Dr Lefteris Kretsos
Senior Lecturer in Business and Management

Membership and affiliation

2020 to 2023 Honorary Senior Lecturer, City University of London, School of Arts and Social Sciences

2023 to day Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) - Academic Membership

Policy making/ Industry Appointments

Oct 2019 – May 2020: Strategy & Market Development Manager Tanweer Media Group.

June – July 2019: Government Spokesman, Government of Greece.

Aug 2018 – July 2019: Deputy Minister, Government of Greece, Department for Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media.

March 2015 - July 2018: Permanent Secretary for Media, Government of Greece, General Secretariat for Media and Communication.

Nov 2016 – Aug 2017: Permanent Secretary for Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media, Government of Greece, General Secretariat of the Ministry of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media.

Feb 2003 – Dec 2006: Research Fellow Greek Trade Unions Congress, Labour Institute of Greek Trade Unions Congress.

Jan 2000 – Jan 2003: Research Fellow Institute of Urban Environment and Human Resources, Department of Economic and Regional Development, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences.

Editorship & Reviewing

2015-16 Member of the Editorial Board, Work, Employment and Society, Sage Journals.

2010-15 Member of Editorial Board, E-Journal of International and Comparative Labour Studies, Marco Biagi Foundation, University of Modena.

2010-14 Book Review Editor, Labor History, Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group 2011-14 ESCR Academic Peer Review College

2010- Ad hoc Reviewer for International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, European Journal of industrial Relations, Employee Relations, The Economic and Labour Relations Review.

Leadership Experience 

During 2015-19 I served as a Deputy Minister and Permanent Secretary for Digital and Media Policy in Greece. I also served as Government Spokesman during the 2019 national elections.

Outcomes/ achievements:

Establishment of the Department for Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media (equivalent to DCMS in the UK) and of the National Centre for Audiovisuals (equivalent to BFI in the UK)/ Reopening of the Greek public broadcaster ERT, including new organizational structures and innovations (for example, ERT Sports HD, ERTflix HbbTV)/ Film friendly policies (Cash Rebate 35%, Tax Deduction 30%, Financial Guarantee Facility for Film, Venture Capital Fund for Media, Regional Film Offices, National Audiovisual Archive)/ Modernization, codification and harmonization of Greek Media industry legislation to the modern accounts (with the support of OECD)/ Conclusion of national collective agreements for Journalists/ New legislation for internet media outlets and regional press/ Key contributor in the Revision of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) at European level/ Organization and Management of international TV and DAB+ spectrum licensing tenders and international events and training seminars.

Executive Education

Jan 2013 to June 2013 Greek Trade Unions Academy: Negotiation Strategies and Tactics.

10-15/11/2008 Total Oil Group: Management of Change, Aberdeen, Scotland.

10-12/06/2008 Federation of Free Labour Associations (SEK): Policies for Employment and Human Resource Development in EU-25, Nicosia, Cyprus.

Dec 2007 to June 2008 Greek Trade Unions Academy: Wages Determination, Reward Policies and Policies for Personnel Evaluation, Athens.

12-17/09/2007 General Electric Vetco Gray Oil Group: Management of Change, Aberdeen, Scotland.

11-13/06/2007 Trade Union Representatives, Federation of Free Labour Associations (SEK): Flexicurity: Philosophy and Political Implications, Nicosia, Cyprus.

17-20/12/2005 Trade Union Representatives, Pancyprian Federation of Labour (PEO): Working Time Trends in Europe, Nicosia, Cyprus.

April to July 2003 National Accreditation Centre for Continuing Vocational Training of Greece: Employment Policies and Unemployment, Athens, Greece.

Chairing/ Organizing

05/04/2019 Thematic Seminar: The Role of Communication in Crisis Management: Planning, Coordination and Cooperation, co-organized with the Club of Venice, General Secretariat for Communication Crisis Management, Athens.

01/02/2019 Training Initiatives Scheme in the field of Animation and Video Games, Athens.

08/11/2018 Press conference with the European Animation Awards Association, Athens.

17-19/10/2018 International Conference The creative contagion. Media, industries, storytelling, communities, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Creative Shift Studies International Network, Athens.

25/09/2018 Thematic Seminar: Licensing in the New Audiovisual media context, co- organized with the European Audiovisual Observatory, Department of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media, Athens.

22-24/09/2017 Thematic Seminar: Mobilizing Senior Communication Policy Officers in the context of Refugee Crisis, co-organized with the Club of Venice, General Secretariat for Communication Crisis Management, Athens.

