Solarplaza Summit | Greece

Nazlı Naseh is the Managing Director for Italy, Greece, and Turkey at Montel, leading market development and strategic partnerships across Southern Europe. She studied Business Administration at Bocconi University and over 15 years in the energy sector, she has experience in market modeling, forecasting, consultancy, editorial analysis, and business development. Nazlı began her career as an energy trading and risk management consultant before joining Montel as an editor, where she analyzed European power markets. Over more than a decade, she has supported Montel’s growth across European markets. She is also President of the Audit Committee of the Turkish Energy Traders Association and a frequent speaker and moderator on power markets and the European energy transition.

Since May 2024, I have assumed the position of Chief Financial Officer of Principia, with the ambition to contribute to the vision of the country's green energy transition towards an environmentally sustainable future via the implementation of our ambitious business plan. As Finance Director of Vodafone in Greece for 4 years I oversaw the areas of Strategy & Wholesale, Planning, Controlling & Business Partnering, Finance Operations, Tax, Supply Chain Management and Internal Audit. Key areas of responsibility were the achievement of the company's financial and commercial goals and the promotion of strategic projects. From 2012 to 2020, I was the Group Chief Financial Officer of the Sfakianakis Group, responsible for strategic and business planning, covering financing needs and overseeing the Group shared services. As Chief Financial Officer of ALPHA Media Group for 3 years, I contributed to the turnaround of the business, as per the mandate of the main shareholder RTL Group. From 2003 to 2008 I held a managerial position at Eurobank, responsible for the operational redesign and optimization of processes. I hold a diploma in Mechanical Engineer from the National Technical University of Athens and an MBA from the Rotterdam School of Management.

Starting September 2016, I have been working at HERON Energy S.A., a member of the GEK-Terna group of companies, being responsible for the development of optimization tools for various daily and long-term power- and gas-related activities. In my current role of Head of Applied R&D at Heron I head up a department of 2 teams of scientists, analysts and developers supporting HERON's participation in electricity & gas markets and European Research Programs, through the development of price-forecasting and decision support tools. Moreover, since 2022, I have been a research associate with the Power Systems Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens, working with Assistant Professor Anthony Papavasiliou in the context of the EU-funded research program ICEBERG. My academic activity includes the publication of 12 papers in peer reviewed scientific journals and 10 announcements in international conferences in the fields of European electricity market integration, power system management under high RES penetration, and reserve quantification. My main research and business interests lie in the wide area of energy economics, optimization theory (deterministic, stochastic and robust optimization formulations, mixed integer linear programming, mixed complementarity problems) and its application in energy systems (i.e. unit commitment and economic dispatch models), renewable energy sources integration and reserve quantification, optimal bidding strategies, as well as energy data analytics and software development (utilizing various programming platforms like Python, Julia, Excel VBA, Matlab, SQL etc).

Virginia is a Partner in the International Project & Structured Finance Group and Head of the Greek Law energy, corporate, projects and finance practice. Virginia graduated in Law from Cambridge University in 1989 and practised as a barrister in London for five years before moving to Athens and qualifying as a Greek lawyer in 1998. She joined Watson Farley & Williams in 2007 after ten years ata major Greek commercial law firm and specialises in acquisitions and financing in the infrastructure and energy sector, as well as real estate, corporate M&A, insurance and finance deals in Greece for Greek and foreign investors and banks. She is listed as a leading individual in the energy sector in most ranking publications and is a member of Legal 500’s Hall of Fame for her many years’ top ranking as a Greek energy expert. Virginia is widely recognised for her energy, infrastructure, finance and corporate/M&A expertise by legal directories Chambers Europe, Legal 500 EMEA and IFLR 1000. Chambers notes that clients and peers describe her as “the perfect partner in a transaction” and a “beacon of the industry”. Other clients add that she is “always responsive and provides a top-notch level of service”.

