Our People

Jan Karas was appointed OPAP’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and executive member of the Board Directors in December 2020, after successfully serving the company for nearly seven years, from various senior roles. In October 2024 he was also appointed as Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors. He joined OPAP in January 2014 and during his tenure with the company, he has led the operations, development and modernization of the company’s retail and indirect sales networks, overseeing activities related to sales, retail marketing, customer and partner support. Moreover, he has also been in charge of the operation and management of OPAP’s gaming and non‐gaming commercial activities, across all retail and online channels, and contributed significantly to OPAP’s initiatives and response to the coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic. Overall, Jan has a proven track record in delivering strong business results, as well as broad professional experience in developing solid commercial strategies and implementing successful retail and sales development programs. Before joining OPAP, he held several high‐ranking positionsin Marketing, Sales and Product Development in the Telecommunications sector, in the Czech Republic and Germany. Throughout his career, Jan has been focused on pursuing and following a customer‐centric mindset, promoting positive change and developing high‐performing and cross‐ functional teams.

Born in Ceska Lipa in the Czech Republic. In 1984 Mr. Ziegler graduated from the University of Economics, Faculty of Trade, in Prague. In 1996 he graduated from the Southern Graduate School of Banking at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He began his professional career at the State Bank of Czechoslovakia where he served in different managerial positions: he worked as an Executive Director for Finance at Komercni banka, Prague, and then as a deputy CEO and Board member at Czech Savings Bank. Thereafter, he was appointed Chairman of the Board and CEO in the Czech state‐owned Consolidation Bank. After that he served as Chairman of the Board and CEO in Raiffeisenbank Czech Republic. He also held the position of Executive Director for Finance and Board Member in the PPF Group. His last executive appointment was as the CEO and proxy holder in SAZKA A.S., the largest Czech lottery organisation, where he is currently serving as a Board member. Mr. Ziegler has been also a member of the Board of Directors and member of Supervisory Boards of many companies in the Czech Republic, Netherlands, Cyprus and Austria. He served as Executive Chairman of OPAP’s Board of Directors from 2013 to September 2024, while he also held the position of CEO during 2013-2016. In October 2024 he was appointed Executive Member of the Board of Directors and Advisor to the Chairman and CEO on corporate affairs and strategy.

Odysseas Christoforou holds a Degree in Political Science from the Panteion University and a MSc in Public Relations & Communication from the Ulster University, Belfast. 

He began his career at accounting firm Arthur Andersen and later became Marketing General Manager at Ernst & Young and worked as Communication General Manager at Emporiki Bank and the Bank of Cyprus.

From 2008 to 2014 he served as General Manager at the Bank of Greece where he was primarily in charge of the supervision and coordination of administrative units for providing liquidity to Greek banks via the Eurosystem as well as communication with relevant institutions abroad.  

He has been at OPAP since 2014, initially holding the position of Chief Corporate Communications Officer. Since 1 July 2019, Odysseas Christoforou is OPAP Deputy CEO. As part of his duties, he covers the areas of Corporate & Commercial Communication, Compliance and Regulatory Affairs, Corporate Affairs, Media Relations, Sponsorships and Corporate Social Responsibility.

He loves basketball and watches the games of his favorite team Panathinaikos.

Mr. Pavel Mucha has officially assumed his role as Chief Financial Officer at OPAP, on 1 October 2019. Prior to OPAP he had 26 years of professional experience. Having graduated from University of Economics and Business in Prague in 1992, he started his career as tax consultant (Price Waterhouse), and later he held various finance and CFO positions in pharmaceutical (Wyeth Whitehall in Czech and Slovakia) and FMCG companies (Rothmans/BAT in the UK, Cyprus and Czech and in Stock Spirits Group in Czech and Slovakia). Before joining OPAP he held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Sazka, the national lottery operator of the Czech Republic, which is a member of SAZKA Group.

Argyris joined OPAP family in June 2020 and he was appointed as Chief Technology Officer on the 1st of July 2020.
Prior to this role, Argyris was the CTO of Intracom Holdings, responsible for driving Technology Strategy and the representation of the company in Technology and Innovation Forums.
Argirios has worked for many years in Technology, with leading positions in Gaming and Telecommunications. He previously was the Group CTO of Intralot, and the CIO of Vodafone and Hellas On Line. He started his professional career as a Software Developer working for Ericsson development centers in Germany, Spain and Ireland.
He holds a Master of Science Degree (MSc.) in Electrical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science Degree (BSc.) in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston, USA, as well as an Executive MBA Degree from Athens University of Economics and Business.
Argyris has a passion for sea sports and loves traveling on a boat with his wife and kids. In his free time he enjoys watching football and basketball with his friends.

Anastasia (Nancy) Verra is the Chief Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Officer of OPAP Group, which she joined  in 2015. She holds a BA from the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, an LL.M. in International Economic Law from the University of Warwick, as well as a PhD in Law from the University of London, having been granted a doctoral scholarship. She has been a member of the Athens Bar Association since 2000, and  is qualified to practise before the Supreme Court and the Council of State. Nancy boasts more than 20 years of professional experience in senior positions  requiring increased level of responsibility, with companies listed in the ATHEX (OTE-COSMOTE-PIRAEUS BANK), having successfully handled top litigation, legal and regulatory cases. She has also served as a BoD member in ERGOSE S.A. and the National Regulatory Authority for Railways, as well as  a Legal Counsel for the ‘Green Fund’ and the  Minister of Communications of Bulgaria. She loves sports and travelling, and in her leisure time, she enjoys playing the violin together with her daughter.

