Diaplous name comes from the Greek ancient word διάπλους [δiáplus], (< διά + πλέω), which means the action of sailing across the sea with safety.
Diaplous has officially been recorded for the first time in Homer’s epic poem, Odyssey, which was written in a poetic dialect of Greek—a literary amalgam of Aeolic Greek, Ionic Greek, and other Ancient Greek dialects near the end of the 8th century BC.The word Odyssey, i.e. the 10-year Diaplous of Odysseus from Troy, in Asia Minor back to his homeland Ithaca, the Greek Island, after the Trojan War, has come to refer to an epic voyage not only in Greek but also in English and many other languages.
WHY CHOOSE DIAPLOUS
Special Forces Background
Diaplous was established with the cumulative experience of its senior management, all of whom have accomplished backgrounds with over 30 years of experience in the Navy, special forces and counter-intelligence.
Based on their combined experience, expertise, and knowledge, Diaplous has the proven capabilities to address and manage all levels of security risks and to provide holistic security solutions and services for any and all circumstances and assets.
Reliability
Today, we are the world’s most compliant, approved, and certified Maritime Risk Management (MRM) provider serving stakeholders of the maritime industry.
We maintain ten offices internationally and a client base of 650+ shipowners/managers, charterers, brokers, and agents globally. Additionally, we work closely with oil, gas, and energy majors and are a trusted partner to insurance companies, law enforcement agencies, NGOs and UN Organizations.
Training
We grow the community of security operatives by sharing our distilled expertise. Diaplous offers a comprehensive range of internationally accredited and endorsed training services to its personnel. Using expertise built over many years and supported by the most up-to-date intelligence, these services can be delivered anywhere in the world. Our internationally accredited training facilities provide a center of excellence for many of these services.
Together with our wide network of consultants, this gives us the ability to meet training requirements at a short notice, with customized solutions and a high level of expertise. In particular, we specialize in the design of customized courses and training to suit the specific needs of our clients.
In Numbers
2010
OPERATING SINCE
950
PERSONNEL EMPLOYED
940
CLIENTS GLOBALLY
9
ISO CERTIFICATIONS
18000
OPERATIONS IN IOR & GOG HRA
14000
TRAINED & QUALIFIED PERSONNEL
10
OFFICES GLOBALLY
38
FLAG STATES
0
ACCIDENTS & CASUALTIES
Off shore Oil, Gas & Energy Companies
Insurers and Underwriters
Oil Majors
Portfolio Of Client Groups
Non-Governmental Organizations
Technical Companies – Construction Companies
Law Enforcement Agencies
Government Agencies
United Nations Organizations
EVERYTHING WE DO, IS GUIDED BY OUR CORE VALUES:
SAFETY,QUALITY AND TRUST
Clients’ interests always come first
Continuous Development of our greatest assets: Our people
We strive for Excellence in everything we do
Our reputation is built on zero-incidents
Integrity and decades-mature know how is always reflected
Our mentality is to ever-evolve & adapt
OUR PEOPLE
OPERATE WITH THE HEALTH & SAFETY MENTALITY OF DIAPLOUS
Founders
Rear Admiral H.N. (Ret) Antonios Papaioannou
DIRECTOR & CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Gratuated from the Hellenic Naval Academy / Anti-Submarine Warfare College USA / Hellenic Naval War College / NATO Defense College. Rear-Admiral Papaioannou served in the Hellenic Navy for 35 years, most of which he spent commanding warships and NATO Units. He was assigned as the First Force Commander of European Union Naval Force Operation Atalanta (EU NAVFOR ATALANTA) for anti-piracy in the Gulf of Aden / Indian Ocean. He served in Brussels ( European Union Military staff) as well as in London, as Naval and Defense Attaché. His last assignment was as Director Chief in the Resources and Personnel Directorate of the Hellenic MOD.
Captain H.N. (Ret) Manolis Lazaridis
CEO
Graduated from the Hellenic Naval Academy / Strategy Operations – Hellenic Naval War College / USN Navy Seals and SOF Schools / NATO Operations. Cpt. Lazaridis served in the Hellenic Navy for 28 years, most of which he spent commanding Special Forces Units, as well as Fast Attack Craft Squadrons. He served as the Commanding Officer of the Hellenic Navy Seals , including during the 2004 – Athens Olympic Games. His last position was in the Military Counterintelligence of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff.
