John Giannakakis

John Giannakakis has a diverse work experience in both legal and data protection roles. John currently serves as the Chief Legal Officer at ELTA Hellenic Post SA and as the Data Protection Officer at the Hellenic Ministry of Migration and Asylum. Previously, they held senior positions such as the Senior Partner and Head of Data Protection and Digital Transformation Practice Group at G+P Law Firm, Group General Counsel and Chief Compliance & Risk Officer at AVRAMAR, and Regional General Counsel and Data Protection Officer Southern Europe at G4S. John also co-founded The DPO Academy and served as a GDPR Instructor. Earlier in their career, they worked as the Head of Legal and Compliance at Novartis and as the General Counsel & Business Integrity Officer at Unilever. John Giannakakis has a broad range of experience in various industries, including healthcare, security, and consumer goods.

John Giannakakis obtained a Bachelor's degree in Law from Ethnikon kai Kapodistriakon Panepistimion Athinon in 1989. John then pursued a Master's degree in Law from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, which they completed in 1992. Additionally, they have obtained several certifications in the field of privacy and data protection, including DPO Executive from TÜV AUSTRIA Group in 2018, Certified Information Privacy Professional in Europe (CIPP/E) and United States (CIPP/US) from IAPP - International Association of Privacy Professionals in 2018 and 2017 respectively, and others. John is also a Qualified Lawyer, certified by the Athens Bar Association in 1991, and a Fellow of Information Privacy from IAPP obtained in 2017.