09/04/2016 Thematic Seminar for Senior Communication Policy Officers in 23 EU Member States: Refugee and Migrant Crisis, co-organized with European Commission and the Club of Venice, Lesvos.

11-12/06/2016 Club of Venice Seminar: Crisis Communication – Sharing Social Media best practices, Vienna.

11/12/2015 Southern Europe Workshop in Greenwich: ‘Austerity versus Social Europe: Neoliberal labor market reforms on the Mediterranean’, Hamilton House, University of Greenwich, London.

09/12/2015 Thematic Seminar: The Communication Challenges of Migration, Club of Venice, Brussels.

22-24/09/2014 ‘Neoliberal restructuring and primitive accumulation in Greece’ Workshop on marketization and neoliberal restructuring in Europe, Konnevesi, Finland.

18-19/06/2013 University of Greenwich - Global Labour Institute ‘Fighting Austerity: Rebuilding Unions from Below’, Athens.

26/06/2012 Society for Advancement of Socio-Economics Conference (SASE) ‘Precarious Employment and Young Workers in Europe’, special session, Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT, Boston.

2010-12 ESRC Seminar Series on Precarious Employment among Young Workers at Coventry University and the Universities of Manchester, Warwick and Greenwich (with Prof. Miguel Martinez Lucio and Prof. Melanie Simms).

12-16/11/2009 European Science Foundation (ESF) Workshop on Trust and the HRM Cycle ‘An investigation of Multiple Psychological Contracts Breach in the Context of Organizational Change: Implications for renewing Trust in Trade Unions’, Woburn.

2009-2011 ESRC Seminars on Trust and HRM, Coventry University (with Prof. Denise Skinner).

Invited/ Keynote Speaker (High-Level Events)

Microsoft/ Greek-American Chamber of Commerce, Round Table discussion on Europe’s digital

transformation: Embracing the AI Opportunity, 27/05/2023 Athens.

European Union Council of Ministers for Culture and Audiovisual Media, 23/05/2019, Brussels.

Second Cyprus-Greece-Jordan summit, 14/04/2019, Amman.

4th Hellas Film-Box Festival, 19/01/2019, Berlin.

European Union Council of Ministers for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport, 27/11/2018, Brussels.

27th annual General Assembly of the Alliance of Mediterranean News Agencies (AMAN), 02/10/2018, Athens.

83rd Salonica International Fair, Greece invests in Cultural Creative Industries, 12/09/2018, Salonica.

ERT Hybrid TV release event, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, 04/06/2018.

6th Global HbbTV Annual Symposium, 17/10/2017, Rome.

Organisation for the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Greece Public Integrity Forum, 11-12/07/2017, Athens.

Economist Conference: 21st Roundtable with the Government of Greece: Europe unravelling, Greece untangling: Brainstorming with world leaders, 28/06/2017, Athens.

Academy of Digital Citizenship: Preparing the Academic Citizen of the Future, 16/12/2016, Athens.

European Union Council of Ministers for Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, 02/12/2016, Brussels.

Self-Regulating Internet Media: Code of Conduct of Journalism in the Internet, organized by the Association of Internet Media Outlets and Publishers, 29/11/2016, Athens.

European Union, Council of Ministers for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport, 31/05/2016, Brussels.

United Nations Press Conference, press conference to the foreign correspondents accredited to the UN in New York, 16/05/2016, Geneva.

Palais Conference Swiss Club, press conference to the Swiss Media and the foreign correspondents accredited to the UN, 07/12/2015, Geneva.

European Union Council of Ministers for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport, 23/11/2015, Brussels.

European Union Council of Ministers for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport, 19/05/2015, Brussels.

European Trade Unions Confederation (ETUC) ‘YOUnion – Union for Youth’ International Trade Unions House, 12/12/2014, Brussels.

International Labour Office (ILO) High Level Conference on 'Tackling the jobs crisis in Greece: Which ways forward?', 25/06/2013, Athens.

Transatlantic Social Dialogue Eleventh Annual Meeting, Cornell University, the Hans Böckler Stiftung, ETUI, 13-15/06/2013, Brussels.

European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), ‘Austerity Measures – What type of Legal Responses?’ 10/12/2012, Brussels.

Global Labour Institute (GLI), ‘Greek crisis: Union and Social Movement Responses’, International Summer School 2012 09-13/07/2012, Manchester.

European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), ‘Economic crisis and the future of employment protection in Greece’, seminar on the Impact of the economic crisis on labour law in Europe, 17/04/2012, Brussels.

Invited/ Keynote Speaker (International Conferences/ Workshops)

AI Gender Equality and Jobs Displacement – 7th Equal Opportunities Conference Digital Innovation and Business Sustainability, 07/02/24, Manama, Bahrain.

