Greek airline Aegean has appointed Michalis Kouveliotis as chief executive officer, succeeding Dimitris Gerogiannis, who is stepping down after 20 years in the role but will remain with the company as an adviser.
The company announced the leadership change on October 12, with Kouveliotis taking over immediately as part of a transition to the next generation of executives.
Gerogiannis, one of Aegean’s founding executives, will continue to oversee the group’s technical base and training centre, supporting their development as part of the company’s future direction.
Kouveliotis has served as Aegean’s chief financial officer since before the company was listed on the Athens Stock Exchange.
He became deputy chief executive in early 2025, taking responsibility for coordinating the company’s business divisions as preparations for the leadership transition progressed.
Aegean chairman Eftichios Vassilakis said Gerogiannis had played a central role in shaping the airline’s culture alongside the late Theodoros Vassilakis, particularly in customer service, fairness and collaboration.
“Dimitris Gerogiannis, together with Theodoros Vassilakis, shaped the quality and customer service culture, as well as the principles of fairness and collaboration within our company,” Vassilakis said.
He added that Gerogiannis had a rare ability to combine technical expertise with a people-focused approach, describing him as a co-founder whose contribution would remain unchanged by the handover.
“After all, he will continue to support Aegean as it moves forward from its founding leadership team to the next generation of executives,” Vassilakis said.
Turning to the incoming chief executive, Vassilakis said Kouveliotis had demonstrated his ability to support the airline through both periods of growth and crisis.
“Over the past two years, as deputy CEO, he has led the transition process, while his positive energy and drive have already left a strong mark on the organisation,” he stated.
“I am confident that he will excel in his new role,” Vassilakis added.
He further mentioned that a key priority would be to strengthen cooperation among the company’s second generation of executives as members of the founding leadership team gradually stepped back.
“Our key objective should be to empower and further develop the collaboration between the company’s second generation of executives, building on the legacy of our founding team as they gradually step back,” Vassilakis concluded.