Dr. Stavros A. Papathanasiou is a professor at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of NTUA. His area of expertise is renewable generation, storage and power systems. He is active in the field for 30 years, having engaged in the development of renewable and distributed energy generation and storage technologies, their network integration and market participation, as well as in applications of RES and storage in autonomous islands. He is working with State institutions, regulators and system operators on regulatory, operational, technical and market aspects, and he has been consulting significant renewable generation, storage and grid projects in Greece and abroad. He has led the Ministry of Energy Task Force on electricity storage and he has supported the notification to the EC and the implementation of recent State aid schemes for RES and storage in Greece, as well as the development of the associated legal and regulatory framework. He is a member of the Greek NECP interministerial committee. Currently, he is leading the Ministry of Energy Task Force for RES curtailments and the Committee for the grid interconnection of offshore wind projects.

Søren Juel Hansen is director for energy storage at Nordic Solar where he is maturing and realizing several BESS across Europe. Nordic Solar owns operational solar PV parks in ten European countries and its current development and EPC pipeline includes a few more EU countries and contains around 2 GW solar PV and 1 GWh BESS. Since joining Nordic Solar in 2021, Søren’s focus has been on solar PV business development and adding energy storage to Nordic Solar’s European solar PV portfolio. Prior to joining Nordic Solar Søren has had roles as head of development, infrastructure, tariffs and preparedness and responsible for energy infrastructure M&A as well as elected member of the board at the Danish electricity and Gas transmission system operator, Energinet, where he developed and realised several infrastructure business and energy market models of which some since has turned into EU regulation and cross-border energy infrastructure. Søren also has a background with Ørsted, global telecom and the EU Commission.

George Zokaris is an experienced energy professional with a strong background in renewable energy origination, portfolio management, and project financing. He currently serves as Origination & Energy Portfolio Manager at Principia Energy, a leading renewable energy producer in Greece jointly owned by Enel SpA and Macquarie Asset Management, supporting commercial strategy and portfolio development. Before joining Principia Energy, George held an energy portfolio optimization and trading position at Metlen S.A. During his tenure, he managed complex energy positions and contributed to the company’s market expansion and risk management strategies in the evolving liberalized energy landscape. He later transitioned into the renewable energy sector as Commercial Manager for Greece, Italy and Romania at Lightsource BP where he negotiated, structured, and executed some of the first renewable corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in Greece, tailoring commercial strategy and supporting the full development life-cycle of its assets. Today, at Principia Energy, he continues to bridge the gap between energy systems and commercial innovation, developing origination strategies, managing risk, promoting long-term value creation and fostering partnerships that enable sustainable energy growth. George holds an MEng in Chemical Engineering from the University of Patras and an MSc in Global Energy Management from Strathclyde Business School.

Stella Zacharia is a senior executive of GEKTERNA group, specifically TERNA ENERGY and OPTIMUS ENERGY companies. Her recent positions are CEO of OPTIMUS ENERGY and Head of Energy Policy & Regulatory Affairs, TERNA ENERGY. She has worked for the last 25 years as Renewable Energy Expert in Greece and international markets, collecting valuable experience in the fields of project development, energy assessment and forecasting, participation of RES in energy markets, PPAs, balancing, storage as well as in regulatory and energy policy directives. She is a member of HERON SA Board of Directors and a member of selected Energy and Industry Councils Boards. Stella Zacharia is a Mathematician, with an MSc in environmental physics and several professional/executive training courses.

Mr. Konstantinos Natsis has significant and diversified experience in the broader energy sector. He received the diploma of Electrical and Computing Engineering (National Technical University of Athens) in 2007, while in 2008 he received a MEng diploma on Renewable Energy Sources (the University of Manchester). Mr. Natsis has been working as a RES engineer, specialized in construction management, for several energy companies in various technologies (solar, wind, hydro, hybrid systems). The positions and the duties that have been assigned to Mr. Natsis are Chief Officer, Director and project manager of utility scale PV plants, wind farms and hybrid power plants. Mr. Natsis is currently the Chief RES Engineering & Construction Officer of PPC Renewables S.M.S.A. | PPC Group.

