Bios of Speakers, Moderators, and Panelists
Matina Alexandri, Marine Geologist/Oceanographer
Dr. Stamatina Alexandri was born and raised in Poros. She holds a degree in geology, an MSc in Oceanography, a PhD and a post-doc in marine geophysics.
In addition to the recent position of vice-president of Poros Municipal Port Authority, during her 30-year career she worked as state employee in the Ministry of Labor for the Directorate of the European Social Fund, as a Marine Geologist at the Hellenic Center for Marine Research, as a Scientific Associate at the University of Athens and as Senior EU Projects Consultant.
Her extensive research experience encompasses over 50 research projects and 40 research cruises, focusing on marine geophysics, ocean bottom mapping, bathymetry and imagery in various marine environments. Her research interests span, seabed morphology, coastal processes monitoring, and sustainable marine environmental management. She has contributed significantly to understanding deep-sea processes and coastal hazards mapping, emphasizing fusion of satellite, aerial, and marine data for comprehensive analyses.
Tom Appleby, Chief Legal Adviser, Blue Marine Foundation
Dr Tom Appleby is an Associate Professor at the University of the West of England and Chief Legal Adviser of the UK-based conservation organisation, Blue Marine Foundation. Over the years he has worked on a huge range of pioneering marine legal projects in the UK, Europe and across the world. He has been researching key questions around the public ownership of salmon farms, and the siting and location of open pen farms in inappropriate locations.
Richard Barreno, Sea Shephard Spain
Richard Barreno is an ecosopher and activist, President of Sea Shepherd Spain, Board member of Serra Gelada Natural Park and local coordinator for Spanish environmentalist group Ecologistas En Acción. He also is an adviser to various public administrations, local and autonomous governments and public non profit organizations on the environment, conservation and history of the Western Mediterranean. His educational activity is based on workshops covering various topics including Deep Ecology, Biodiversity, Eco Anxiety, local Spanish Anthropology and History and their relation to present day civilization.
Maximiliano Bello, Ocean Policy Expert, Mission Blue
Maximiliano Bello has worked for numerous organizations to advance marine conservation priorities, including the Pew Charitable Trusts, Oceana, World Wildlife Fund, Mission Blue, Island Conservation, and Patagonia. In 2019 he served as the UNFCCC COP25 Presidential Committee Ocean Representative.
He has worked with governments around the world to establish marine protected areas and was instrumental in securing protections for over 2.3 million squared kms of territorial waters. He has advanced degrees in natural resources management and economics and has completed over 100 dives.
In 2022, Max was awarded the Orden de Manuel Amador Guerrero by the government of Panama for his work to protect the Cordillera de Coiba, the first fully marine protected area to be established in the eastern tropical pacific corridor. He is a distinguished fellow with the Latin American Program of the Wilson Center in Washington, DC, an advisor to the Ocean Leader’s Program at Edinburgh University in Scotland, and advisor to the Great Whale Conservancy and SeaLegacy.
Marco Bittner, President, Cultural and Ecological Association of Calpe
Marco Bittner is an artist in the graphic arts realm whose first job was at a start-up dedicated to implementing German management software in Spain. The public sector beckoned, and he took the role of cultural programmer, producing events, exhibitions, and community gatherings. His commitment to public service led him from being Secretary General of the local Partido Socialista Obrero Español to serving as a government councilor. Advocating for citizens remains his priority. Marco holds a degree in Fine Arts from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from UNED Denia, with advanced studies at the Universidad Miguel Hernández.
Alessandro Bocconcelli, Emeritus Research Scholar, Centinela Patagonia & WHOI
Mr. Bocconcelli joined the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 1985 as a summer student and then in 1986 as an engineer. Subsequently, he worked at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington as Director of Operations for the Center for Marine Science for seven years. Upon returning to WHOI he worked as a Research Specialist.
Mr. Bocconcelli has authored and co-authored more than 50 technical papers and presented them worldwide. He is a member of the European Cetacean Society and a co-founder of Fundacion Centinela Patagonia in Chile.
Mr. Bocconcelli graduated from the Nautical Technical Institute in Camogli, Italy, and has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Ocean Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has participated in more than 100 research cruises. He is a guest investigator at the CIMA Research Center and at the Stazione Biologica Anton Dhorn in Naples, both in Italy.