Ilias Katsaros joined the OPAP family in 2022 and leads the Group's Retail Team, responsible for Sales, Marketing, and Operations of OPAP and PLAY Stores, as well as the other retail sales networks of the company. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Hellenic Lotteries S.A. and OPAP Cyprus. Ilias is a leader with high empathy and a focus on people. He has over 25 years of professional experience in various sectors in the USA, Greece, and Germany, having worked for companies of international scope, such as adidas, Diageo, and Korres. He has led demanding strategic and digital transformation projects, delivering significant commercial results. He focuses on designing and implementing changes with an emphasis on improving customer experience, maximizing revenue and profitability, and developing high-performing teams. He is a graduate of the Chemical Engineering department of the National Technical University of Athens and holds an MBA from California State University, Los Angeles. Ilias loves sports, is a kitesurfing enthusiast, and enjoys traveling with his family in his free time.

Matthaios Matthaiou joined OPAP in 2015 as Network Development Director. Since then, he has held various leadership roles in the company’s Sales Operations including that of the Chief Operating Officer. In 2024 he was promoted to Chief Sales and Marketing Play / HL and Operations Officer.  He truly enjoys leading very diverse teams with high energy and takes great pride in developing team members into leadership roles. He has worked in Greece and abroad, holding senior roles, locally and internationally, in Shell, the Boston Consulting Group and Hellenic Petroleum. During his career he has combined hands on experience with a strategic perspective in a wide array of assignments, he has led cross-functional teams, delivering impactful transformational projects and building winning teams. He is a graduate of the Athens University of Economics & Business and holds an MBA from the Warwick Business School (UK). He enjoys sports and particularly triathlon and tennis and loves spending time with his wife and daughters.

Fotis Zisimopoulos started working at OPAP in June 2014. In 2021, he assumed the position of Chief Product Officer, and in 2024, he was promoted to Chief Sales & Marketing OPAP Stores Officer. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Hellenic Lotteries S.A. and OPAP Cyprus. He began his career in 2001 and has served as a senior executive in the fields of consumer and product marketing, both in Greek and multinational companies such as Sara Lee and Forthnet. During these years, he has led the development and management of new products and services, as well as new markets, based on consumer trends. He is a graduate of the Athens University of Economics and Business, specializing in Operational Research and Marketing, and holds an MBA from the same university.

Emilia Steliarou is member of the OPAP family since May 2015. Since then, she has held leadership positions in People Team with the last being Learning & Development and Internal Communications Director. In March 2025, she was promoted to Chief People Officer. She began her HR career in 2001 in London UK, working for the Halifax Bank and has held several HR leadership roles in Greek and Multinational companies, such as Fnac SA, Rolco Bianil SA, Sarantis Group SARKK Tommy Hilfiger/Calvin Klein, etc. During these years, amongst others, she has led cultural transformation initiatives, development programs for people upskilling and reskilling, internal communication strategies for boosting employee engagement. She holds an MA in International Business & Management from the University of Westminster, UK, and a BA in Public Administration from the Panteion University of Athens. Emilia loves spending time with her family and friends and enjoys travelling to new destinations.

Lukas Antos is the Chief Customer Officer of OPAP S.A. since October 2024, and he is responsible for promoting the OPAP brand, media and communications, CRM/Loyalty and insights supporting both Retail and Online.

He is a dynamic and results-driven executive with more than 20 years of experience with end-2-end experience in marketing, P&L ownership, and execution of commercial strategies across various industries, including e-commerce, retail, FMCG, and telecommunications.

Before joining OPAP, Lukas served as the Chief Marketing Officer at Rohlik.cz, a technology leader and unicorn in the e-grocery sector, with P&L responsibility, focusing customer acquisition, CRM, Customer Value and Lifecycle management, and brand communications in 100% digital environment. He also held the position of Chief Commercial Officer at CETIN, a leading Czech telecommunications company and he boasts experience as a seasoned senior marketing executive in diverse cultural environments, in leading companies such as Banglalink, Telenor, Samsung, O2 and Vodafone, in Czech Republic, Hungary, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

Lukas holds a BA in Business Administration (1998) and an MBA from Sheffield Hallam University/ČVÚT of Prague (2003).

In his leisure time, he enjoys sports, cooking, and is passionate about flight simulation.

Yiannis Panopoulos joined OPAP in December 2015 and has held various leadership roles since then. In 2025 he was promoted to Chief Online Officer.

During his years at OPAP he served as the iLottery Director, bringing the current proposition to life, as Online Operations Director building the foundations of today’s Online Business and as an Information Security Director.

Before joining OPAP, he has held Senior Management positions in the Financial and Technology sector, leading a wide range of business functions, Governance, Operations and Software Development.

He holds an Executive MBA and a BSc in Informatics from the University of Piraeus. Additionally, he has completed executive education programs at MIT Sloan and Harvard Business School around Disruptive Strategies and Innovation of Product and Services.

In his free time he plays basketball and music and likes travelling.