Maria Damanaki

Maria Damanaki

Advisor on Climate and Marine Policy

Acting as an independent consultant for global organizations, Maria Damanaki serves as an advisor to philanthropic groups Oceans5 and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Sitting on Global Fishing Watch’s board of directors since 2021, Damanaki is also a member of the Friends of Ocean Action of the World Economic Forum and co-chairs the network of the HIgh-Level Ocean Panel.

Before working in an advisory role, Damanaki served as a managing director at The Nature Conservancy, leading their global ocean conservation program. She served as the European Union Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries from 2010-2014, where under her leadership, the Commission introduced a new Common Fisheries Policy that brought fish populations back to healthier levels—from as few as five sustainable stocks in 2010 to up to more than 30 today.

Damanaki was a member of the Greek Parliament from 1977 to 1993 and the first woman leader of a Greek political party (Synaspismos). She is the author of four books on gender and human rights issues, education and European policy.

Damanaki earned a master’s degree from the National Technical University of Athens.

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