Catalina Cendoya, Director, The GSFR
Catalina is from the coast of Argentina, and nature and the sea has always in one way or another influenced her life decisions. At age 18 she decided to study political science in the capital. After working for several years in the government (and especially after the pandemic, when she moved back home), she decided that she wanted to be more involved in sustainable work. Living by the sea brought home to her the idea that protecting the ocean is critical work, and the unique alliance that is the GSFR completely captivated her.
GSFR is an action-driven global alliance comprising NGOs, activists, scientists, and individuals who share a common vision: oceans free from open-net salmon farms allowing depleted marine ecosystems to thrive once again. Our mission is to share actions and information to halt the expansion of the salmon industry and remove open-net salmon farms from oceans worldwide.
Agustina Copello, Coordinator, The GSFR
Agus Copello was born and raised in Buenos Aires. Nature has always been her passion and she studied environmental management at university. After graduation, she worked for several companies in the food and beverage, energy, and consulting business, where she focused on environmental and sustainability initiatives. However, driven by a desire for more significant impact and realizing how important public policies are in keeping the environment safe, she switched to roles in the Union Industrial Argentina and the Buenos Aires City Government where she learned to approach environmental issues from a different perspective. Last year she set out on a new journey by becoming a part of the Por El Mar and GSFR team. She is a strong believer in the power of teamwork to create positive change and truly make a difference.
Alex Cornelissen, CEO, Sea Sheperd Global
Captain Cornelissen has participated in more than 25 Sea Shepherd campaigns, beginning as Chief Cook, rising through the ranks to become Captain. After six years on the ships, he spent another six years running a successful campaign in the Galapagos Islands as the Director of Operations.
In his current role as Chief Executive Officer for Sea Shepherd Global, Captain Cornelissen guides global operations. Leading a highly capable team of professionals that spans five continents, he oversees a wide array of international public-private partnerships, manages country agreements, and is responsible for the movements of all vessels in Sea Shepherd Global’s fleet.
Captain Cornelissen is an expert on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing as well as marine wildlife protection.
Over the last eight years the organization has broadened its conservation reach by partnering with countries worldwide to combat IUU fishing. This has resulted in the arrest of nearly 100 vessels.
Francesco De Augustinis, Journalist & Filmmaker, One Earth
Francesco De Augustinis is a freelance journalist and documentarian specialising in food and environmental issues. He works with different media outlets such as Mongabay, The Guardian, Corriere della Sera, EuObserver, Repubblica, The Huffington Post, The Ferret.
In 2019 he founded the independent media project on sustainability ONE EARTH doc. Through this project, he took part in different international investigative projects and produced three documentaries about food, ethics and sustainability.
Eva Douzinas, President, Rauch Foundation & Co-Founder, Katheti
Eva Douzinas is the President of the US-based Rauch Foundation which invests in financial literacy for youth and research into global food systems, with a particular focus on industrial carnivorous fish farming. Previously, Eva was the Co-President and CFO for Veson Nautical Corporation, a commercial maritime software company based in Boston that Eva co-founded in 2003 and led until the sale of the company in 2017. Since 2018, as Board Chair, she has devoted a significant amount of her time to the non-profit cultural and environmental center she co-founded in Greece, Katheti AMKE, serving the Troizin region and headquartered on the island of Poros. Eva also serves as a trustee on the board of Anatolia College in Thessaloniki.
A dual citizen of the US and Greece, Eva earned a B.A. in economics from Wesleyan University and an M.B.A. from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Tasos Filippides, Co-Founder & Executive Director, OZON NGO
Anastasios (Tasos) Filippides is co-founder and executive director of OZON – an environmental NGO based in Greece, active in the protection of marine and coastal environment. He holds a BEng and an MSc in Manufacturing Engineering.
For over 25 years, worked as management consultant specializing in corporate re-structuring, productivity analysis, and business processes re-engineering. As a consultant and project manager worked and lived in Greece, United Kingdom, Kyrgyzstan, Romania and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Since 2010 he is leading OZON as a director and field activist. He has designed and managed successful research projects on marine and coastal pollution, implemented coastal clean-up, conservation, and monitoring projects, run nationwide public awareness campaigns.