The role of AI in International Business, Brunel International Business Week, Brunel University London, 22/11/2023.

AMIRetreat 2023 Conference: Digital Platforms and Democracy: Journalism and Political Communication in a World of Polycrisis, 3-5/11/2023 Athens.

Sustainable Leadership practices: A Critical Investigation of Hybrid Work Models and the Four-Day Work Week Trials – 6th Equal Opportunities Conference Sustainable Leadership and Technology

Innovation Management, 07/02/23, Manama, Bahrain.

Digital Transformation – Comparative Advantages: The Creative Industries case, Digi Lab Series #RouteLab, 09/12/21, Patra.

24th Development Forum, Culture as a basic raw material in the construction of "Tomorrow", Development Forum Network, 07/12/21, Patra.

24th European Association of Political Consultants (EAPC) Conference, New Dynamics of Political Participation, 29-31/5/2019, Athens.

AMIRetreat 2018 ‘Media, Polis, Agora – Journalism & Communication in the Digital Era’, 27-29/09/2018, University of Macedonia, Salonica.

Fest of Fests, International Network for Youth Film, 25/06/2018, Cacoyannis Foundation Athens.

12th LA Greek Film Festival, 14/06/2018, Los Angeles.

The Future of Broadcast Radio in Europe with DAB+, event co-organized by the WorldDAB and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), 21/03/2018, Athens.

AMIRetreat 2017 ‘Journalism, Society and Politics in the Digital Media Era’, 03/09/2017, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol.

Re:Publica Festival for Digital Society, 11/09/2017, Salonica.

3rd European Sociological Association 2017 ‘(Un)-Making Europe: Capitalism, Solidarities, Subjectivities’ 29/08/2017, Athens.

9th International Conference of EETT ‘Digital Communication and Postal in the Digital Single Market’, 08/06/2017, Athens.

4th Corfu Symposium on Managing and Marketing Places, Institute of Place Management, 24-27/04/2017, Corfu.

European Trade Unions Institute (ETUI) – European Trade Unions Congress (ETUC) Conference ‘Trade Unions and Precarious Workers: Any Progress?’ Europe at a crossroads. Which way to quality jobs and prosperity? 24-26/09/2014, Brussels.

Participation at the The Transnational Trade Union Rights (TTUR) Network Seminar: Impact of the Economic Crisis on Labour Law in Europe, 17/04/2012, Brussels.

29-30/11/2007 European Monitoring Centre on Change - Gruppo Santader: The Human Essence of Mergers and Acquisitions Initiatives, Madrid, Spain.

Invited speeches (UK/ International Universities)

Video Game Production in Greece, Cultural Informatics, Data and Computational Cultural Studies Lab and gi-Cluster, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, 24/10/2023, Athens.

Sustainable Leadership practices: A Critical Investigation of Hybrid Work Models and the Four-Day Work Week Trials – 6th Equal Opportunities Conference Sustainable Leadership and Technology

Innovation Management, 07/02/23, Manama, Bahrain.

Regulating and Addressing the Power of the Big Tech, Coventry University, 22/11/2022.

Regulating the Digital Giants in Europe, Centre for AI: Social and Digital Innovation - Brunel University, Winter Thought Leadership Research Seminars, 17/03/2022.

University of Bucharest, “Greece after the crisis. Designing a new national brand”, 23/05/2016, Bucharest.

Bilgi University, Faculty of Communication: Beyond the Crisis: Rebranding Greece, 31/05/2016, Istanbul.

Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations Seminar: ‘Nation- Branding and Re-Branding Greece’, 08/12/2015, Geneva.

Université Lumière Lyon 2 ‘The strong historical roots of precarious work among youth in Greece’, 25-26/11/2013, Lyon.

Universidad de Santiago de Compostella – Faculty of Industrial Relations, Industrial Relations Reforms in the Public Sector in Greece’, 29-30/04/2013, Santiago de Compostella.

University College London - UCL Labour Rights Institute, ‘Labour rights in Greece after 3-years of Austerity’, 17/04/2013, London.

University of Westminster, ‘Building the Olympic Games – From Barcelona and Athens to London: What has it meant for Construction Labour and Employment?’, 30/04/2012, London.

University of Wrocław and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Institute of Sociology, ‘The challenges of the precarious workers organising in Europe’, 11-13/10/2012, Wroclaw.

University of Westminster (BUIRA Seminar): The employment relation and the crisis in Greece, Ireland and the USA (with Kim Moody on US trade unions; and Aidan Regan on Ireland), 27/05/2011, London.

