MEET OUR SPEAKERS
Steven Van Belleghem
Customer Experience Enthusiast | Global keynote speaker at nexxworks
Steven is one of Europe’s most well-known speakers within customer experience, digital transformation, and future customer behaviour. He is internationally recognised for showing how companies succeed when they combine technology with human empathy, and he frequently delivers keynotes for global organisations such as Google, Microsoft, Disney, and IKEA.
He is the author of several bestselling books and is known for his energetic, practical, and research-based approach to how AI is transforming markets and customer expectations.
Kari Anna Fiskvik
Chief Digital & Technology Officer at Strawberry
Kari Anna Fiskvik is the Chief Digital & Technology Officer at Strawberry, leading one of the Nordic hospitality sector’s most ambitious digital transformation journeys. Recently named International CIO of the Year (2025) and one of Norway’s Top 50 Women in Tech, she brings more than 25 years of leadership experience.
Her career spans the music industry, fashion & retail logistics, e-commerce, and hospitality, giving her a perspective at the intersection of commercial strategy, global supply chains, and guest-facing technology. At Strawberry, she has repositioned the tech team as strategic architects of an integrated digital ecosystem that treats the “Guest Journey” as a single, choreographed flow rather than disconnected moments.
Kari Anna is known for demystifying complex technology—from data-driven personalization to Artificial Intelligence—and translating it into tangible commercial impact. Her philosophy, “Harmony in Motion,” reflects her belief that technology should be a seamless extension of human hospitality.
By leveraging AI and data to enhance rather than replace the human touch, she focuses on how synchronized systems shape guest behaviour and build trust. A visionary leader, Kari Anna works to dismantle silos and demonstrate that the most profitable digital solutions are those that foster long-term loyalty by making the guest experience feel natural.
Vasilios Riavoglou
Chief Growth Officer at Hotel Insider & HBIS
Vasilios Riavoglou is a commercial growth and revenue strategy leader in hospitality, currently serving as Chief Growth Officer at Hotel Insider and HBIS Business Intelligence. With extensive experience across hotel technology, revenue management, business intelligence, and commercial strategy, he has worked closely with hotels and hospitality leaders to drive profitability, optimize performance, and support smarter decision-making. He is also an additional Revenue Instructor for HSMAI Europe, lecturer, speaker, and author of the book "Mindset Is Everything", combining industry expertise with a strong passion for education and professional development. As well as a member of the HSMAI Europe Greece Advisory Board.
Katia Seboglou
Director of Sales, Revenue & Marketing at Airotel Group of Hotels
Katia Seboglou is a commercial leader in the hospitality industry, with full responsibility across Sales, Revenue and Distribution for a multi-property hotel portfolio in Greece. She works closely with ownership to drive total revenue performance and long-term value creation.
Her expertise spans pricing strategy, distribution optimisation and market positioning across corporate, leisure, MICE and digital segments. Operating in fast-paced, owner-led environments, she combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution, leading repositioning initiatives and supporting portfolio growth.
Katia brings a results-driven approach to commercial leadership, with a strong focus on performance, accountability and integrated revenue strategy.
Nikolas Giannopoulos
CEO at Oenophorum Global
Nikolas Giannopoulos is a luxury hospitality executive and advisor specializing in brand-led value creation for high-end hotels, resorts, and lifestyle destinations. As the Founder of Oenophorum and Oenophorum Capital, he bridges the gap between brand strategy and investment discipline, helping assets convert market positioning into pricing power and long-term value. His background includes a decade with Mo?t Hennessy Greece, where he shaped premium brand strategies across the luxury ecosystem. A world-renowned sommelier, Nikolas holds a degree from the Glion Institute of Higher Education, a WSET Diploma (Level 4), and is currently completing the top-ranked Executive MBA at ESCP Paris. He is also an alumnus of Cornell’s Hospitality Real Estate Investments and Asset Management program.
Polychronis Griveas
Chief Strategy & Business Officer at Divani Collection Hotels
Polychronis (Pol) Griveas is an executive in the international tourism and hospitality sector, with extensive experience at the intersection of strategy, investment, and operational transformation. As Chief Strategy & Business Officer at Divani Collection Hotels, he leads the Group’s long-term strategic direction, driving sustainable growth, value creation, and performance across a portfolio of luxury hospitality assets.
With a career spanning complex projects, Pol has developed and executed transformation strategies across hotels, casinos, integrated resorts, marinas, and mixed-use tourism developments on both sides of the Atlantic. His expertise combines commercial strategy, financial oversight, and operational restructuring, with a strong focus on enhancing competitiveness and repositioning brands and properties in evolving global tourism landscapes.
Pol has held senior leadership and board-level roles in key organizations, including Astir Palace, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, Foxwoods and Resorts Casinos, The Fairmont Hotels, Sofitel Hotels and as Chairman of the Hellenic Post.
