We are thrilled to announce the establishment of the ISRM Mediterranean Chapter.
As part of our ongoing efforts to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing and professional development in strategic risk and crisis management, the Mediterranean Chapter aims to provide a dedicated platform for practitioners, academics and policymakers in the Mediterranean region.
We are honored to have George Gkioulekas as the esteemed Chair of the Mediterranean Chapter of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management. His wealth of experience, academic accomplishments, and dedication to the field make him an invaluable asset to our chapter.
Additionally, we are privileged to have Dr Vassilis (Bill) Kappis as the Vice Chair, bringing his profound knowledge in security studies and international relations to enhance the chapter's endeavors and objectives.
With their leadership, we are confident in the Chapter's potential to foster strategic risk and crisis management community within the Mediterranean region. We look forward to the Chapter's activities, events and the opportunity to connect practitioners, academics, and policymakers in this dynamic field.
Together, let us build a stronger and more resilient community focused on strategic risk management.
George Gkioulekas is a highly motivated and accomplished professional, trained, skilled and hands-on corporate experienced in key positions in various industries and career paths for more than 15 years. He is currently employed in Melco Resorts and Entertainment and specifically the City of Dreams Mediterranean, the largest Integrated Casino Resort in Europe.
With a strong academic background, George possesses two Master's degrees. An MBA from the International Business Management Institute of Berlin (IBMI) focusing on developing essential business skills and an MSc in HRM and Organizational Behaviour from the University of Limassol (UoL) / Cyprus International Institute of Management (CIIM).
He holds multiple certifications with more than 5,000 Training Hours by Top-Ranked Universities, International Organizations and globally recognized Learning Institutes.
Furthermore, he has also achieved Accreditation , proving his commitment to his profession, as a Security Manager, holding a Diploma in Security Management of Human Assets and Critical Infrastructures from the National Organization for the Certification of Qualifications & Vocational Guidance of Greece.
Ηis continuous strive for excellence, led him to multiple awards, such as #1 Certified Situation Awareness Specialist® (Advanced Practitioner) by Arcuri Group (US) in South-East Europe. #1 Academic Ambassador of the Management and Strategy Institute (US) , in South-East Europe etc.
On a voluntary basis, beyond the above, as a dedicated and certified member of several esteemed organizations, including The Institute of Strategic and Risk Management (U.K) , the European Society for Research in Adult Development (SWE), the International Society for Development and Sustainability (JAP), the Global Organization for Stress Management (U.K) etc he has made a lasting impact in his community through his unique and far-reaching voluntary service efforts.
A milestone in this journey , is the fact that being an active and committed member of the ISRM the last three years , he has been entrusted with the role of the Chapter Chair for both Greece/Cyprus Chapters, which belong to the further Mediterranean Chapter.
His mission is clear. He is determined to discover the Golden Ratio between the Academic and the Business world, specifically in the realm of security, risk, and crisis management.
Vassilis (Bill) Kappis is a Deputy Director and Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies in the University of Buckingham, as well as a visiting Professor for the two highest ranking military education institutions in Poland and Greece, the War Studies University (Akademii Sztuki Wojennej) and the Hellenic School of National Defence (Σχολή Εθνικής Άμυνας), respectively.
He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in International Relations from the University of Sydney and Master’s degrees in Strategic Studies and European Integration from the Australian National University and the London School of Economics, respectively.
Before joining the University of Buckingham, Bill undertook post-doc research at the University of Tel-Aviv. His scholarly interests lie in the strategic and psychological dimensions of interstate security crises and foreign policy decision-making, as well as the geopolitical dynamics of the Eastern Mediterranean with an emphasis on great power competition in the region.
He has considerable experience designing bespoke training programs for academic and practitioner audiences in the UK and overseas and is, moreover, a Steering Committee member of the UNESCO Chair on Threats to Cultural Heritage and Cultural Heritage-related Activities to the Ionian University in Greece.
Bill has, finally presented his work in numerous high-profile conferences and workshops (Princeton, Oxford, INSS Israel etc.) and has been awarded by the University of Sydney for his excellent teaching practice.
