Pantelis Tzortzakis
Chairman of the Board of Directors & CEO, Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation
Pantelis Tzortzakis is a seasoned entrepreneur, executive leader, and technology strategist with a track record of driving innovation, scaling businesses, and shaping national digital transformation initiatives for over three decades. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of the Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation.
A recognized trailblazer, Mr. Tzortzakis founded Forthnet S.A. early in his career, a groundbreaking telecommunications and media company that evolved into Greece’s leading alternative fixed telephony and pay-TV operator. Under his leadership as CEO from 1995 to 2010, Forthnet disrupted the market, was listed on the Athens Stock Exchange, and later acquired NOVA, further strengthening its position in the pay-TV sector.
Mr. Tzortzakis has played a significant role in shaping technology and telecommunications policy in Greece and Europe. He served on the Supervisory Board of NETIA S.A., chaired the Hellenic Federation of Information Technology & Communications Enterprises (SEPE), and contributed substantially to the modernization of the Greek public sector. In 2012, he was appointed Deputy Minister of e-Government, leading key initiatives in Greece’s digital transformation agenda.
Throughout his career, he has also held senior executive positions within Quest Holdings S.A., serving as CEO, President of its subsidiaries, and Executive Vice President. In addition, he served as a member of the Board of Directors of Hellenic Exchanges – Athens Stock Exchange (HELEX). Prior to assuming his current role, he was Executive Vice President of the Hellenic Development Bank (HDB) from 2019 to 2024, where he promoted innovation, entrepreneurship, and venture capital initiatives.
His contribution to innovation and governance has also been recognized in academia. In 2023, he was unanimously elected as an external member of the Board of Directors of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA).
Mr. Tzortzakis holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Brooklyn College, New York, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Piraeus.