Hary Stavropoulos Appointed Chair of the GNO Board of Directors

The lawyer Hary Stavropoulos has been appointed Chair of the Greek National Opera’s Board of Directors by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Mr Stavropoulos will be replacing Ms Venia Papathanasopoulou –who stepped down from the post for personal reasons– through until the end of the Board’s current term.

Hary Stavropoulos was born in Athens and graduated from the School of Law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens before completing his post-graduate studies in Germany. He has practised law in Athens since 1985. He founded and oversees the “H. Stavropoulos, V. Ikonomopoulou & Partners” law firm, which litigates intellectual property cases among other specialisations. He has served –and continues to serve– as a Chair, Vice Chair, or Member on the Boards of Directors of numerous limited companies, and is currently a Member of the Board at the Hellenic Cultural Resources Management and Development Organisation (ODAP). He is married to the architect Sofia Paraskevopoulou and is the father of two children.

The new Chair of the GNO Board, Hary Stavropoulos, notes: “I am deeply honoured to have been appointed Chair of the Greek National Opera Board, particularly at a time when Greece’s one and only opera house is drawing international acclaim for the exceptional quality of its arts output. I take up this position well aware of the challenges and difficulties that lie ahead, and pledge to work tirelessly for the good of the GNO and its staff. I would like here to thank Venia Papathanasopoulou for her service. My chief priority is to support the wonderful work being done by GNO Artistic Director Giorgos Koumendakis, giving my all to ensure that the opera house further builds on the progress it has made, and continues reaching out to society as a whole.”

The Artistic Director of the GNO, Giorgos Koumendakis, notes: “I would like to welcome our new Chair of the Board, Mr Stavropoulos –an eminent lawyer with a wealth of management experience– and I wish him every success for his term. I have no doubt that we will work together smoothly and in unison for the good of the GNO and its staff, and moreover for the benefit of the public and audiences, who expect so much of us. I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my warmest thanks to the outgoing Chair of the Board, Ms Venia Papathanasopoulou, who was fastidious in her work and delivered major results in the management of the GNO.”