Apostolos REFENES is a distinguished executive with over 30 years of professional experience spanning investment management, capital markets and corporate finance. He has a long track record of consulting for major global financial institutions—including Morgan Stanley, CitiBank, Salomon Brothers, Barclays Capital, BNP, and Societe Generale—on investment management strategies. Furthermore, he has advised organizations like the Bank of Greece, the Hellenic Republic Treasury, the European Commission and the Athens Derivatives Exchange on critical risk management issues. Mr. Refenes has successfully advised corporate clients on capital transactions, such as structuring, arranging, and placing equity issues, with a total value exceeding EUR 5.0 billion, and has acted as an independent valuator for complex securitizations and numerous debt issues. A widely respected figure in the industry, Mr. Refenes has held professorial positions in Finance at the London Business School and at Athens University of Economics and Business.