Council

HCE is managed by the Council, which consists of Charity Trustees. Each HCE Council member follows the Code of Conduct.

Following an electoral process carried out during the Annual General Meeting that was held on 20/11/2020, the current HCE Council consists of:

Penny Karanasiou, President

“Penny Karanasiou is an official translator, entrepreneur and academic. She was born in Trikala, Thessaly, Greece. She came to the United Kingdom in 2010 for her doctoral studies and she’s been living in Edinburgh since then. She’s been working at the University of Edinburgh for the last 6 years, and she is also the managing director of 16 translation agencies in Scotland and Greece. She is married and has 3 children. She volunteers in many organisations and has been part of the HCE’s Council in the past”

Ioannis Lalos, Vice-president

“Born in Piraeus with origins from Arcadia, Peloponnesus. In 1993, he moved for the first time to Edinburgh because of his wife and in order to study Computer Science. He works in the IT industry for more than 20 years as an employee in various companies and/or as a contractor. Aside his HCE voluntary work, Ioannis is a keen amateur musician and likes running, having completed 3 different full marathons, in Athens, Edinburgh and Paris. With his wife are very proud parents of 4 children.”

Konstantinos Dimiropoulos, Secretary (from 02/06/2022)

“Kostas was born in Thessaloniki and comes from Makedonia. He studied at the School of Forestry and Natural Environment at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki while practicing – among other things – DJing with an appeal in the electronic scene. The end of the PASOK era saw him graduating with a Masters of Science degree from the School of Geography of the University of Edinburgh specializing in the science of geographical information. This was the first experience the then young Kosta had with the city of Edinburgh to which he returned in 2013 as an economic immigrant and after a short stint in Cyprus during the capital controls. In Edinburgh, Kostas’s family welcomed his daughter in 2015 thus, he has been running around ever since.. He was actively involved with the community for the first time as the author of the initial draft of the Settling in Scotland guide aimed at those who decided to move to this beautiful country from Greece. As he matured over the years, Kostas acquired an understanding of the value of what is called Hellenism, thus defining his course as an active member of it. Kostas will settle down only when the Greek Community of Edinburgh acquires its own space to house its activities and becomes a reference point of the city and the broader Greek diaspora.”

Ioannis Chondrogiannidis, Treasurer

“Born in Thessaloniki. After obtaining his MEng in Civil Engineering and completing his duty for the Greek army, he moved to Edinburgh in 2016 to complete his studies on a MSc in Real Estate. He is working as a Valuation Surveyor in the public sector. Apart from being a trustee of the Hellenic Community Edinburgh, Ioannis has a great interest in basketball, classic cars and travelling.” 

Eleni Apostolou, Council Member

“Eleni was born to Sarakatsani parents in Thessaloniki and was raised in Serres. With a Bachelor’s in Russian studies and a Master’s degree in Heritage and Cultural Tourism Management, Eleni’s academic interests revolved around linguistics, history, culture and international relations while her MSc research focused on the impact of Community Empowerment in Scotland. As an economic immigrant she left Greece in 2012 and has been working in office administration, customer services and the banking sector in recent years. Eleni is a keen yogi and a proud mother to a bright daughter. ” 

Kostas Chabidis, Council Member

“Born in Thessaloniki. He studied Economics. For many years he was a civil servant of the Greek Administration acquiring deep experience of the social issues of European Integration. Seconded to Brussels, he worked in the European Commission and in the Permanent Representation of Greece to the European Union. Retired in 2014 and settled in Edinburgh with his family in 2017.” 

Antonia Papamichalopoulou, Council Member

“I was born and raised in Glyfada, Athens in 1980. Upon graduation from high school, I attended courses in an Institute of Vocational Training for the degree of Administrational Secretary. For a few years, I worked as a hotel receptionist in a hotel that my father run, and then I moved to Thessaloniki where I worked in the Local Conservatory of Kalamaria. In 2009 I met my partner and in 2011 I gave birth to our son. The three of us, moved to Edinburgh in 2018, without speaking the language very well. I currently attend Edinburgh College and the ESOL English και British Sign Language. I work as a Breakfast Club Supervisor and an Early Years Assistant in a primary/nursery school.”