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PwC Greece, in response to the continuous challenges and changes taking place in the shipping industry and the increasing needs of clients and the market in general, has reinforced its shipping audit team. The new members of the PwC Shipping Industry audit team are leading executives bringing significant experience from both the PwC international network and Greece, further strengthening the PwC teams of specialists that cover a wide range of consulting, tax and audit services for the shipping industry.
Specifically, the new additions to the Shipping Industry Audit Team are as follows:
George Papathanasiou, FCCA, Assurance Director, undertakes the management of the audit teams dedicated to the shipping industry for PwC Greece, directly supporting Socrates Leptos-Bourgi, who leads our shipping industry services for Greece and for PwC’s global network. George Papathanasiou has extensive experience in PwC Greece and PwC US and has, among other projects, led the audits for listed companies in the Athens, New York and London stock exchanges. He has developed a strong technical expertise in the adoption and implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley framework, in financial reporting, corporate restructurings, as well as IT implementation and digital transformation.
Resianna Zachou, FCCA, New York State CPA, is an Assurance Director with over 15 years experience in auditing listed multinational companies based in the US and in Greece. She brings strong technical expertise in financial reporting under US GAAPand International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), as well as in audits performed under PCAOB standards. Resianna Zachou has experience in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in the US capital markets, as well as in mergers and acquisitions. She has also advised companies in the implementation of internal audit systems, especially when implementing the Sarbanes-Oxley framework.
The reinforced team is completed by the addition of Despina Filippou, FCCA, Assurance Senior Manager. She is a member of the Methodology team, and at the same time carries out audits for shipping companies with a main focus on listed companies, both in Europe and in the US. She has worked for PwC Netherlands for more than 15 years, and has been responsible for the enterprise risk assessment and the internal control framework of PwC which formed part of the firm's assurance quality management system.
Mr. Socrates Leptos-Bourgi, Partner at PwC Greece and Global Shipping & Ports Leader of the PwC Network, states: “The shipping industry has been and remains a key pillar of the Greek economy and constitutes a key industry sector for PwC Greece. With the addition of highly experienced audit professionals in our shipping industry audit team, we further enhance the quality of our services to better serve shipping companies that are listed, or are in the process of entering, the US capital markets, while at the same time, we also strengthen the teams that serve private (unlisted) shipping companies. Our commitment is to continue to invest in our people servicing the Shipping Industry, so that we continue to respond with the same professionalism and quality that distinguishes us in the market".
PwC Greece will soon be organising its annual shipping event titled "PwC Shipping Executives Forum" at the Yacht Club of Greece, that coincides with the Posidonia Exhibition. The aim of the event is to highlight recent important developments impacting the shipping industry, including the current macroeconomic landscape, the anticipated changes in shipping finance due to decarbonisation and other current topics of interest.