross-cultural communication as a result of his extensive experience in more than 80 countries around the world.