He holds an MBA in International Business Management and executive education credentials from Harvard Business School, CCL and Cornell.
Dimitris Manikis
President EMEA at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Dimitris Manikis was appointed President and Managing Director for EMEA in April 2018. In his current role as President of EMEA, he is responsible for the development of all of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ brands in the EMEA region as well as maximising the performance of all new and existing franchise and managed hotels. He focuses on driving the strategic objectives of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts including quality and technology solutions as well as new business, loyalty, sales and marketing.
Dimitris Manikis has a long-standing career and deep knowledge of the hospitality industry. Prior to joining Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, he spent over 27 years with RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange, across a number of senior roles, and most recently served as Vice President of Business Development for EMEA. Earlier in his career, he also held a number of key positions in the region as Managing Director of RCI Greece and RCI South Africa.
Dimitris is a Board Member for the World Sustainable Hospitality Association and an Industry Advisory Board member for Hotelschool the Hague.
A Greek national, Dimitris was born in Athens and holds a Bachelor degree in Tourism and Administration from the Technical University of Patras in Greece, and an MSc Postgraduate degree in Tourism Marketing from the University of Surrey.
His passion for people and work ethic comes from his father, who built up a grocery retail business in Athens where Dimitris learned the value of elevated customer service, having a positive outlook and hard work as being the foundations of success in both business and life. He is based in Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ London office.
Eri Mitsostergiou
Principal COO at Avison Young
Eri has over 25 years of extensive experience as an international property advisor, specializing in European cross border investment transactions. Formerly the World Research Director at Savills until March 2024, she spearheaded the company's thought leadership program. Leveraging her extensive experience, Eri established Foresight Real Estate Experts, her own advisory firm, in April 2024. In June 2024 she led the establishment of the local affiliation of Avison Young in Greece, becoming COO and Principal.
Her expertise lies in providing strategic guidance to clients in their real estate investment decisions. Eri actively shares her insights through various platforms such as conferences, webinars, podcasts, and blogs. A qualified Architect, Eri holds a distinguished academic background, including an MSc in European Property Development and Planning, and an Investment Property Forum Diploma from City Business School. She has demonstrably championed industry leadership, serving as Chair of ULI Greece and Cyprus National Council, and remains actively involved in the Executive Committee. She is a member of SIOR, joining a global network of experienced office and industrial brokerage specialists. Eri is also an engaged member of the LeanIn Circle, advocating for women professionals in the real estate sector in Greece. Eri's global perspective is enriched by her experience living and working in London, Amsterdam, Bucharest, and Athens. Fluent in Greek, English, Italian, and German, with a working understanding of Spanish, Dutch, and Romanian, she excels in cross-cultural communication.
Nikos Hadjos
Founder & MD at Hotellect
Nikos is the Founder of HOTELLECT, a boutique advisory firm specializing in hotel investments and asset management across Dubai and Athens. He currently serves as the official Development Consultant for Marriott International’s 33 brands in Greece and Cyprus. With a career spanning global hubs like New York and Dubai, Nikos previously held senior roles at Kingdom Hotel Investments and Abraaj Capital. During his tenure as Marriott’s Director of Development, he led the brand to become the fastest-growing international chain in Greece for three consecutive years. He holds an MBA in Finance & Investments from CUNY and is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Kostis Sideris
CEO at Ella Resorts
Kostas Sideris is the Chief Executive Officer of ELLA Resorts, where he oversees a portfolio of 13 hotels across Greece and drives the company’s strategic expansion through acquisitions and development projects both domestically and internationally. He defines and executes group-wide strategy, manages capital planning and investments, and establishes leadership and governance structures that support growth and operational excellence.
Previously, Kostas served as Chief Operating Officer of Inventio Group from 2017 to 2024. He led buy-side acquisitions, particularly in hospitality, overseeing operational, financial, and strategic performance of each asset, while advising on portfolio strategy, capital allocation, and operational optimization.
Kostas holds a Master of Science in Investment Analysis, Real Estate, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Economics & Finance, both from Athens University of Economics & Business.
Bart Van de Winkel
Chief Asset Management Officer
Bart joined Grivalia Hospitality in the capacity of Chief Asset Management Officer, as of 1st March 2024. Bart and his team oversee a variety of operations, these being: 91 Athens Riviera, The Resort, Grivalia Sea Service, Branded Residences as well the portfolio of Ultra Luxury hotels; Amanzoe, Avant Mar, ON Residence and One & Only.
Bart had been working in the hospitality industry with Hilton International, since 1980. Prior to his first appointment as General Manager, Bart worked initially in the F&B departments followed by Operations Analyst. His passion in Food and figures have assisted him in his various assignments. Bart’s first appointment as General Manager was in Budapest, in 1991. From there on he traveled throughout Europe, to become Vice President for Food&Beverage for UK & Ireland. His last appointment with Hilton was in 2006, as Area General Manager
for the Eastern Mediterranean. In 2022 he joined HVS Southern Europe to oversee the Asset Management side for Southern Europe.