Over the past 2 years he is steering the transformation of OZON from a data gathering and research organization to an institution that design and implement pioneering initiatives for the mitigation of marine litter in the Mediterranean basin.
Anthi Giannoulou, Environmental Attorney
Anthi was born and raised in Piraeus with lineage from Chios island. She graduated from Athens Law School, where she also attended post-graduate studies in Public Law. She worked as a maritime lawyer for almost 2 decade, first as a partner in a maritime law firm and later on as an in-house legal consultant in Greek shipping companies. More recently she has focused her practice as an attorney-at-law on issues relating to the protection of the marine environment and the construction and operation of ports or marinas. In parallel, she is also involved in the consumer protection movement, working as a legal consultant of the oldest Greek Consumer federation INKA.
Christopher Gobler, Professor, Stony Brook University
Christopher Gobler is a Distinguished Professor and an Endowed Chair within the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) at Stony Brook University. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. from Stony Brook University in the 1990s and began his academic career as a professor at Long Island University (LIU) in 1999. In 2005, he joined Stony Brook University as the Director of Academic Programs for SoMAS on the Stony Brook – Southampton campus. In 2015, he was named Director of the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology. He has been editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed Elsevier journal, Harmful Algae, since 2018. His research aims to understand how anthropogenic activities (climate change, eutrophication, overharvest of fisheries) alter the ecological and biogeochemical functioning of coastal ecosystems and to discover approaches for restoring impaired coastal ecosystems. He has published more than 250 manuscripts in international, peer-reviewed journals and has had more than 50 graduate students.
Ann Golob, Head of Research, Rauch Foundation
Ann Golob is director of research for the Rauch Foundation. Previously she oversaw the Long Island Index, an indicators project of the Foundation whose motto was, “Good information presented in a neutral manner can move policy.” Some of the biggest successes of that effort were moving NYS to invest $2.6 billion in the building of new rail infrastructure and helping Long Islanders understand the pressing need for more affordable housing. Trained as a cultural anthropologist and completing a dissertation on the history of Jesuit missionaries in the Amazonian jungle, Golob then worked for 20 years in the technology arena for major banks and insurance companies. In her spare time, she weaves, quilts and spends as much time as possible with her delightful grandkids.
Natasha Hurley, Director of Campaigns on Trade, Finance, and Global Supply Chains, Feedback Global
Natasha Hurley is Feedback Global’s Director of Campaigns on Trade, Finance and Global Supply Chains. She has run high-profile campaigns targeting irresponsible practices in corporate supply chains for most of her career and spent several years on the UN Montreal Protocol and UNFCCC circuits lobbying for higher ambition on international climate and ozone policy. She spent the first part of her career in Brussels, where she worked for the European Commission and in public affairs and strategic communications for private sector clients.
A bilingual French speaker, she holds a Master’s in EU Political Studies. Alongside her role at Feedback she is a trustee for Somerset Wildlands, a game-changing new organisation creating space for nature through rewilding.
Hannah Kapff, Founder and Managing Director of Curious PR (London)
Hannah Kapff gained a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from the University of Southampton when only three UK universities offered the course, and many thought it was an ‘esoteric subject’. The next decade saw her work as a news producer for the BBC and CNBC Europe, helping produce award-winning news, documentaries & current affairs programmes. In 2006, she took her story-telling and media skills into PR to pursue her fascination with science, technology and issues-focused projects, especially those involving health, wellbeing and the environment. Based on an ability to turn complex information into media stories, the past 15 years have seen her work for major organisations such as the UN, for blue chips (LVMH, Pfizer, Smith&Nephew), SMEs, start-ups and charities. In 2013 she founded Curious PR as a consultancy that reflected her own values and natural curiosity, to offer superlative client service and get people thinking, talking and doing things differently.