Evans is Partner and Head of Energy, Sustainability & Infrastructure (ESI) at Koutalidis Law Firm. He has a wide contentious and non-contentious energy practice, focusing predominantly on renewable energy and has more than 19 years of experience dealing with Energy & Infrastructure matters. He regularly represents multinational green energy developers, investors, EPC contractors, operators, off-takers, and financiers on matters relating to project acquisition, development, financing, construction, operation, and sale of energy. Evans also has significant experience in energy- and infrastructure-related international arbitrations. Evans holds an LL.M. from the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of Athens with Summa Cum Laude. In addition to his practice, Evans regularly lectures lawyers on contract drafting, EPC contracts, and legal issues concerning energy-related transactions. Evans is recognized by Chambers for his “deep knowledge of the Greek energy sector” and “complex problem-solving”, with some clients highlighting that he “considers both legal and commercial aspects of projects” and that he “thinks out of the box.”

Panagiotis Mourtopallas is the Co-Founder and CEO of MGD Energy SA, a fast-growing clean tech company that empowers households, businesses, and communities to actively participate in the energy transition. MGD Energy provides integrated, end-to-end solutions across solar PV systems, Storage, EV charging infrastructure, and sustainable HVAC/MEP upgrades, delivering projects with technical excellence, digital innovation, and long-term value creation. He also serves as President of HELAPCO (Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Companies), where he works closely with policymakers, stakeholders, and industry leaders to shape the future of renewable energy in Greece through policy reform, innovation enablement, and sustainable market development. Panagiotis is driven by a clear mission: to design and scale energy solutions that are technically sound, financially viable, and socially impactful — creating shared value for property owners, renewable energy investors, and the broader economy. His experience spans across MEP design & construction, energy-as-a-service business models, and participation in more than 2 GW of PV installations. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Democritus University of Thrace, a postgraduate diploma in Automation Systems from NTUA, and an MBA from ALBA Graduate Business School. A passionate advocate of service innovation and entrepreneurial energy, Panagiotis combines strategic foresight with deep engineering expertise to lead MGD Energy’s growth and contribute to a more resilient, decentralized, and sustainable energy future.

Ioannis Margaris, Dipl. Electrical Engineer and Computer Engineer (NTUA 2006), PhD dissertation with Power Systems Laboratory - School of Electrical and Computer Engineering NTUA in 2011. He has worked in the Public Power Corporation (PPC) – at the Non-Interconnected Island Power Systems Department – on dynamic security of power systems and data management for Smart Networks and MicroGrid applications on Greek island systems. He completed his Post-Doc research at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU Wind Energy Department 2012), where he continued working as Researcher (eq. Assistant Prof.) and R&D project manager in North Europe. In 2015 he became Executive Vice-Chairman of the BoD of Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator. In the past he has served as member of the BoD of OTE and as technology and policy advisor for projects in Europe, Latin America, Africa and China. Since 2017 he is Vice-Chairman of BoD at IPTO (Independent Power Transmission Operator) and Chief Technology, System Planning and Strategy Officer. Since 2018 he is also General manager of ARIADNE INTERCONNECTION and has been appointed Deputy Chairman BoD for Great Seat Interconnector.

Mrs. Paliarouta has served as head of the design, development, and implementation of projects within a strategic portfolio of 11 pillars in one of the country’s largest industries, developing expertise in negotiation, change, team, and resource management. She has also worked as Operations Manager at Amazon UK distribution centers. Combining her professional experience with her passion for entrepreneurship, she founded her own business in the medical sector. She previously held the position of Secretary General for Transport at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, overseeing, among other areas, urban transport, electromobility, road safety, transport interconnectivity, and sustainable and safe mobility. Effective July 2025, she assumed the position of Secretary General for Energy and Mineral Resources at the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Mrs. Paliarouta completed her studies at the National Technical University of Athens in 2011. She holds a Master's degree from Imperial College London as well as an MBA from the Athens University of Economics.

Senior Sales Manager at Voltage Energy, specializing in renewable energy solutions with a strong focus on improving reliability and reducing costs in solar systems. Active in the solar market since 2019, he brings extensive experience in global solar markets and strategic client development, gained during his years at Canadian Solar and Voltage Energy. Pawel is passionate about advancing clean energy adoption and delivering value-driven solutions to customers worldwide, with a particular focus on the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region.

