PANAYOTIS GEZERLIS

How can a country with a long trading history continue to lead the way in retail?

From ancient Greek marketplaces to AI-driven commerce, retail has always been a story of innovation, ethics, and human behavior. This talk dives into Greece’s unexpected leadership in retail, the power of data, and why training the next generation is key to the future.

We welcome Panayotis Gezerlis to the anniversary stage of TEDxPatras 2025, who will shed some light on our country’s role in determining the future of retail.

About the speaker

Panayotis Gezerlis is the Founder and CEO of Convert Group, a leading Data and analytics company serving omnichannel retailers and brands across 11 countries. Under his leadership, Convert Group partners with top global brands such as Ahold Delhaize, Dr. Max, Atida Group, Kenvue, Bayer, Haleon, Mattel, L’Oréal, Kärcher, Sanofi, LG, P&G, Unilever, RB, Estée Lauder, and hundreds more.

Before founding Convert Group in 2014, Panayotis was Head of Business Planning at Upstream, supporting the company’s expansion into 40 countries and overseeing sales offices in Rome, Beijing, Singapore, Athens, Bucharest, Toronto, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro. His prior leadership roles include heading ELTRUN’s e-consulting unit, serving as CEO of Buldoza—one of Greece’s fastest-growing online retailers—and leading commercial strategy as Chief Commercial Officer at VoiceWeb, a pioneer in speech recognition technology.

An active contributor to the industry, Panayotis is the co-author of two exit strategy books, holds board seats in multiple retail tech and ad tech startups, and was the first Director General of the Greek eCommerce Association.

🎙️ This talk will be delivered in Greek.