Other Referred Contributions to Conferences

Are Trade Unions Stronger, when Left is in Power?, Industrial Relations in Europe Conference (IREC) 2023, 17/09/2023, Durham University.

Platform mobilisation and consumer solidarity in the Greek gig economy (with Dr Vassilis Charitsis), 03/03/2023, BBS Conference, Brunel University London.

Riding against the neoliberal tide. Union mobilisation, consumer solidarity and platform activism in the Greek gig economy (with Dr Vassilis Charitsis), 40th International Labour Process Conference, 22/04/2022, Padua.

Young People, Precarious Work and Trade Unionism, Annual Meeting of the SASE (Society for Advancement of Socio-Economics), 10-12/07/2014, Chicago.

Creative autonomy and the labour process: the case of young jazz musicians in London (with Charles Umney) Work Employment and Society 2013 Conference, University of Warwick (03-05.09.2013).

What explains low union density of young precarious workers in Greece before and after the upsurge of the economic crisis? ILO Decent Work Conference, International Labour Office, Geneva (03-05.07.2013).

Economic and political determinants of public sector pay in Europe (with David Hall), International Labour Process Conference, New Brunswick, New Jersey (18-20.03.2012).

Grassroots unionism and trade union organizing in Retail: A comparison between Greece and Poland, (with Adam Mrozowicki), ESRC Seminar, Young Workers and Precarious Employment, University of Manchester (16.03.2012).

The interplay of individualism and structural social forces in the Journey to Adulthood: Findings from a research on young precarious researchers in Southern Europe, European Sociological Association (ESA) Conference, Geneva (07-10.09.11).

Identifying Factors Affecting Precarious Employment Among Young People in Europe: A Quantitative Study (with Dr Ilas Livanos), Industrial Relations in Europe (IREC) Conference, Barcelona (01-02.09.11).

The de-standardisation of employment in the UK (with Miguel Martinez Lucio), GESIS Conference, Cologne (22-25.05.05.11).

Precarious Employment in Europe: Common Challenges-National Traits, British Universities Industrial Relations Academics (BUIRA) Annual Conference, University, University of Greenwich, London (07-09.07.11).

Grassroots unionism and trade union organizing in the retail sector: Poland – Greece comparison” (with Adam Mrozowicki), Institute of Sociology, University of Wrocław, Wroclaw (04-05.05.11).

Young Workers in Crisis’, Critical Labour Studies (CLS) 7th Symposium, London (04- 05.02.11).

The Integration of Young Workers into the European Employment Market in the Wake of the Economic Crisis, European Centre for Workers’ Questions (EZA) Symposium, London (04-05.02.11).

Psychological Contract Breach in an organizational change setting, European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (with Dr Maria Koumenta) (EIASM) Conference, Madrid (28-29.01.10). 

Trade Union Responses to Young Workers Vulnerability at Work in Southern Europe, International Industrial Relations Association (IIRA) Conference, Copenhagen (28.6/1.7.10).

Who takes the blame? The Union or Management? An investigation of Psychological Contract Breach in the context of organizational Change, Τhe British Universities Industrial Relations Association (BUIRA), Cardiff (2-4.07.2009).

Can Greater Democratic Union Structures and Grass-Root Mobilization Make the Difference? Τhe Industrial Relations in Europe Conference, Istanbul (22-27.07.09).

Union Revitalization Strategies in Southern Europe and the ‘700 Euros Movement’ (with M. Markaki), 29th Conference of the International Working Party on Labour Market Segmentation, Porto (8-10.09.2008).

Old wines in new bottles? From state regulation to flexible working time arrangements’, 7th European Congress of International Industrial Relations Research Association (IIRA), Manchester (3-6.09.2007).

Regulated vs. Deregulated Working Time Flexibility in Europe, 9th International Symposium of Working Time, Paris (24.2.2004).

Convergence and divergence trends in the regulation of working time in Europe “OPEN MINDS Conference – Europe in Global World – blending differences”, Lodz (13-14.9.2003).

Restructuring Employment Relations in European Automobile Industry through Working Time Policy, 17th Annual Employment Research Unit Conference, Cardiff (12- 13.9.2002).

Quoted in the International Media

Financial Times, Guardian, BBC Radio 4, Bloomberg, CBC, Der Standard, Euronews, Euractiv, European Business Review, RAI, IL Manifesto, Broadband TV News, China.org.cn, Xinhua, Kurier, Lu Journal di Dimanche, Radio World, RIA Novosti, RTL, Variety.