Christos Vasileiou is a Mechanical Engineer NTUA with a specialization in Industrial Management & Operational Research. He holds a master’s degree (MSc) in “Energy: Strategy, Law & Economics” from the University of Piraeus. He has worked for the past 16 years in Electricity Trading companies across Central & Southeastern Europe (CSEE). His experience includes Cross-Border Energy Trading, Electricity & Natural Gas Trading, Proprietary Trading, Portfolio Management and Risk Management. He also has expertise in the Electricity & Gas Retail Market as well as Electricity Generation Project Development. He has served as a Board Member in Electricity Trading companies and Electricity Production firms in Greece, Switzerland, Serbia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Albania. Additionally, he was a Board Member of the Hellenic Association of Electricity Trading & Supply Companies (ESEPIE) from 2014 to 2018. He is a certified European Energy Exchange (EEX) Trader, Hungarian Power Exchange (HUPX) Trader and Hellenic Energy Exchange (HEnEx) Trader. Since 2025, he has been working as Head of Portfolio Growth & Strategic Partnerships at Metlen Energy & Metals, focusing on the commercial & business development of the Energy Generation & Management General Division.

Chris is a Partner and the Renewables lead within Corporate Finance at PwC Greece with over 17 years of experience in the European Equity Markets both in Greece and the UK. Chris joined PwC in 2018 and led several landmark RES transactions in Greece including the acquisition of the largest PV park in Greece by Helleniq Energy from juwi Group, the JV formation between PPC and RWE for the development of 2 GW solar PV projects, PPCR’s acquisition of Volterra’s entire RES portfolio and several wind farm and PV transactions (including the first offshore wind transaction in Greece) with a multinational variety of counterparties both in Greece and the wider Balkan region. Prior to PwC, Chris headed the European General Retail team at Barclays Capital in London covering retail stocks in excess of €250bn market cap. Chris led the team to a consistent top 5 ranking in annual investors surveys. Chris also created and led the General Retail team at Bloomberg, offering research advice to investors and frequently commenting on financial media. Chris is a Chartered Management Accountant with CIMA, holds an MSc in Economics & Finance from Warwick Business School with Distinction and a BSc in Banking & Finance from the University of Piraeus.

Stella is a Senior Associate in the CMS Energy & Climate Change team in London specialising in energy transactions and related regulatory matters in the clean energy sector. She advises energy companies, developers, investors and large energy users on power projects, power offtake agreements and energy regulation requirements. Over the last years she has worked extensively on corporate PPAs for renewable, green hydrogen projects and small nuclear reactors, as well as revenue contracts, including tolling agreements, for battery storage projects across the UK and the EU.

Eleni Zafeiratou leads the development of renewable energy and storage investments at Interphoton Investment Group, spearheading route-to-market strategies for Greece and other Balkan markets. She has overseen the development of about 1 GW of solar PV, wind, and battery energy storage (BESS) projects and has negotiated power purchase agreements (PPAs) for roughly 250 MW of assets at various stages of maturity in Greece. Working closely with her team, Eleni focuses on optimizing site selection and system sizing while integrating cutting-edge technologies to achieve the lowest possible levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Her approach blends technical innovation with market strategy to strengthen the long-term competitiveness of PV in Greece’s evolving energy mix. Eleni’s career spans the academic, public, and private sectors. At the European Commission, she contributed to energy-market modeling and hydrogen technology research, bringing strong analytical and policy insight to her industry work. She holds a Diploma in Civil Engineering from NTUA, an MSc in Environmental Systems Engineering from UCL, and a PhD from the UCL Energy Institute. Eleni is the author and co-author of multiple peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals and international conferences.