Juanjo Rodriguez
Founder at The Hotels Network
Juanjo Rodriguez is a digital and marketing entrepreneur and the Founder of technology company The Hotels Network, working with hotels around the world to increase their direct booking conversion rates. Coupled with his experience as Founder over 15 years ago of Duplex, a popular marketing agency in Spain, Juanjo is a leading authority on strategic digital marketing campaigns. With a focus on educating hoteliers on the benefits of new technology such as predictive personalization, machine learning and more, Juanjo can be found imparting his wisdom as a regular speaker at hospitality events and educational organizations.
Dr. John Fotis
Deputy CEO at webhotelier | primalres
John is Deputy CEO at webhotelier | primalres, with over 25 years of senior marketing and board-level experience across the tourism industry, alongside academic appointments. He holds a PhD from Bournemouth University and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. His doctoral research on social media’s impact on leisure travel decision-making received the IFITT PhD Thesis Excellence Award. He actively contributes to industry innovation, focusing on data-driven growth strategies and digital transformation.
Marcel Stiller
VP EMEA at Trust You
Marcel Stiller is Vice President of Business Development at TrustYou, where he leads enterprise sales across EMEA and partners with hotel groups to drive digital transformation through AI-powered insights and data-driven decision-making. With over 10 years of leadership experience in hospitality technology, e-commerce, and cloud-based SaaS, Marcel has held senior director positions across technology and hospitality platforms, including high-impact roles at Cendyn and SendCloud.
Djordje Jevtic
Co-Founder & CEO at HotelSync
Djordje is Co-founder and CEO of HotelSync, a fast-growing hospitality tech company redefining how hotels run their business. With over 15 years in the industry, he focuses on solving operational and commercial challenges that most hotels still struggle with daily. HotelSync today powers more than 5,000 properties across 25 markets, helping hotels replace fragmented systems with a single platform and unlock more direct revenue. His work centers on giving hotel operators the clarity and control they need to compete in an increasingly complex market.
Charalampos Bounias
Account Executive – Groups & Global Chains at Lighthouse
Charalampos is a travel-tech expert with over five years of experience in revenue management, commercial strategy, and AI-driven innovation. He is currently Account Executive for Groups & Global Chains in Greece and Cyprus at Lighthouse and a Lecturer in Hotel Technology at the Business College of Athens and the University of West London.
Previously, he held roles at Booking.com (Account Manager) and Holidu (Founding Sales Manager), focusing on revenue optimization and market expansion. Also he co-founded Mappins (incubated by EGG Eurobank, 2023), an AI-powered travel tech startup. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and an MBA with Distinction from the University of Plymouth. His expertise spans revenue management, hotel distribution, commercial strategy, and the application of new technologies in hospitality
Previously, he held roles at Booking.com (Account Manager) and Holidu (Founding Sales Manager), focusing on revenue optimization and market expansion. Also he co-founded Mappins (incubated by EGG Eurobank, 2023), an AI-powered travel tech startup. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and an MBA with Distinction from the University of Plymouth. His expertise spans revenue management, hotel distribution, commercial strategy, and the application of new technologies in hospitality
Elena Klouda
Market Director at Lighthouse and Member of the HSMAI Europe Greece Advisory Board
Elena is a travel enthusiast who has brought her love for direct bookings to her role as Market Director Mediterranean Markets at Lighthouse. With 20 years of experience in the travel and hospitality industry, her knowledge is deeply rooted in understanding travelers’ booking habits. She works closely with hotel brands around the world to strategize creatively about hotel marketing, revenue strategies and how to personalize the online guest experience to drive more direct bookings.
Marios Kounelis
Chief Sales Officer webhotelier | primalres
Marios Kounelis serves as the Chief Sales Officer at webhotelier | primalres, where he has led the group’s commercial strategy since 2022. A former hotelier with an intimate understanding of the industry’s operational pulse, Marios brings a unique "boots-on-the-ground" perspective to the world of travel technology. His leadership is informed by his tenure as President of the Kalavryta Hoteliers Association, where he championed collective growth and regional development.
Marios holds an MSc in Industrial Relations & Personnel Management from the London School of Economics (LSE), a background that allows him to merge complex human capital strategies with cutting-edge distribution technology.
Konstantinos Stachtaris
Senior Revenue Manager at Paralos Hospitality
Konstantinos Stachtaris is a Senior Revenue Manager at Paralos Hospitality with over 10 years of experience in hotels sector. Combining academic insight with extensive commercial expertise in both chain and individual properties, he specializes in revenue optimization within the luxury segment. Driven by a natural curiosity, he stays closely connected to the latest market research and technological developments to ensure a forward-thinking approach to revenue strategy.
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