Senior Management
Nikos Georgopoulos
CHIEF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Graduated from the Hellenic Naval Academy / Strategy Operations – Hellenic Naval War College / NATO Special Forces training and Operations. Cpt. Georgopoulos served in the Hellenic Navy for 20 years, most of which he spent commanding Special Forces Units, He served as the Commanding Officer of the Hellenic Navy Seals. After his retirement he worked as Senior Director and Vice President supervising EMEA country operations in multinational companies In Diaplous Group since: 2020
Pelagia Chatzikyriakou
CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER
MBA (Master of Business Administration), University of Kentucky-TEI of Piraeus, 2008-2010
BSc in Sociology, Panteion University Athens, 2004-2008
In Diaplous Group since: 2012
Contact Details
Tel: +30 694 7374912
email:pelagia.chatzikyriakou@diaplous.com
Katerina Selimou
GENERAL MANAGER / DIAPLOUS MARITIME SERVICES
National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Faculty of Mass media and Communication, MSc in Political Communication and New Technologies
National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, faculty of Mass media and Communication, BSc in Mass Media and Communication
In Diaplous Group since: 2012
Contact Details
Tel: +30 693 7351377
email: katerina.selimou@diaplous.com
Vice Admiral H.N. (Ret) Konstantinos Karageorgis
DIRECTOR / DIAPLOUS RISK MANAGEMENT COLLEGE
Hellenic Naval Academy and Hellenic Naval War College graduate. Harvard, Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, MA, USA, MA in Public Administration. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, USA, MSc in Computer Science. Vice Admiral Karageorgis served in the Hellenic Navy for 40 years, most of which as a Duty Officer, XO and CO onboard warships and NATO Units. He also served as Naval Attaché in Paris, France, Commander of the Fast Patrol Boats Command, deputy Commander of the Hellenic Naval Academy and the Hellenic Navy Logistic Support Command, and Commander of the Naval Training and Education Command. In 2015 he was appointed by the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense as the Commander in Chief of the Hellenic Fleet. In 2017 he was appointed as Greece’s Military Representative to NATO and the E.U., a position he held until June 2020.
Middle Management
Alexandros Kefalas
QUALITY MANAGER
Cass Business School, City University, London, UK, MSc in Shipping, Trade and Finance
National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece, BSc in Political Science and Public Administration, International & European studies
In Diaplous Group since: 2014
Contact Details
Tel: +30 693 2618888
email: alex.kefalas@diaplous.com
Gerasimos Laskaratos
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
License to Practice Medical Physics, Greece
MSc in Medical Physics (with Merit), University of Surrey, UK
BSc in Physics, University of Athens, Greece
In Diaplous Group since: 2014
Contact Details
Tel: +30 693 6859992
email:gerasimos.laskaratos@diaplous.com
Christos Pappas
COMMERCIAL MANAGER / DIAPLOUS SHIPMANAGEMENT
Hellenic Military Academy, Athens, Greece
Christos is an ex-Hellenic Army Officer with more than 20 years of service in the special forces, specializing in unconventional warfare, paratrooping, rescue and survival, and amphibious warfare. He has also received further training from the Military School of Foreign Languages, the Military Staff College, the Joint War College, and the Infantry Commander School during his active duty and has served as a maritime security team leader onboard vessels transiting the Indian Ocean for more than 7 years after his retirement.
In Diaplous since: 2012
Contact Details
Tel: +30 695 5092536
email: cpap@diaplous-smc.com
Michalis Koutsopodiotis
OPERATIONS MANAGER / DIAPLOUS SHIPMANAGEMENT
ALBA Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece, MBA in Shipping
Hellenic Naval Academy
Michalis is an ex-officer with 14 years of service in the Hellenic Navy, specializing in Weapons, Electronic Warfare and Communications.
In Diaplous since: 2020
Contact Details
Tel: +30 694 9474452
email: mik@diaplous-smc.com
George Spanos
COMMERCIAL MANAGER / DIAPLOUS MARITIME SERVICES
National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece, BSc in Political Science & Public Administration.
George is a senior sales and business consultant with extensive experience in sales operations, key account management and operational restructuring across various business sectors.
In Diaplous since: 2021
Contact Details
Tel: +306943567402
Email: george.spanos@diaplous.com
Panagiotis Stamidis
COMMERCIAL MANAGER / DIAPLOUS LAND SERVICES
Panagiotis has completed studies in Business Administration, is a member of the Group’s Commercial Team as a Commercial Manager for Land Services and brings multiple years of work experience in the Security Industry.
During his professional career he worked in the Sales Department of Greek & Multinational Companies as Senior Sales Manager & Head of Tender Dept.
In Diaplous since: 2021
Christos Oikonomopoulos
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Christos graduated from the University of Piraeus, Department of Maritime Studies (B.Sc.) and from the Merchant Marine Academy of Aspropyrgos (Diploma in Nautical Science & Merchant Vessels Operation). Additional certifications in maritime security (Company Security Officer (CSO) / Ship Security Officer (SSO)), in maritime safety (Designated Person Ashore (DPA)), in land security and in ISO implementation and internal auditing.
Christos has over 15 years operational management and project management experience in the maritime & leisure marine industry, within multi-cultural business environments.
In Diaplous since: 2021
Iliana Garyfallou
LEGAL ADVISOR
Qualified Lawyer in Athens Bar Association.
LLB in European University of Cyprus,graduated with Honors.
MSc in International relations and Security Policy, UT1 Capitole Toulouse.
Bachelor in Political Sciences,Panteion University of Athens.
Specialized in Corporate, Commercial and Civil Law.
Charles Swanson
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF RISK
University of Leicester, Leicester, UK, MSc in Security Management Chartered Security Professional (CSyP) and Board Member for CSyP candidates. 2013: Operated and trained intermodally on a global platform – Course Director with the Lloyds Maritime Academy. 2014: Worked with Diaplous. Developed & tutored a number of level 4 training courses. 2015: Developed the MSc in International Security and Risk Management for the University of South Wales, was the Programme Lead Tutor. 2020: Published the book on “Professional Security Management: A strategic guide” Routledge publishers. His second book “The Risk Handbook” is awaiting the publisher’s scrutiny. Charles is a former British Royal Military Police Officer and an accredited security management professional who acts as the Group’s Risk Advisor and Educational Consultant