Theofanis Stamou is Director and Head of Power & Utilities at Alpha Bank, where he is responsible for the coverage of the energy sector. He has direct experience in project and corporate finance and under his duty he has led the financing of large energy‑infrastructure projects in Greece and rest of EU since 2016. Previously, he held senior roles in structured finance and investment banking at major Greek banks, backed by an MBA, an MSc in Environmental Management and a BSc in Physics. His deep experience in structuring and funding large‑scale power and utilities deals makes him a key voice in renewable‑energy investment. At the Solarplaza Summit Greece he will bring insight into how financing frameworks and bankability are evolving in the Greek solar market.

Professor Dr. Kostas Andriosopoulos is the Academic Director of the HELLENiQ Energy Center for Sustainability and Energy at ALBA Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece, and an Affiliate Professor of Finance and Energy Management. He previously held academic positions at Audencia Business School (France) as a Full Professor and Founding Director of the Energy Transition & Sustainability Center, as well as at ESCP Business School, where he served as Academic Director of the energy management programs and Founding Executive Director of the Energy Management Centre. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers in leading journals such as Energy Economics, the Journal of Banking and Finance, and Energy Policy, and he is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Energy Markets. Kostas chairs the Energy Committee of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and serves on the boards of the Global Gas Center (World Energy Council) and the Hellenic Association for Energy Economics (HAEE), which he founded. He has organized major international energy fora, including the flagship Energy Transition Symposium in Greece and the Southeast Europe Energy Forum. He has served as Vice-Chairman of the Board of DEPA (2014–2015, 2019–2021), Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Environment & Energy, and Head of the Decarbonization Fund for the Greek Islands. He contributed to shaping national e- mobility legislation and represented Greece in climate diplomacy at COP28 and COP29. In the business sector, he is the CEO of Akuo Energy in Greece (recently acquired by Ardian) and the Co-founder & CEO of Deeprunner.ai, an artificial intelligence solutions company headquartered in Silicon Valley.

Dr S. Kapellos is a graduate of the Chemical Department of the University of Athens. He received a PhD on the field of Physical Chemistry from the same Institution. Between 1993 and 2007, he had the opportunity to fill various managerial posts within the BP Hellas Organization: Quality, Health, Safety and Environment, Human Resources, Customer Services, Pricing and Credit, Retail Fuels District Manager Northern Greece. In 2007, he is appointed as the CEO of BP Solar Hellas, to setup the new business. Since 2010, he works for HELLENiQ RENEWABLES, 100% owned by HELLENiQ ENERGY Group (Former Hellenic Petroleum). He currently holds the position of the Chief Operating Officer and BoD member of the company. Τhe RES portfolio of HELLENiQ RENEWABLES is comprised of more than 4 GW of PV, Wind and Storage Projects, of which 241 MW PV and 100 MW Wind in operation in Greece and 41 MW PV in Cyprus. HELLENiQ RENEWABLES recently announced the acquisition of an under construction 180 MW PV project in Kozani and another one 211 MW in Romania, both to be fully operational in 2025. Adding up another PV project of 200 MW in Evros and the 100 MW Battery Storage that has been won in the last auction, both to be operational in 2025, the target of HELLENiQ to operate 1 GW RES projects in 2025 has already been secured. Dr. S. Kapellos has published several scientific articles in international magazines during his academic career and several articles on subjects related to RES, Solar Technology and Energy Policy for newspapers, relevant magazines and e-media. Since 2008, he is being an elected member of the board of the Hellenic Association of PV companies (HELAPCO) and since April 2013 Chairman of the board of the Association. Since April 2021 he has been elected as President of the Energy Committee of the Hellenic-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Henri Taskinen is the CEO and a co-founder of Capalo AI, with a background in applied physics and climate change modeling. Capalo AI optimizes and trades large-scale battery energy storage systems fully automatically across all balancing and wholesale markets, maximizing their benefit for the electricity system and value for the asset owner.

