October 21–22, 2026 · Telekom Academy, Athens, Greece
The Gen AI Leadership Forum speakers confirmed for October: policymakers, technologists and business leaders who run this work inside their own companies, across two days of keynotes, panels and academies.
Main stage first, academies below. Every name here is confirmed; the rest of the AI conference speakers are announced as their sessions lock in.
Angelos VlachopoulosManager,Technology Business Unit,IBM
Alexandros BechrakisManaging Director,Digital Realty
Aleksandar PreradovicManaging Director & Chairman,Greece, Cyprus & Malta,Dell Technologies
Michalis KassimiotisManaging Director,Greece & Cyprus,Hewlett Packard Enterprise
George PapadakisChief Executive Officer,BestPrice
Giota PaparidouPresident of B.o.D,SEPE
Vassilis KarkatzounisSpecial Secretary for Artificial Intelligence and Data Governance,Special Secretariat for Artificial Intelligence & Data Governance
Michael FekkasA' Vice Chairman,Hellenic Capital Market Commission
Akis GiouchasCOO - Technology & Operations,Optima Bank
Ilias LekkosChief Economist & Head of Investment Strategy - General Manager,Piraeus Bank
Efi PefaniGlobal Head of Digital Transformation& Smart Factory Applications,Sunlight Systems
Stavros FotiadisHead of Cloud Solution Engineering (OCI & AI),Greece, Cyprus, Malta & Bulgaria,Oracle
Maria LeontiouHead of GenAI CoE & Innovation,Eurobank
Michalis MikelakisHead of Advanced Analytics and AI,Alpha Bank
Stavrianna DimitriouEmbedded AI Architecture Director, AISDA, Global AI CoE,Pfizer
Stavroula KaragianniGlobal Cybersecurity Director,OpenBet
Panos BassiosDigital, Data & Analytics Director,MSD
Maggie AthanassiadiDirector of Technology, Innovation& Digital Transformation,SEV Hellenic Federation of Enterprises
Alexandros ZiomasDirector,Information Technology & Telecommunications Business Unit,Athens International Airport
Christodoulos PappasDirector Software Development,TeamViewer
Periklis VasileiadisPlatform & Growth Director,Endeavor Greece
Ioanna ChiniAssociate Director, Client and Markets,Accenture
Alexandra LoiCo-Founder & CEO,previously ESL FACEIT Group and Revolut,Nadifor
Athanasios BouboukasInformation Technology Auditor,Eurobank
Prof. Dr. Lilian MitrouProfessor,University of the Aegean / ILT-EPLO
Aris DimitriadisEthics Committee,AI Catalyst
Yiannis RizopoulosJournalistFour academies, four trainers. They are Gen AI Leadership Forum speakers too, but they spend the day in one room with a capped group.
Policymakers, founders and the executives running AI inside their companies, plus the trainers of the four academies. Every card above is confirmed; more AI conference speakers are added as their sessions lock in.
The lineup section holds the main-stage names, the training team section holds the academy trainers. The agenda shows the exact session, day and hour for each of the AI conference speakers.
By what they have shipped. The programme committee looks for AI keynote speakers who have run the work themselves, and every session has to leave the room with something applicable.
No. The call for papers for 2026 has closed, so the AI keynote speakers of this edition are already selected. Remaining slots run through the sponsorship packages.
Yes. Every ticket includes the main-stage sessions on demand after the event.
Secure your seat at the Gen AI Leadership Forum 2026, or partner with the event shaping the Gen AI conversation in Greece. New names go up on this page as their sessions lock, and go out on LinkedIn the same day.
General Manager -Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Adriatics,Microsoft
Yanna Andronopoulou on LinkedInBio
Yanna is a firm believer in the power of technology to enhance our world and drive business success. She enjoys inspiring and leading high performing teams focusing on innovation and value generation for all stakeholders in an ecosystem. A continuous learner, a citizen of the world, a woman in tech advocate, and a mentor of future talent. Leading the Culture and Inclusion Network across Europe South Multi-country Cluster, she is fostering a culture where everyone feels supported, valued, and empowered to thrive.
Currently, she has the privilege of leading a diverse team, across 12 South European markets, that collaborates with customers and partners, to successfully leverage AI transformation and achieve meaningful impact.
20+ years of experience in Leadership positions in multinational environments, cross industry knowledge, outstanding results.
Bio
Petros Tsonis is Chief Technology Officer and Executive Committee member at Ethniki Insurance, Greece’s largest insurer, with full P&L accountability for Technology, Data & AI, and Cybersecurity. He runs AI in production across core insurance operations — claims automation, anti-fraud, and intelligent document processing — inside a fully regulated environment governed by the EU AI Act, DORA, and GDPR.
A C-level technology executive with 25+ years across regulated industries, he led the Technology function through a complete Private Equity ownership cycle, contributing to enterprise value creation and a successful exit, and now leads its integration into the Piraeus Group following the acquisition by Piraeus Bank.
His earlier career combines deep technical roots with large-scale international delivery: Chief Information Officer at Allianz Greece, Global Delivery Partner for a Dow Jones 30 account at IBM, and national-scale government technology at Information Society SA. He holds an M.Sc. in Advanced Information Systems from the University of Glasgow and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Computer Science from Brunel University of West London.
His current focus is the gap between AI pilots and production at scale — and how AI shifts from a productivity tool to an autonomous partner embedded in core operations.
Bio
Vangelis Gongolidis is Chief Technology Officer at Insurancemarket one of Greece’s leading digital insurance platforms, where he leads technology, product, automation, and AI transformation initiatives.
