Kostas Nikou Email & Phone Number

Amyntaio, Western Macedonia, Greece

Founded a company for the provision of vineyards’ cultivation services (vines planting, pruning, irrigation etc) to vineyard owners and wineries (agri-food sector) at the Amyndeon Viticulture Zone (Prefecture of Florina, Region of Western Macedonia). During 2021, the company already manages a total surface of 250 hectares of vineyards and employs 28 persons, by applying sound environmental and social practises.

Amyntaio, Western Macedonia, Greece

Management and coordination, as a Project Manager, of the implementation of the Project for the Promotion of the Amyndeon & Florina Wines (i.e. Xinomavro) to International Markets (countries outside EU) and the enhancement of (all 11 wineries) members' wine exports (according to the European Union Regulations (EC) 479/2008 of the Council and 555/2008 of the Commission). AMYNDEON OENOS (AO) is a non-profit organization, based on Amyndeon, Greece. Members of Amyndeon Oenos are all the accredited wine-making companies of the area, with specialization in producing "PGI Florina" (Protected Geographical Indication) and "PDO Amyndeon" (Protected Denomination of Origin) wines, mostly based on the world-renowned variety of "XINOMAVRO". During 2015-2017, the overall budget implemented for the promo actions reached up to €4,5m (fam trips to Greece, roadshows and brand ambassadors to target-markets, social media campaigns etc.). As a result of this successful implementation, the wine exports - of the wineries involved - increased by 20% to the 8 target-markets (USA, Canada, Switzerland, China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore). Therefore, some of these promo actions took place at emerging markets, following a fruitful collaboration with local companies and wine experts.

Ptolemaida, Greece

Reporting to the Board President, successfully coordinated the day-to-day and overall company operations during its establishment project (infrastructure works of €3,2m) and the transformation of an abandoned factory (AEVAL) to a business development area (business park).• Exclusively managed the company’s financial and physical resources and developed strategic marketing and communication through dissemination events at relevant conferences.• Coordinated the efforts of various departments, such as legal, finance, and technical, to meet company goals.• Skilfully designed and successfully completed - as the Industrial Park of Ptolemaida Managing Director - the selling at auction of an old factory unit to a UK company for recycling. The price of €825k assisted the funding of Industrial Park’s establishment project (€3,2m).• Reporting to the Mayor, headed the Municipal Planning Dept. (4-person team, Municipality of Eordea) where he successfully analysed, administered and supervised the functional areas for the implementation of 12 infrastructure projects (also EU-Funded) of a total budget of more than €40m.• Successfully led and implemented, as Project Manager, all four multi-national and multi-cultural EU-co-funded projects, involving several partners from all around Europe, as well as countries outside EU:o Newcimed (CIBC MED) - NEW CITIES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA BASIN URBACT: Collaboration with partners from Italy, Spain, Lebanon, Tunisian, Jordan.o UNDP – City Pilot Twinnings (02/2011): Official representation of the Municipality of Ptolemaida to the “Pilot Twinning Projects between Turkish and EU Municipalities” under “Support to Further Implementation of Local Administration Project” (LAR II) of UNDP Turkey, at the city of Ankara. o Urbact University (08/2011), Krakow, Poland.o “Covenant of Mayors” (07/2008), Brussels.

Kozani, Greece

Producer, screenwriter and presenter of weekly documentaries and live talk shows about the development possibilities and investment opportunities in the Region of Western Macedonia. During this period, he was the head presenter and coordinator in 12 live conversations for the project “The farmers’ Europe”, which was co-financed by the European Committee and the DG AGRI. The project focused at the potentiality of the agricultural products, together with the challenges the primary sector faces in the Region of Western Macedonia.He has taken part in numerous journalistic delegations in Brussels and Strasbourg, for the coverage of the European Parliament’s Sessions and interviews with MEPs.

Kozani, Greece

Consultant of the “Business and Technological Development Centre”. Through the BTDC (EU-funded project) I’ve successfully offered consulting and mentoring to existing and potential entrepreneurs about the implementation of business plans, their co-financing possibilities by EU and National Funds, market and technology analysis etc. • More than 320 SMEs in the region have had personalized and adapted support, 42 new jobs were created and more than 30 modernization business plans were successfully completed.• Successfully managed projects finances and monitoring outputs to the standards specified by ERDF and other RDA Structural Funds• During his cooperation with RDA of Florina, 6 interregional and international projects were successfully approved (total budget of more than 2 m €) and therefore implemented (European Union Funding Calls Proposals, i.e. Interreg IIIC Greece-FyroM, Interreg IIIC Greece-Albania, EQUAL, Mediterritage etc) due to my active involvement and coordination, beyond the typical job tasks.

Skopje, Fyrom

As a member of a 4-person international team he successfully conducted a 3-month study for the Euroregion of “Prespa-Ohrid” (common borders of Albania-FyroM- Greece), where it resulted to bilateral SME cooperations in tourism and agriculture.

Ptolemaida, Greece

Instructor of the course “Introduction to Informatics Science” at the Department of “Informatics, Networking, Telecommunication and Office Automation Technicians”, Ministry of Employment and Social Protection.

Kozani, Greece

Instructor of the course «Informatics and Telecommunication Technologies» at the Continuing Adult Education Institute of the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs

Kozani, Greece

Instructor of the courses “Financial Applications” (Department of Economics and Financial Applications) as well as the course “Introduction to Information Science” (Department of Commerce and Quality Control).

Ptolemaida, Greece

Successfully set up this private IT School, from course design and development till the school logo and the marketing campaign.

Thessaloniki, Greece

Led and chaired a nine-person team for the successful issuance from scratch and without any former experience, of the first car audio and security magazine in Greece, under the title "X-tra Magazine". This project helped the company to increase by 60% its sales and therefore its recognition nation-wide.

Ptolemaida, Greece

Involved in the daily activity of the bank, providing computing and automation services.

Education record

Master Of Science (Msc), Financial Engineering & Quantitative Analysis

Study, theoretical and practical application of a big number of investment techniques and capital management, into a world-leading.

Bachelor Of Science (Bsc), Applied Informatics, 8,68/10 - Distinction

An up-to-date course full of Informatics (software, hardware) combined with Econometrics, Economics, Statistics, Accounting, Management etc.