The Ombudsman (head of the Independent Authority) is selected by the Ministers' Cabinet following a proposal by the Minister of Development and the opinion of the Committee of Institutions and Transparency of the Greek Parliament and is appointed by decision of the Minister of Development.
The Ombudsman is assisted in carrying out her/his duties by two (2) Assistant Ombudsmen who are appointed by decision of the Minister of Development following a proposal by the Ombudsman. One of the Assistant Ombudsmen, acts as Deputy Ombudsman.
The Authority's staff numbers a total of 50 employees, with the following breakdown:
- Thirty-five (35) positions of special scientists, of various specializations.
- Eight (8) positions of administrative officers which are not covered.
- Seven (7) positions of employees with a private law employment contract, intended to cover the needs of the offices of the Ombudsman and Assistant Ombudsmen.
Mr. Lefteris Zagoritis is head of the Independent Authority "Hellenic Consumer’s Ombudsman" since 2014.
Lawyer at the Supreme Court with extensive judicial experience, specialized in civil and commercial law.
Graduated from the Law School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and holds a second degree in Political Sciences (Honours) from the same University. Elected Vice-President of the Athens Bar Association and President of the Bar Disciplinary Council for several years.
Elected Member of the Parliament in two consequent national elections (2004 and 2007) and elected Secretary of the Central Committee of the governing Party (Nea Demokratia) until July 2010. He has not been involved in politics ever since. As MP he was member of several standing parliamentary committees: Economic Affairs, Public Administration, Justice and Public Order, Social Affairs, Research and Control of the Drugs Issue as well as Internal Affairs Committees of the Parliament.
Has been a member of the National Committee for Human Rights and is currently member of the National Consumer and Market Council.
During his service as Ombudsman the annual number of consumers’ complaints requesting mediation on disputes with suppliers has augmented to over-triple (reached 13,872 for 2022 from only 4.132 in 2013) with their majority of almost 83 % being successfully resolved.
He has excellent knowledge of English.
Born in 1956, originated from Zagorochoria in Epirus, married and father of two children.
Mrs. Vasiliki Bolou is Deputy Consumer Ombudsman from 07/2020 until today.
She holds a PhD (Dr. jur.) from the law Faculty of the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-University of Frankfurt a.M. She graduated from the law Faculty of the Albertus-Magnus-University of Cologne.
From 2005 until 2020 she served as Assistant Consumer Ombudsman. Beforehand she worked from 1998 until 2005 as a Research Associate at the Greek Ombudsman, responsible for Social Security.
She has been a lawyer in Athens since 1998 (suspended). During her studies she worked as Assistant to Professor Hans Joachim Hirsch at the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology at the University of Cologne (1991-1993). Furthermore, she was Research Assistant in the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany (1993-1994), drafting bills concerning the incorporation of EU directives on consumer protection into German law. She has published several articles in Greek and German scientific journals and is fluent in German and English.
Mr. Tsigkas holds a degree in Law and an LLM in Private Law/Civil Procedure from the Law School of the National and Kapodestrian University of Athens.
He is member of the Athens Bar Association, since September 2002 (as trainee) and an active lawyer since September 2004, attorney at the Supreme Court since 2013. Founder of Efthymios Tsigkas Law Office (2004 – 2016) and founding partner of Tsigkas Liakopoulos & Partners Law Firm on 2017, situated in Maroussi (Attica), has been practicing law since 2004 and is currently in temporary suspension, due to his assumption of duties in Consumer’s Ombudsman Independent Authority on July 2020, as Assistant Ombudsman.
Experienced in civil, commercial, banking, administrative and criminal law, both as counselor and barrister, specialized in civil and commercial litigation.
Speaks English and French.