With a background in Computer Science and extensive experience in building and scaling digital products, Vangelis focuses on turning emerging technologies into practical business capabilities. His current work includes AI-native product development, intelligent automation, autonomous agents, data platforms, and the modernization of technology and product operating models.
He is particularly interested in how AI changes not only software development, but also organizational design, decision-making, customer experience, and the role of technology leaders.
Vangelis brings a strong business-oriented approach to technology leadership, working at the intersection of strategy, product, engineering, and operations to create measurable business impact.
Partner, Technology Consulting,Ernst & Young
Panagiotis Papagiannakopoulos on LinkedInBio
After a 4 years’ period working for an Oil & Gas Company in the IT & Security domains, Panagiotis joined EY in 2008.
He is a highly experienced member within EY’s Consulting Practice, specializing in Technology services , Cyber Security, Data Protection & Privacy, and Cloud Infrastructure services,
He is currently leading the Cybersecurity Services in Europe Central South Business Unit, while he is also leading the alliances of Microsoft, CrowdStrike, and Tanium.
He holds a BSc degree in Informatics, a MSc degree in Information System from Athens University of Economic and Business, while he is CISSP, CISM, CDPSE, CISA, ISO 22301 LA, and ISO 27001 LA certified.
Finally, he is a frequent speaker in conferences, and business events, while he is an occasional lecturer at the Athens University of Economics and Business.
Bio
Experienced Chief Information Security Officer and Data Protection Officer with a demonstrated history of working in many diversified industries. Responsible for years for the security strategy of Information Systems, Operational Technology and the correct use of Personal Data.
Working experience in IT field since 1986. 10 years as Software and Networking engineer, 18 years as an IT Infrastructure, Operations & Security Manager for many diversified industries and the rest as a CISO and DPO.
Holder of CISSP, CISM and ISO27001 LA certifications, BSc in Informatics, BSc in Electrical Engineering and MBA from the Athens University of Business and Economics.
Listed in Cyber Defense Media Group’s Top Global CISOs in 2024, 2023 and 2022: Recognized for exceptional leadership in cybersecurity. CISO Platform TOP 100 for 2022: Honored for significant contributions to the field of information security.
Bio
Ted Yang is an MIT engineer, entrepreneur, and former finance executive at funds such as Bridgewater and Citadel, who has founded more than a dozen companies. He is a worldwide speaker at venues like TEDx, South Summit, Startup Grind, Cleantech Open, and university commencements.
He founded 4-CT, Connecticut’s largest COVID relief fund, serves on Connecticut’s Board of Regents for Higher Education, and is raising a family of two special needs children. He is the author of Ageless Peak Performance: The Playbook for AI-Powered Excellence and Table for Five: A Father’s Story of Life, Love, and Loss, and was nominated for a regional Emmy award.
Head of AI Development PlatformLead Gen AI Trainer,Product-Led Hub
Vassilis Karabalis on LinkedInBio
With over a decade of experience in technology leadership, I currently serve as the Head of AI Development Platform at ENTERSOFTONE.
My journey includes successful tenures as a Senior R&D Manager in HCM Payroll systems and a Technology Director in the media industry, where I consistently delivered transformative technological solutions. My expertise spans software architecture, AI implementation, and team leadership, complemented by a proven ability to build and mentor high-performing development teams.
I’ve successfully led multiple enterprise-level projects, focusing on innovative solutions that drive business growth and technological advancement. My approach combines technical expertise with strategic vision, enabling organizations to leverage cutting-edge technology while fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
I’m particularly passionate about mentoring emerging talent and creating collaborative environments that spark creativity and drive exceptional results.
CTO, Natech Banking SolutionsGen AI Trainer,Product-Led Hub
George Nikolaropoulos on LinkedInBio
Accomplished architect and team leader who inspires innovation and drives success and growth. Has a background in banking, insurance, maritime, and marketing research industries. Always interested in product development, tech strategy, and artificial intelligence. Passionate about creating a culture of trust, collaboration, and creativity with a focus on making customers’ lives better.
Currently focused on growing and leading engineering teams that create products normal people find impossible, deliver on time, and show respect.
Sr. S/W Engineer, ENTERSOFTONEGen AI Trainer,Product-Led Hub
Alexandros Fotiou on LinkedInBio
Alexandros is a Senior Software Engineer with 15 years of versatile experience in full-stack development. He specializes in C#/.NET, React.js, Python, WebGL, and AI development, including agent-based systems, RAG workflows, and Mastra AI SDK integration.
He also brings strong DevOps expertise with Azure, enabling scalable and secure deployments. A creative problem solver, he combines deep technical knowledge with intuitive UX/UI design, consistently staying ahead of industry trends to deliver modern, engaging applications.
Data & AI Team Leader, MetisGen AI Trainer,Product-Led Hub
Georgios Papachristou on LinkedInBio
Georgios is a dedicated ML/AI Engineer and Data Scientist specializing in the creation and deployment of Machine Learning solutions. His expertise extends beyond theory, and includes applications productization (code quality, CI/CD, testing and automated model deployment).
Over the years, he has had the opportunity to contribute to a variety of projects, each with its unique technology stack and requirements. His collaborations range from Machine Learning to Big Data streaming applications, working with both on-premises and cloud-based technologies such as Databricks and Azure.
In addition to his technical skills, he has a solid background in statistics and machine learning theory, including regression and classification methods. He is passionate about uncovering hidden insights in large datasets and using them to help businesses make better decisions and deliver superior products.
He is well-versed in object-oriented programming and has a strong foundation in software engineering principles.
