Meet the team
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Michalis Zanos
Managing Director
Michalis holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Economics from Essex University and an MBA from the Cyprus International Institute of Management (CIIM). At Aspon, Michalis is responsible for running the company and for business development. He has over 15 years of experience in business consulting, fund raising for public and private institutions, and several years of experience specifically in sustainability reporting, using GRI and ISO 26000 guidelines. Furthermore, he has extensive experience working with several European Union departments to promote sustainable development in Cyprus and Greece. He holds certificates on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) – G4 reporting, issued by the GRI, and on ISO 26000 and Social Audit, issued by Austrian Standards.
Antonis Karatzias
Strategic Development
Antonis is the director of Strategic Development at Aspon responsible for the Business Development, the formation of Alliances and the Business Strategy of the organisation. He has successfully managed a number of EU Funded, national and transnational projects mainly in Media, Technology and Communication, both as a Project Leader / Coordinator as well as the Communication and Exploitation manager. These projects include, but are not limited to, Mesh, Gredia, CPN, Assets (under Horizon), BioforLife, Foodprint, (Life + program), Scient, Mediatech, Young Business Leaders in times of crisis, Micare, EmployeeMe, Cineyouth, Rebreading (Erasmus+), Mia Valitsa Gevsis, (AMIF), CAP, EP4U and Cohesion Policy (Promotional campaigns).
He holds a degree in Business Administration from The University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki and has extensive experience in management positions in the industries of Media, Services and Commerce, either as the Innovation Director, HR Director or other business executive roles. He is also active in the Start- up ecosystem in Cyprus, either as a co-founder or member of the executive committee of Cypriot start-ups. He is an HRDA certified trainer, an executive mentor and a personal development coach.
Anastasios Zografos
Business development manager
Anastasios Zografos holds a master’s degree and a PhD in History from the University of Montpellier III. He also holds a BA in Political Sciences from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Since the completion of his studies, Anastasios gained important experience in drafting and implementing projects funded through the EU Commission, such as IMCAP, IMREG, Life+, European Parliament and similar projects. Additionally, Anastasios is an experienced trainer as he designed and gave several lectures at university level. He also participated in a number of international scientific events and published his work in peer-reviewed journals and collective books.
Alexandros Partaouridis
Manager
Alexandros holds an Integrated Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nottingham. With previous experience as a mechanical design engineer contributing to the building services design of major projects in the Midlands, UK, he brings valuable insights to the field. Additionally, he is certified as a Trainer of Vocational Training (level 5) by HRDA. Alexandros supports Aspon Consulting across its range of operations and services, contributing to project management, EU-funded project implementation, corporate responsibility consulting, business consulting, and the delivery of training programs.
Panayiota Yiorka
Consultant
Panayiota holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Cyprus, coupled with a Master’s degree in Management, Technology, and Quality. Panayiota is not only academically accomplished but also holds certifications in Renewable Energy Technologies from Delft University of Technology and ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management Systems, showcasing her commitment to staying at the forefront of industry advancements. Her professional journey encompasses management roles in various industries, including overseeing operations at a plastic surgery clinic and contributing to the success of the hotel industry.
Diamanto Giannara
Manager
Diamanto holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Cyprus and a Master’s Degree in Management from the University of Sheffield. Diamanto joined Aspon in 2018 as a consultant and she is supporting Aspon Consulting to the various services of the company.
Since 2018, she is mainly involved in European co-funded projects by providing technical support regarding procurement, certifications and project management, implementing actions and deliverables and disseminating projects through social media, online press and organising events.
Elena Michael
Manager
Elena holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Cyprus and a Master’s degree in Management from the University of Manchester.
Since joining Aspon Consulting Ltd in 2020, she has supported the company across its operations, contributing to project management, business consulting and corporate responsibility initiatives. Elena specializes in helping public and private sector clients secure funding by preparing business plans, delivering reports and providing technical support. She is also involved in managing projects in sustainability, environmental management and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), while serving as a project manager for European Programs and Grants, including ERASMUS, Creative Europe etc.
Michalis Lyras
Consultant
Ioanna Agathokleous
Junior consultant
Panos Sergiou
Strategy and reporting manager
Panos holds a BEng in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCL and an MSc in Project Management, Finance and Risk from City University of London. He has worked both as an external advisor and in-house consultant, with a broad professional background in business planning, ESG reporting, and sustainability strategy. His experience spans multiple sectors, including shipping, tech, tourism, and agri-food, and includes the development of investor-grade business plans, EU funding proposals, materiality and performance assessments, and digital tools for ESG and supply chain management
External partners
Dr Anastasia Karatzia
Anastasia is an Associate Professor in Law at the Essex Law School. She graduated with an LLB from University of Surrey and subsequently completed her LLM with distinction at Queen Mary University, London. After completing her PhD studies at the School of Law, University of Surrey, she was Assistant Professor in EU law at Erasmus University Rotterdam before joining Essex Law School where she has been teaching a variety of modules including European Union Law, Banking Law and Competition Law. Anastasia has expertise on the topic of participatory and representative democracy, and EU banking and finance law. She has published journal articles on forms of citizens’ participation in the EU, the transparency of EU institutions, finance law, and broader aspects of institutional law. She has worked in the FP-7-funded project Rediclaim and in research and consulting projects for the European Parliament and the European Central Bank, and she has experience in writing Horizon proposals.
Christos Danezis
Christos is an accomplished communication and business transformation consultant, with a successful track record of managing media organisations. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at the University of Nicosia and the Cyprus University of Technology. His research interests include innovation, online content production, distribution, consumption, and monetisation. He has designed and implemented EU-funded projects in the areas of innovation, technology, and communication. Additionally, he has been a valuable industry expert in European research consortiums aimed at promoting the best practices and paradigms of trustful Artificial Intelligence solutions. Christos has extensive knowledge of the EU and local legal system and regulations, having applied the GDPR and participated in the consultation process regarding the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Market Act (DMA) regulations. He has served as Vice President of the Cyprus Online Publishers Association, a member of the Media Ethics Committee, and the Cyprus Union of Journalists.
Andreas Papanastasiou
Andreas has a combined experience of 15 years in the corporate world and, in parallel most of the time, the sports business environment. Holding a degree from the University of Cyprus ‘Economics and Business Faculty, and an MBA from the Mediterranean Institute of Management (MIM), he worked as Business Development Manager in 3 different information technology companies in the areas of advertising, blockchain, and payment services. He has also worked as a business development manager at a leading wellness company in Cyprus, taking part in exhibitions abroad, organising seminars and events while promoting fitness equipment for households, gyms and companies. He further enhanced his knowledge in this area as well, attending Sports Management courses at UCN Denmark, Personal Training at the North Academy of Fitness Greece, Sports Performance at Munich Performance, and Sporting Director at the University of Nicosia.
Anna Evgeniou
Anna is a proposal writer for European projects. She has experience in the drafting of grant applications and tenders as well in the management and implementation of EU funded projects, including Erasmus plus and Life among others. She is also experienced in the implementation of project activities, including the implementation of awareness raising campaigns and the organisation of workshops and other events. Anna holds a degree in English language and French studies from Lancaster University and a Masters in Translation Theory and Practice from University College London.