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.
Anna K. Stratinaki was born in Athens, in 1971. Ms Stratinaki is Attorney-at-Law at the Supreme Court in Greece (Areios Pagos). She graduated from the School of Law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She holds a Master of Laws (LLM) in Private International Law, at the School of Law at the University of Athens. She is a PhD Candidate at the School of Law at the University of Athens.
From 18.3.2011 until 17.3.2015, Ms Stratinaki was appointed Secretary General for Labour at the Ministry of Labour, Social Insurance and Welfare. She has been a Courtroom Lawyer since 1996, specialized in Commercial and Labour Law. In the past, she was appointed Legal Adviser at various Government Administration entities (General Secretariat for the Consumer at the Ministry for the Interior and Decentralization, Ministry of Economy, Competitiveness and Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance). At the level of preparative legislative work, Ms Stratinaki participated in the drafting of the founding legislation for the Hellenic Food Authority (EFET), the Law for the over-indebted households (Katseli Law), the Law for the simplification for the establishment of new businesses, the Development Law and the Law for Social Economy.
From 8.7.2019 until 1.8.2024 she was Secretary General for Labor at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. At the level of preparative legislative work, Ms Stratinaki participated in the drafting of L. 4808/2021 «On the Protection of Work – Establishment of the Independent Authority Labor Inspection» in the remit of Labor Relations. Also, L. 4635/2019 «Invest in Greece» as regards provisions on labour relations under her competency. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she has led the design, preparation, adoption and operational implementation of all the labor market support measures. Specifically:
- Short-term work scheme ”Syn-Ergasia” (15.06.2020 έως 31.05.2022)
- “Special Purpose Compensation for Labor Contract Suspensions” («Anastoles»). (from 15.03.2020 to 30.09.2021 and Jan 2022)
- Open Programme of the MoLSA for the creation of new jobs for young people aged 18-29 with no prior work experience «Proto Ensimo» (Adopted Dec 2021)
- Open Programme of the MoLSA for the creation of 100,000 new jobs with wage subsidy (Adopted Sept 2020).
Ms Stratinaki was leading the project for the upgrade of the IIS ERGANI II and the roll-out of the Digital Work Card.
Ms Stratinaki was Member of the Board at the Athens Bar Association (2008 – 2011), Member of the Scientific Committee at the Athens Bar Association, and Member at the Hellenic Society for Private International Law.
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.
