Programme Directors

Dr. Antonis Violaris is the Programme Director, managing and coordinating the MSc in Shipping Operations & Management. He has extensive experience in shipping investments and analysis of the international markets – Shipping, Oil and Energy, Foreign Exchange and has been instrumental in setting up and successfully managing a number of investments in the shipping sector. During his career has successfully established a broad network of relationships with businessmen and companies. Furthermore, he is leading an information technology solutions company and in his capacity as financial advisor, is member of the board of Directors of other companies. Besides this, he was a visiting lecturer at Cyprus University of Technology and has previously served as Lecturer in other local Universities and colleges and at University of Durham. Antonis has graduated with a BSc. in Accounting and Finance from The Philips College, holds a M.Sc. in Business Finance from Brunel University and a Ph.D. in Finance and Economics from University of Durham, UK.

Dr. Demos Petropoulos is Co-director and Shipping Industry Advisor to the Programme. Dr. Petropoulos manages DPSS Global Consultants, a strategy and management consulting firm, engaged in the field of shipping and investment advising. Formerly, as Head of Shipping of SFS Group and CEO of Ocean Challenge, he has been instrumental in setting up and successfully managing a number of investments in the shipping sector. His previous experience, between 1987 and 2000, includes his service as Officer A’ at the Ministry of Communication and Works, Department of Merchant Shipping in Cyprus, and Operations Manager at Troodos Shipping in London just after the completion of his MSc. He holds a PhD in Shipping from Piraeus University, an MSc in Shipping, Trade and Finance from City University Cass Business School and BSc Business Management from Piraeus University. He, also, graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy – School of Captains at Nea Michaniona – Thessaloniki, Greece. Moreover, Demos is active in the field of Academia, teaching postgraduate in Shipping Economics and Shipping Finance and Investment and active in International Shipping Events and Fora.

Resident Faculty

Dr Stelios N. Markoulis, an Associate Professor of Finance & Shipping Finance at CIIM (as of 1/1/2021), has a long teaching experience as a member of the visiting faculty, at University of Cyprus, CIIM, and the Open University. He is also an Honorary Visiting Research Fellow at Cass Business School, London, where in the past he worked as a researcher in the area of shipping finance. During his career he has also worked in the financial services industry, where he specialized in the investment banking and corporate finance areas. Dr Markoulis holds a PhD in Finance and an MSc in Shipping, Trade, and Finance from Cass Business School and an MSc in Accounting and Finance from London School of Economics. His main research interests currently focus on bank defaults, bank regulation and the effect of exogenous shocks on capital and foreign exchange markets. He has published extensively in the area of shipping finance. He is the co-author of the book “Risk and Return in Transportation and other US and Global Industries” (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001), the academic editor for the book “Financial Crises” (Intech Open – expected to be published in 2020).

Dr. Yiannis Filippopoulos, an Assistant Professor at CIIM, is a “technology architect”, a “team leader”, an information systems and a digital transformation specialist with a passion exceptional aptitude for working with computers combined with an astounding academic background in computer and software engineering (PhD) and business management (MBA).

He is also teaching and researching of innovative systems and platforms and he is specialized in Geographical Information Systems. For more than eight years, he has been specializing in Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain platforms in shipping industry as CIO at a top-performing maritime company (Angelicoussis Group). Collecting and using Vessel’s Data from On Board Equipment, Remote Sensing & Geoinfo, RSCy2017, Paphos Cyprus. A unique and very important example is the collection of real-time data from Vessel’s Sensors (IoT) and their representation on the world map1, which is being used by Angelcoussis Group (more than 130 vessels fleet). Highly important is also the vessels’ hull and engine performance monitoring research using Machine Learning or other Algorithms.

Dr. Vicky Katsioloudes, an Assistant Professor of Leadership & Human Resources Management at CIIM, received her Ph.D. in Human Resource Leadership Development from Louisiana State University and her M.Sc. in Social Organizational Psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has experience teaching leadership, management, and human resources courses at the graduate, undergraduate, and executive education level. She thoroughly enjoys designing and teaching both face-to-face and online courses. Her current research interests lie in two streams: employee training and development, and the pedagogy of leadership development. Dr. Katsioloudes is actively involved in the Academy of Human Resource Development. She has extensive experience in the HR field with a focus on training and development and has worked in diverse cultural settings including the United Kingdom, different parts of the United States, Greece, and Cyprus.

Special Teaching Personnel

Dr. Li Sheng has established two shipping -related companies and serves as president for both of them simultaneously: 1) the HIT Marine Company Ltd located in Shanghai, China and 2) the Mainland Shipping (Singapore) Pte Ltd. He has been working in shipping and shipbuilding industry all his career. He has extensive exposures and accumulated profound first-hand experience in a vast field of shipping and shipbuilding industries over the last 35 years. He has an MBA from the Norwegian Business School and a doctorate from City University of Hong Kong. Dr Li has given lectures at various universities in China and other countries, including Cass Business School of City University of London. He serves as member of China Committee of Korea Registry and senior panellist of China Newbuilding Price Index committee. He has published many shipping related articles in world’s media including TradeWinds, Naval Architect, etc.

Dr. Andreas Frangos is employed with SCF Management services (Cyprus) Ltd as part of the SCF Group (Russian government company), a Ship Management company, Ship Owners Company, Third party Ship Management, New Buildings and Charterers. Dr. Frangos with a Ph.D. on Chartering from Middlesex University, has been working in the Shipping Industry for over 30 years, as Senior Operator Superintendent / Fleet Shipping Operator with main activities and responsibilities the Chartering of Tanker (Product carriers, Aframax and Suezmax Tankers) and Dry Cargo vessels and dealing with the day to day commercial operations, demurrage calculations, marine Insurance (Hull and Machinery.) and P&I Club claims and insurance covers. He has also served as Lecturer in Russia’s Maritime Academies and Visiting Lecturer in the Cyprus University of Technology among others