Danai is the CEO of NAVIGATOR SHIPPING CONSULTANTS (www.navigatorltd.gr). NAVIGATOR is active in shipping since 1991 having created an extensive network of Towing Companies and Ship Agencies from all over the world, offering high quality services tailor made to each Shipping Company’s needs. One of her most important achievements is the establishment of the organization of the Annual NAVIGATOR “The Shipping Decision Makers Forum” since 2001 which is considered to be one of the biggest shipping events gathering more than 7,300 prominent personalities of the Greek and International shipping community from more than 50 countries, in order to discuss and analyze critical issues of the Shipping Industry.
She is also serving as shareholder in her family businesses KEFI S.A (www.kefitours.gr) in Athens and MATILDA HOTEL (www.matildahotel.gr) in Zakynthos Island.
In March 2011 she represented Greece in International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) “WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP” organized by Hillary Clinton, which took place in USA amongst 100 women from 92 countries. In 2015, Danai was among the founding members of the Hellenic U.S. Alumni Association of the State Department and the she was the 1st president of the Association. Significant was her participation in the campaign #Makingithappen organized by the U.S. Embassy to Greece as a Role Model in entrepreneurship.
Danai has been selected to be one of the European Young Leaders for the year 2014 and she was ranked in Purpose Economy 100 Europe List for 2014. She was appointed as a Young Global Leader from World Economic Forum for the years 2015-2020, holds Global Dignity’s Greek Country Chair and has been nominated to join the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network with more than 5,000 world-leading experts engaged by the Forum to help shape the global agenda.
Danai believes that mentoring, networking & synergies help a company that is in the startup stage to be more competitive in order to succeed. That is the reason that inspired herself and another 7 women entrepreneurs to create a non-profit organization the “iforU – Greek Mentoring Network” (www.iforu.gr), which aims at empowering the mentoring and networking opportunities amongst women entrepreneurs. Within 7 years since its establishment there have been formed more than 80 mentor-mentees couples.
Stressing the importance to establish a platform of open dialogue in the Greek Shipping and Sea Tourism Industries among principals, executives, university students and young executives, Danae conceptualized and initiated the Young Executives Shipping (YES) Forum which is organized during the International Shipping Exhibition POSIDONIA and POSIDONIA Sea Tourism Exhibition since 2016.
She is also a regular speaker, judge & mentor and has chaired national and international conferences, lectures and seminars & completions on various maritime, tourism and entrepreneurship topics. She has consistently published various articles and has positively impacted on a vast amount of people from several sectors as well as University students.
Danai was born in 1978 and holds a Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality and Tourism Management from the University of Surrey. Danai speaks English, French and German and loves travelling, reading, swimming and playing with her 8 year old daughter.
Danai has been interviewed by the most prominent Greek and International media such as STAR CHANNEL, NERIT, ACTION24, Tradewinds, Kathimerini, Capital TV, Deal News, Deluxe, Naftika Chronika, Naftemporiki, Elnavi, NAFSGREEN.
Her favorite motto is “Ambition and Vision are essential for the new generations.”