Nikos Kopsidas, Nikolaos Kopsidas Communications and Public Relations Services
Nikos Kopsidas, with over 25 years in communications, stands out as a Corporate Communications Specialist and PR Consultant. Leading teams up to 50 and managing budgets to €10 million, he’s established strong ties with Greek media, significantly impacting communication strategies. Nikos’ expertise spans both private and public sectors, evidenced by his advisory roles to ministers and members of the Greek Parliament. Notably, as Head of PR & Marketing at Wunderman Thompson & GroupM Greece, he drove the PR enhancement and brand relaunch. His previous positions include Business Unit Director at V+ O Communication, where he managed strategies for big corporate clients and Client Service Director at IKON Porter Novelli. Educationally, Nikos holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics from the University of Athens
Giorgos Koutouzis, Mayor of Poros
Giorgos Konstantinou Koutouzis is the current Mayor of Poros as of January 2024. He was born and raised on the island of Poros. After a career in shipping, he has since 2000 been involved in the production, bottling and export of olive oil in the modern family-run Troizinia olive oil processing and refining unit, which he himself founded in Karapoliti, Poros.
With significant contribution to the community, Giorgos Koutouzis is a founding member of the Consumers’ Association of Poros, an active member of the Commercial Association and a member of the Board of Directors of A.O. Poros. For over 10 years, he has served as a Councilor on the municipality of Poros including previously serving as Deputy Mayor for 7 years.
His involvement in public affairs is a reflection of his love for Poros and his fellow citizens and of his strong concern for the island’s future. He is accustomed to hard work, believes in team effort and honesty is a characteristic that has accompanied him throughout his professional and personal life.
Elina Makri, Journalist
Elina Makri is an independent journalist and media project manager. She is the General Manager of the Democracy & Culture Foundation which, among other special projects to strengthen Democracy, organizes the Athens Democracy Forum, in association with The New York Times.
Elina studied Law in France and International and European Law in Belgium, specializing in data journalism in the USA. She began her journalistic path from European journalism and, as a Marie Curie Fellow, studied what Journalism can learn from Neuroscience and Cognitive Science.
In May 2012, she won the 1st Charlemagne Youth Prize for the European journalistic work of cafebabel.com, “Europe on the ground.” She is the founder of Oikomedia.com, a platform aiming at cross-border collaboration between media professionals and A+Ω, a data analysis platform selected and funded by Google.
She is a native of Xiromero and spends a lot of time in Astakos, where her family is from.
Quentin Marchais, Food Systems, Oceans & Land Use Lead, Client Earth
Originally from France, Quentin started his career in the financial sector, developing remote greenfield micro-finance institutions in Namibia and Mozambique. Quentin then switched to the environmental sector, focusing on seafood and ocean conservation. For the last 9 years, he has been working on the ocean and food systems. At ClientEarth, he developed and then led their seafood work. He now holds a cross-organisational position focusing on strategy, as Food Systems, Ocean, and Land Use Lead. He also worked at Fauna & Flora International as the Marine Programme Manager for the Americas and Caribbean region, overseeing a range of marine projects in Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua. He holds a Masters in Management and Finance from University Paris Dauphine and a Masters in Environment and Sustainable Development from UCL. He is a passionate sailor, diver and kitesurfer, spending most of his free time in or on the ocean.
Anastasios Mougios, Mayor of Troizinia-Methana Municipality
Tasos Mougios was born in 1974 in Piraeus, he is married to Anastasia Betenioti and is the father of two children, Thanasis and Marilena.
He has extend experience for more than 30 years as Insurance Consultant/Coordinator of Insurance Consultants and Real Estate Consultant (Development and Exploitation) and he maintains offices in Galata and Poros.
At the same time, he maintains an office of a courier company with his wife.
His engagement with the public began at a young age, as the President of the Cultural Association of his village and he has served in two electoral terms as Municipal Councilor, Deputy Mayor, President of the Primary School Committee and a member of the Development Association of the Municipality of Troizinia.
Since 2011 he has been involved in the administration of the Galata Sports Club and for several years from the position of President
In the elections of October 2023 he was elected Mayor of Troizinia Methana.
