Giannis Mpoutaris

Giannis Boutaris was born in 1942 in Thessaloniki. He holds a degree in Chemistry from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and is a certified Oenologist. He continues his family's rich tradition in winemaking through the company "I. Boutaris & Son," founded by his grandfather in 1879. He left the "Boutari" company in 1996 and founded the "Kir-Yianni" company, known for its wines and wineries located in privately owned vineyards in Giannakochori Naoussa and Amyntaio, which are now managed by his two sons. He has served as president and board member of numerous organizations, including professional, environmental, and cultural bodies, such as the International Wine Academy, the Greek Wine Association, the National Interprofessional Organization of Vine and Wine, the Thessaloniki Tourism Organization, the Thessaloniki Film Festival, and WWF Greece. He was a founding member of the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art and the "Oasis" Support Center for Addicts, as well as the founder of "Arcturos," an organization dedicated to the protection of the brown bear and wildlife. He has been honored with many international and national awards. He was elected mayor of Thessaloniki in 2010 and served for two consecutive terms until 2019. Today, he is the President of the Holocaust Museum of Greece.