Maria Damanaki

Acting as an independent consultant, Maria Damanaki is serving as a principal advisor for SYSTEMIQ (London), the Paradise Foundation (China) and Rockefeller Brothers Foundation (USA).

Maria Damanaki is a member of the Friends of Ocean Action of the World Economic Forum. She co-chairs the network of the High-Level Ocean Panel. She sits on the Board of Monaco Ocean Foundation and Oceanographic Institute, the Board of European Marine Regions Forum (Berlin), the Board of the Global Fishing Watch, the Board of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Board of Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR).

She served for five years as the Global Managing Director for Oceans at The Nature Conservancy USA. She also served as the European Union Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Under her leadership, the Commission introduced a new Common Fisheries Policy that brought fish populations back to healthier levels—from as few as five sustainable stocks in 2010 to up more than 30 today. She also served as a Greek politician for many years. She was the first woman leader of a Greek political party. Author of four books on Gender and Human Rights issues, Education and European Policy.