Andrianna Natsoulas, Campaign Director, Don’t Cage Our Oceans (DCO2)
Andrianna Natsoulas is currently the Campaign Director for Don’t Cage Our Oceans. For over two decades she has been engaged with community-based fisheries and agricultural policies and campaigns on the international to local levels and has worked for a variety of organizations, including Food & Water Watch, the North American Marine Alliance, and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York. Andrianna wrote the book, Food Voices: Stories From the People Who Feed Us, a collection of stories from farmers and fishermen across five countries. She continues to write short stories, fiction, and non-fiction. Andrianna has a BS from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and an MS from the University of Warwick. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley, unceded territory of the Munsee-Lenape.
Fay Orfanidou, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Katheti
Executive Director and co-founder of Katheti, Fay Orfanidou, completed her undergraduate studies in Greek Civilization and holds MAs in Social Science as well as in Education and Human Rights. For 20 years, she has worked as a translator of English, Spanish, Italian, and German and also worked in the civil society field, for WWF Hellas and Fair Trade Hellas. In 2013, she co-founded cultural center, Litrivi, on Poros. For the past 30 years she has been volunteering for various organizations and has attended seminars on PM, HR, PR, and NGO management. She loves reading, playing music, singing, acting and sports, and has attended many theater, creative writing and literature workshops, as well as a 2-year seminar on educational programs at the Greek Children’s Museum. She comes from a family with deep roots on Poros and has chosen to make the island her permanent home. LinkedIn
Elias Papatheodorou, Advisory Board, Katheti
Elias Papatheodorou is an Advisory Board member of Katheti AMKE, a member of the Green Party and active in the development of novel therapeutics mainly for orphan diseases. He has 30 years of work experience in Greece, USA and European countries. He has been involved with multiple international biotechnology companies as an executive manager or Board member. He has been active member of the Green Ecological movement for many years with a special interest in the well-being of marine ecosystems, sustainable transport and the transition to a sustainable zero emissions economy. He has served as secretary, international secretary and representative to the European Green Party of Ecologist Greens. He has studied at Ithaca College and Cornell University. Elias is also a part-time resident of Poros, Greece.
Mike Sampey, Documentarist, LOWCO AU
Michael Sampey is a highly skilled documentary filmmaker hailing from Hobart, Tasmania, with a passion for shedding light on pressing food and environmental issues. With over a decade of experience in the field, Michael has dedicated himself to creating impactful films that provoke thought and inspire action.
With a career spanning more than 40 years, Michael’s expertise in sound recording and filmmaking is extensive. He has worked on projects both internationally and for renowned institutions such as the BBC in London and the ABC Tasmania. This wealth of experience has honed his ability to craft compelling narratives that resonate with audiences worldwide.
Patti Schaefer, Executive Director, Rauch Foundation
Previously environmental program director at Rauch, Patti now advises on governance and strategy. She began her career at Morgan Stanley, where she ran the firm’s U.S. foundation and led efforts to establish its UK counterpart. At the Cooke School in NYC, she oversaw a $10M capital campaign and rebrand and in 2013 spent a school year in Beirut as campaign counsel to International College. Back home, a one-time request to write a piece for Nonprofit Quarterly turned into additional pieces on environmental activism and immigrant rights, which led to further opportunities for teaching and working with groups and individuals in those spaces.
Patti holds an M.A. in political science from Columbia University and an M.A., TESOL from the Department of Linguistics at Stony Brook University. She lives in Westhampton Beach, NY, where she chairs the waterfront advisory council. She just received her Italian citizenship and is looking forward to what that may bring.
Joanna Sullivan, Founder/CEO of Conscience Consulting
Joanna Sullivan, professor of climate diplomacy, and founder and CEO of Conscience Consulting which advises EU and global institutions, business leaders and civil society on building bridges for a more sustainable and equitable world. Joanna is passionate about building coalitions to foster resilience against complex global challenges.
As Professor of Climate Diplomacy at the European Institute and published author of ‘Creating Sustainability Champions’ Joanna is a regular contributor and moderator of panel debates. Joanna shares decades of experience of high-level strategic communication and multi-country advocacy campaigns, specialising in food systems, climate and nature policy solutions.
Joanna is Anglo-Irish dual nationality, moving to Brussels to work in the European Parliament, now a Brussels resident of 30 years. Before founding Conscience, Joanna was campaigns director at Friends of the Earth Europe, and communications director at the European Consumer Organisation.