Our team.
Our local team has over a decade of experience working with small-scale organic farmers throughout Greece, having partnered with several hundred of them through the years in every phase of their establishment, certification and expansion.
Demetri Chriss.
Originally from New York, Demetri has worked with small scale organic farmers and managed innovative agri-food development projects in northern Greece for over a decade. He co-founded Tuvunu, a Greek producer and exporter of all-natural beverages; is a member of the board of Macedonian Thrace Brewery S.A., the largest independent Greek brewery; and currently serves as a strategy consultant for corporate clients and start-ups. Over the past 25 years he has also held a variety of editorial and managerial posts in media organizations, PwC Prague and the Prefecture of Thessaloniki.
David Lyon.
David has been developing and delivering agribusinesses in agricultural value chains as well as maximising the positive impact from businesses on nature and people for over 20 years working across Africa, Europe and North America. His work has included shea butter, spices, and other high value products such as tree nuts. David has been instrumental in setting up partnerships between major corporations, government departments, investors and NGOs. David is also able to draw on his early experience and training in Forestry (M.ES, Yale) and Biological Sciences (MA. Oxon) to ensure environmental and social requirements are adequately integrated into all investments.
Email: david.lyon@akesoherbs.com
David Hampton.
As a company director, entrepreneur, and strategy consultant for over 30 years, David has established agricultural and technology start-ups then acted as interim CFO or board member and in some cases enabling successful exits. Through his professional accountancy qualification (FCCA), training at IMD Lausanne (MBA) and a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, David is strongly quantitative with deep experience in developing, and financing propositions, both for large scale investments by major companies and early stage start-ups.
Kalliopi Koutoupa.
Kalliopi is a founder and Director of GastrologiQ based in Thessaloniki, Greece; over the past 8 years Kalliopi has helped people in the Greek food sector realize the importance of communicating their efforts and being more open to international markets. In addition over the past decade she has collaborated with the University of Gastronomic sciences organizing study trips in Greece. Her previous work has also included delivering communications for a leading Greek cheese producer, co-organising the Thessaloniki Food Festival. She has degrees in Law (BA) and Masters in Food Culture & Communications.
Anastasia Koutoupa.
Anastasia is responsible for the operations and organization of GastrologiQ. In particular over the past 8 years, she has been instrumental in delivering activities to efficiently organize and promote the food and beverage sector in Greece. Building on her training in Human Resources Management (University of Glasgow) and Economics (University of Thessaloniki), she has also supporting the delivery of procurement functions, customer relations and development of small and medium enterprises.
Field Team.
We also have a team of agronomists based in northern Greece who have worked closely with farmers for over a decade. Collectively they support rural development through training farmers in production techniques, processing, storage and sale of herbs and other crops. Drawing on a network of hundreds of (mainly organic) farmers, our field team can find the finest products and producers, as well as oversee quality systems and processing to meet the buyer requirements.