DESFA, Greece’s natural gas grid operator, has announced changes to its seven-member administrative board, including that of chairman, following an initiave taken by the Environment and Energy Ministry.

Sotiris Nikas, already employed at DESFA, was promoted to the board’s top post, as chairman, in place of Antonis Natsikas. Katia Daskalopoulou, another existing personnel member at DESFA, was also added to the seven-member board, replacing Giorgos Kotsos. The board’s ELPE (Hellenic Petroleum) representative – ELPE holds a 35 percent stake of DESFA – was also changed. Alexia Trokoudi was named in place of Konstantinos Panas.

DESFA is an independent subsidiary firm of DEPA, the Public Gas Corporation. Any prospective changes to DESFA’s administration before an existing board’s term has expired – as was the case with this line-up change – demands that a proposal be made by its supervisory council.

Two changes in the line-up of DESFA’s supervisory council needed to be made before administrative board changes could be made. The council’s chairman Vassilis Demertzis and council member Dimitris Lekkos were both ousted and replaced by N. Mavromatis and M. Hronis. DESFA’s administrative board was appointed in 2013 for a five-year term.