Research Team
Dr. Dimitrios N. Koufopoulos BSc, MBA, PhD, MCMI, MFSA, FIB
Director of Research
Dimitrios holds a B.Sc. degree in Business Administration from the Athens University of Business and Economics (former ASOEE) and an MBA and PhD degree from Cardiff University. He is Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants, Member of the Chartered Institute of Management, member of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment and Academic Member of the European Corporate Governance Institute.
Moreover, he started his professional career as an accountant and then joined the Cardiff Business School as a Researcher and Lecturer specialising in strategic management. In 2002, he moved to Brunel University where he worked until 2018 as a Senior Lecturer in International Management and Strategy. Moreover, he has taught as visiting Lecturer in both British and American institutions and currently serves as an Adjunct Faculty at Universitas21 (www.u21global.edu.sg), the Hellenic Open University (www.eap.gr) , Laureate –Liverpool and Laureate-Roehampton. In 2018, Dimitrios has been appointed as the Director of the Global MBA programme at the University of London. Also, he is currently a Visiting Professor in the School of Law, Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary, University of London, UK.
Additionally, he has served as a member in the Corporate Affairs Committee at the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) from September 2004 to 2008 (www.managers.org.uk), which is an advisory committee to the Board of Trustees. He is a Company Secretary of the EU-MAP Consulting –a specialized Public Affairs and Lobbying consultancy company (www.eumap-consulting.eu). He was Head of the Management Research unit at the Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER- www.atiner.gr ).
Finally, his primary research interests are on corporate governance, boards of directors and strategy.
Dr. Ioannis P. Gkliatis BSc, MSc, PGCert, PhD, MCMI, FHEA
Senior Research Fellow
Yiannis holds a BSc in Business Administration from La Verne University and received an MSc degree from Brunel University in HR and ER. His doctoral thesis—also from Brunel University—is in the area of corporate governance and is focusing on board roles and the impact of the external environment.
After a few years of teaching experience in UK institutions, he is currently a Senior Lecturer in Strategic Management at the University of Hertfordshire. His primary research interest is on corporate governance, strategy, planning, boards of directors, decision making and corporate reputation. If you want to find out a bit more about him, you may visit his profile on LinkedIn and ResearchGate.
Dr. Chris Grose BSc, MSc, PhD
Senior Research Fellow
Chris is an Assistant Professor at the department of Accounting and Finance of the School of Economics and Business of the International Hellenic University. He holds an MSc from University of Birmingham and a PhD from the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki. He worked in various positions in the industry before joining IHU. For the most part of his professional career he has acted as consultant for corporate governance compliance issues. Having worked in Investor Relations Offices for 14 years he has closely monitored the evolution of corporate governance legislation in Greece. His current research focuses on corporate restructurings and corporate governance issues. His research work has appeared in the Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions & Money and the International Review of Financial Analysis amongst other journals.
Dr. Epameinondas Katsikas BSc, MBA, PhD, FHEA, CMBE
Senior Research Fellow
Dr Epameinondas Katsikas is a Lecturer in Accounting at Kent Business School, University of Kent and a visiting professor at the University of Bologna, Italy and Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan. He holds a BSc degree in accounting from Strayer University, USA, an MBA degree from Leicester University, UK and PhD in Accounting from Durham University Business School, UK. Before starting his PhD, Epameinondas worked in the private and the public sector in business administration and the field of accounting.
Has worked as an accountant in the private and public sector, finance officer in the finance department of a Greek university, and owner of his own accounting practice. Epameinondas has taught previously at Durham University, Queen Mary University, Oxford Brookes University, University of Kent, Bologna University and Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and also at the University of London, global MBA (online). Currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Hellenic Observatory of Corporate Governance (hocg.eu).
Has published his work in international peer-reviewed journals and presented parts of his work at leading international conferences. His teaching interests lay in the area of management accounting, financial accounting, performance measurement, change, benchmarking, financial statement analysis and management control systems, CSR and corporate governance. Has taught at Masters programmes in accounting and finance, MBA, and at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
His research develops at the interface between accounting and administration studies, exploring the organizational, cultural and managerial aspects, antecedents and impacts of public sector accounting, accountability, management accounting, financial accounting, financial management, corporate financial reporting, financial control, integrated reporting, institutional change, corporate social responsibility and highlighting their contextual nature. In addition, on the study of performance measurement and the implementation of private sector management accounting practices by public sector organizations, financial management and market-based accounting research with a focus on the role of information in company valuation, empirical analysis of accounting information, the role of a management accounting change and institutionalisation in public sector organisations, the analysis of the impact of change dynamics on the change process of management accounting systems, financial risk and CSR policy, performance measurement, public and private sector, corporate governance, sustainability reporting and corporate financial reporting.
Furthermore, on the capital market consequences of international financial reporting standards (IFRS), and the impact of accounting and dividend information on equity valuation. Also on modelling and estimating the cost of capital and valuation and financial reporting issues, volatility and autocorrelation in stock markets and herding. On corporate governance and accountability using a variety of quantitative and qualitative research methods. This includes quantitative empirical analysis on executive compensation and its impact on the quality of corporate governance and more qualitative research on how corporate governance information is incorporated into the analysis of sell-side financial analysts.
Has also supervised numerous undergraduate and postgraduate students in different universities, from diverse cultural backgrounds during their essays, and final dissertations.
Finally, has engaged in all forms of pedagogic work including classroom teaching, tutorial work and associated outreach work, residentials, MOOCS, preparation and support of distance learning materials together with the associated organizational and administrative work.
Konstantinos Athanasiadis BSc, MSc, PhD candidate
Senior Research Associate
Konstantinos holds a B.Sc. degree in Economics from University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, Greece and an M.Sc. degree in Management with a specialization in Technology and Innovation Management from Brunel University, London. He is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at Birkbeck University, London. His thesis topic is about CEO succession in listed companies.