Ruben Valiente is the Managing Director of Maxxen, a rising leader in the European energy storage market, headquartered in Zurich with manufacturing operations in Turkey. With over 20 years of international experience in the energy sector and a cum laude degree in engineering, Ruben combines deep technical expertise with sharp commercial insight and strategic leadership. His career spans the entire energy value chain — from project development and finance to EPC, O&M, and supply chain — and includes key roles in engineering, consulting, project execution, and business development. He has led global solar and advisory projects exceeding 1 GW, helped design cutting-edge turbomachinery, and contributed to securing a pipeline of opportunities worth over $5 billion. Renowned for his analytical rigor, cross-functional leadership, and unwavering integrity, Ruben excels at steering diverse teams and complex initiatives in fast-paced international settings. Fluent in five languages, he is also a seasoned speaker who has addressed global industry forums and academic audiences alike. A committed advocate for sustainability, Ruben is driving Maxxen’s mission to deliver innovative storage solutions and accelerate the energy transition across Europe and beyond.

Victoria is a research analyst on Wood Mackenzie’s Power & Renewables team, focusing on European solar markets.​ She specialises in market research, producing installation forecasts, analysing routes-to-market and monitoring policy updates.​​ Prior to joining Wood Mackenzie, she worked at Aurora Energy Research where she led regulatory and policy updates for Iberia. ​​Victoria holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the Autonomous University of Madrid.​

Apostolis joined Pexapark in 2025 and brings 4 years of experience in renewables and BESS. He has previously worked at the UK's Low Carbon Contract Company on market design and co-location, as well as at Wood Mackenzie, where he supported customers with BESS supply chain data and intelligence. Apostolis holds degrees in International Political Economy from LSE and Energy Law from TU Berlin.

Evangelos is Aurora’s Head of Southeast Europe, covering among others Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Serbia​. While at Aurora, Evangelos has specialised in renewable energy, storage and hydrogen technologies and has gained extensive commercial due diligence experience in energy asset investments in SEE, the UK, Ireland and Australia. He has led the development of more that 12 subscription analytics and software products across SEE, managed Aurora’s multi-client study on hydrogen and has advised major developers and infrastructure funds on the business case of battery, pumped-hydro and compressed-air storage technologies​. Before joining Aurora in November 2017, Evangelos spent 4 years at Imperial College London as a Research Associate at the Centre for Environmental Policy and a consultant with Imperial Consultants. He also co-authored the book 'Energy innovation for the 21st century'.

Stelios Psomas is a leading Greek PV consultant and lobbyist. He started campaigning for PV in Greece already in 1995 (as a Greenpeace energy & climate campaigner). Since then he has pushed for the introduction of support schemes for PV and the opening of the market through his role as a policy advisor for the Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Companies (HELAPCO). He has been actively involved in the introduction of feed-in tariffs, self-consumption support schemes, auction schemes and long-term energy planning in Greece. In particular, he was involved in the drafting of most of the PV-related legislation in Greece, and has also acted as an advisor to the banking sector, facilitating the financing of PV systems.

Dimitrios Zarras has over 6 years of distinguished experience in the Clean Energy sector. Mr. Zarras currently holds the role of Portfolio Performance & Risk Management Supervisor at MORE (Motor Oil Renewable Energy), a leading company in the renewables sector in Greece, working on Asset Management and Risk optimization of an operating Portfolio of >0.9 GW Wind, Solar PV and BESS. Previously held senior Asset Management and O&M renewable engineering roles at MORE & other companies, having also worked on research projects for green Hydrogen novel grid applications. He holds a MEng (Summa Cum Laude) in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (GR) and a MSc (with Distinction) in Engineering Project Management from the University of Strathclyde (UK), having received multiple awards for outstanding academic performance.

Nicolas Kyriakoglou is a Senior Consultant in Baringa’s Energy and Resources practice. In this role he helps investors deploy capital in southern Europe and the Balkans, to enable their energy transition towards sustainable, decarbonised infrastructure, while also maintaining system stability and energy security. Currently Nicolas is focusing on helping utilities, developers and investors build their business case for flexible assets, particularly battery energy storage systems (BESS) across Southern Europe while also leading Baringa’s European Flexibility Market Reports delivery. He is experienced in commercial due diligence for power generation assets, market modelling and asset go-to-market strategy. Prior to his work at Baringa Nicolas was a Senior Reporter European Electricity for Argus Media.

Business Developer at Solarplaza