3rd GIWA Categories & Judges

Litsa Panayotopoulos is co-founder and President of EVIA Intelligent Performance Ltd, A committed advocate of innovation, she creates opportunities for entrepreneurship in various roles:
Vice-President of Intale A.E. Retail Solutions and Papapostolou S.A. Medical Technologies Treasurer of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce
President of its Innovation, Education and Entrepreneurship Committee.
Secretary General of the Non Executive Directors’ Club.
She regularly participates in international events as a judge, moderator and key-note speaker. She is active in the organizational development of innovative companies alongside CEOs and boards of directors in order to turn their business endeavors into strategic action and profit.
In addition to her business activities, she is on the Business Advisory Council of the Athens University International MBA, a Board Member of the Greek-Serbian Business Council and Citizens Movement (Kinisi Politon).
Her extensive career has been built in major international systems and projects in the USA, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Africa in large multinational companies, Control Data et.al. She developed and managed: Geranos SA (a subsidiary of Commercial Bank of Greece being responsible for the 20 affiliates of the bank); Oracle S.E. Europe, Greece and Cyprus (establishing and managing subsidiaries of Oracle corporation in the region), and OTE Academy, the largest professional training organization in Greece, amongst others.
Litsa is a Founding Member and Honorary President of SEN/Junior Achievement Greece, presiding over its leadership in various capacities for 15 years. She has served on boards of major professional associations such as the Hellenic Management Association (EEDE) where she is an Honorary President and founder of its Hellenic Institute of Information (EIP). Former BoD member of IOBE (Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research), f. President and Board Member of ALBA Business University. Honorary Member of CEO Clubs Greece.
She holds a BSc and MSc in Computer Science and Management from London University.

She is an education expert, experienced in policy making, management, educational design, curriculum development, evaluation, teaching, training, mentoring and counseling. She has taught in primary, secondary and tertiary education. She has served as an education expert for the EC and the UN, an advisor to the Greek government and a member in the BoD of national organizations concerned with policy. She has worked with the most prominent Greek Universities, Charitable Foundations and with think tanks. She has inspired, designed and supervised impactful nationwide projects on women empowerment, citizenship, volunteering, innovation etc. Some of her published work is being taught at the Greek Open University graduate training program and in schools. She holds a Master of Education in Educational Policy with a focus on Educational Administration and Supervision (cum laude) from Georgia State University. She has been trained on Non-Profit Management at Harvard University and on Executive Coaching at UC Berkeley. Her work over the last 7 years has reached directly more than 200.000 beneficiaries. She speaks Greek, English, German, French, Spanish and Italian. She is the CEO of the Lambrakis Foundation.

Eleni (Neni) Douka, after her bachelor’s studies in Athens, received a master’s degree in Educational Psychology and Comparative Education at London University. She is a PhD candidate of the University of Athens and the mother of Dimitri, Yianni & Chrysanthy.
As a member of Doukas School Board of Directors, she participates in the formation and enrichment of the school’s educational philosophy, with emphasis on innovative programs focusing on Knowledge, Skills, and Values.
As General Director of Education, she coordinates the educational work of the K-12 educational institution.
In 2016 she was awarded the Knight of the Order of Academic Phoenix by the French Government for promoting the French culture.
In 2020 she became Honorary Member of Special Olympics Hellas for her many years of contribution to the Organization.
In 2021 she became a member of the Microsoft Showcase Schools Advisory Board as well as a Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE).
She is an active member of the Association of Friends of Children with Cancer “ELPIDA”, the Panhellenic Women’s Athletic Association “KALLIPATEIRA” and the Association “Filoi tou Pediou” & “Mazi gia to Paidi”.

Ms. Papadopoulou has been OTE Group Chief Human Resources Officer since December 2011. She joined COSMOTE in September 2005, as Human Resources Director, and in 2008 she undertook the position of COSMOTE Group Human Resources General Director.
Prior to joining COSMOTE, Ms. Papadopoulou worked in the Financial Division of SHELL HELLAS S.A., from where she moved to KRAFT FOODS INTERNATIONAL as Human Resources Manager. For the next ten years she held the position of Human Resources Director and was a member of the Management Board of MERCEDES BENZ HELLAS, PN GEROLYMATOS and PRAKTIKER HELLAS of the METRO Group.
Ms. Papadopoulou is a member of the Board in GERMANOS, COSMOTE E-Value, COSMOTE TV and holds the position of Vice Chairman in OTE Academy and COSMOTE Technical Services.
Ms. Papadopoulou holds a degree in Business Administration and Finance from Deree College.

Theo is a science engager, a social entrepreneur and a National Geographic Explorer. He is the Co-Founder and General Manager of SciCo, an international social enterprise aiming to make science simple and to promote science education. Under his leaderships, SciCo has run more than 200 high-impact national and international outreach activities and programs including the “Athens Science Festival, “Mind the Lab”, “Generation Next” and “Celebrity Science” amongst others. Collectively they have reached more than 400.000 people. Moreover, he is the Founder of Theta Communications, a company specializing in corporate innovation. Theo holds a PhD in Medical Genetics from Kings College London and his Post-Doctoral Research work was in hereditary cancer. He is an Ashoka Fellow and he has received the British Council UK Alumni Social Impact Award (2017), the Newcastle University Alumni Impact Award (2019) and the Ecsite Marianno Gago Award (2019). In 2022 he was selected in the Explorer’s Club “50 people changing the world” list. Theo has travelled in 93 countries, in 6 continents.

Maria Kastani is a highly acclaimed fashion entrepreneur based in London. Over the course of her 18-year career, Maria has been responsible for the launch of the globally recognisable brand Issa as a partner. From 2001-2009 Maria launched Havaianas in the UK and Ireland as their distributor. Following these successes, Maria founded her third company Kastani Ltd, a fashion incubator supporting and mentoring young designers. Kastani helps nurture and develop brands into becoming commercially sustainable and gain global fame within all sectors of the fashion and design industry. Maria holds ambassadorial roles for several luxury fashion and beauty brands and has been featured in numerous international publications. This includes, Vogue (UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece and Vogue.com) Elle, Marie Claire, The Times, FT, In Style and Harper’s Bazaar amongst others. A keen advocate for all things kind and sustainable, Maria spearheaded Fashion Moving Forward during COVID-19. It is a platform to support and advise on the much-needed change in the fashion industry. Maria Kastani is on the advisory board of Wardrobe Icons and holds the title of Strategic Advisor for Women for Women International, a charity she has been supporting since 2016. She is a certified Pilates and Yoga teacher and has been practicing daily mediation the past 9 years.

Mary Katrantzou is a Greek born Designer based in London. She has been dubbed “The Queen of Print” by press, a moniker that recognises the enormous influence of her work in the medium. As an image maker focusing on strong narrative, Katrantzou’s work changed the face of twenty-first-century fashion, inspiring high fashion and high street designers alike. In her designs, Katrantzou challenges perspective by creating an interplay between craftsmanship and innovation and filtering the beauty found in design. She has received numerous prestigious awards and her work has been exhibited around the world, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Victoria & Albert Museum. Amongst many collaborations, she has designed the costumes for the NYC Ballet, the Opera de Paris and the Greek National Opera. Her first Couture show took place in 2019, at The Temple of Poseidon in Sounio, which also marked the start of her collaboration with BVLGARI. In 2021, BVLGARI: Serpenti Through The Eyes of Mary Katrantzou, an exclusive capsule collection of handbags launched which consisted of 3 new styles, shortly followed by the fragrance OMNIA by Mary Katrantzou. The brands’ world is feminine, bold, artistic and timeless.