He is also a Lecturer at University of Hertfordshire.
His primary research interests are in corporate governance, strategy, planning, boards of directors, decision making, CEO succession and board committees
Michail Fygkioris BSc, MSc, PhD candidate
Senior Research Associate
Michail holds a B.Sc. degree in Economics from the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, Greece. Additionally, he obtained an M.Sc. degree from Birkbeck, University of London specialising in Business Innovation and International Management. His interests include stock and foreign exchange markets, computing, and innovation systems. Finally, among other activities, he conducts research regarding the Boards of Directors of the listed companies in the Athens Stock Exchange, Greek State-Owned Enterprises, Geek Hospitals, and the European Banks. He is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki.
Dr. Vassilis Katsoulis BSc, MSc, PhD
Senior Research Associate
Vassilis holds a PhD from the University of Reading. He also holds a BSc in Business Administration from the Athens University of Economics and Business (former ASOEE) and an MBA from the University of Piraeus, both with a specialisation in Accounting & Finance.
Vassilis has taught Portfolio Management and Behavioural Finance at the University of Reading and is currently working as an online instructor for the Global MBA Programme of the University of London. He has also taught a wide range of Economics and Business modules in Secondary Education Tutorial Schools and Private Institutions of Professional Training. Vassilis started his professional career as a Credit Analyst for Piraeus Bank Hellas, and has worked as an Accounting Assistant for 4 years.
His research work focuses on Corporate Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), while having a keen interest in Behavioural Finance.
Dr. Aspasia Pastra BSc, MSc, MBA, PhD
Research Associate
Aspasia Pastra holds a B.Sc. degree in Public Administration, specializing in economics, from Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences in Athens and an MBA from Cardiff University. She was granted a scholarship in memory of the ship-owner George P. Livanos for the World Maritime University in Sweden and received an MSc in Maritime Administration. Also, she has completed her PhD from Brunel University.
She also attended a Master Course in Research Methods of Social Sciences in the Lund University, Sweden.
She has extensive experience in shipping as she worked for many years in shipping companies either as an Internal Auditor or as an economist.
Ion Vasileiadis
Research Assistant
Ion is a final year student of Business Administration at the University of West Attica. In his first years as a student, he helped run a small family business, acquiring experience in the field. At HOGC, he participates in research regarding the boards of directors in State Owned Enterprises in Greece. His research interests include Organizational Psychology as well as Business Analytics.
Elena Makri MSc
Research Associate
Elena holds an MSc in Management from the University of Liverpool. Her dissertation examined the effect of board gender diversity on the performance and risk of EU systemic banks. She has been working in the banking supervision area and during the past 6 years she has been involved in fit and proper assessments of Eurozone banks’ directors. She participates in working groups on board suitability issues at the European Central Bank, in the framework of the Single Supervisory Mechanism. Her research interests focus on corporate governance, board of directors and the female presence in the European banking industry.
Nikolas Samac BA, MA
Research Associate
Nikola holds a BA degree in General Psychology from the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad, Serbia. He obtained a MA degree in Experimental Psychopathology from the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Philosophy specialising in social anxiety and biased perception of faces, and he presented results of his work at numerous international conferences.
His interests include psychometrics, scientometrics, shopper insights, database management, and corporate governance, with focus on board effectiveness. He’s currently employed in leading retail company in Serbia in customer insights department.
Georgios Nastos BSc, MSc
Research Associate
Georgios is currently working as a Consultant in the financial industry. In the past, he has worked as an Analytics Consultant in the retail and FMCG industries as well as a Marketing executive.
In 2014 he completed his MSc in Management studies at Brunel University London and he also holds a BSc in International & European Economic Studies from University of Macedonia (Thessaloniki, Greece).
At HOCG, he is in charge of the Greek football clubs’ and football industry’s research. Also, he is a big football fan and has also been a football referee in the Greek amateur league.
Michaela Mastrogiannopoulou BSc
Research Assistant
Michaela studies Sociology at Panteion University of Social and Political Science in Athens, Greece. She participates in research regarding the Boards of Directors of the listed companies in Athens Stock Exchange.
Ioanna Skiftouli BSc
Research Assistant
Ioanna graduated from the Department of Economic Sciences and Business Management at the University of Patras, Greece. She participates in Research regarding the Boards of Directors of the listed companies in Shipping.
Ioannis Kalialakis
Research Assistant
Ioannis is a final year undergraduate student of Accounting and Finance at the International Hellenic University. His current research focuses on corporate governance issues. At HOCG he participates in Research regarding corporate governance compliance in the Main and Alternative Market of the Athens Stock Exchange in more than 180 listed companies. At the same time, he studies the course of the shares on the Athens Stock Exchange in a specific time horizon, finding the ideal investment in shares, mutual funds, bonds etc. Having attended various seminars, conferences, workshops, and courses in his field of study, he is constantly evolving and being educated. Finally, Ioannis speaks three languages Greek, English, and German.
Lydia Koutsioni BSc
Research Assistant
Lydia holds a BSc in Accounting and Finance from the University of Peloponnese and she is currently studying Bioeconomics and Sustainable Development (MSc) at the University of Piraeus. She is working as a financial accountant while she is also interested in matters of sustainable finance and corporate governance. At HOCG she participates in research regarding the ESG performance of listed companies in Greece.
Giannis Adamantidis BSc
Research Assistant
Giannis is currently working as a trainee lawyer in Athens in the banking and finance division of a top-tier greek law firm. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from National and Kapodistrian University of Athens as well as a minor in Economics from the American College of Greece. He has also pursued an internship in Alpha Bank in the Strategic Planning, Corporate Governance and ESG division.