Isidoros Kouvelos

Isidoros Kouvelos

President

International Olympic Academy, Greece

Isidoros Kouvelos, is the President of the International Olympic Academy, a position he has been elected to by the Plenary Session of the Hellenic Olympic Committee for four consecutive terms since 2009.
He married Dora Bakoyannis, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mayor of Athens during the 2004 Olympic Games, in 1998.
Professional Background:
- Born in Athens, Isidoros Kouvelos engaged in sports as an athlete with the "Ethnikos Gymnastic Club" during his undergraduate studies.
- In 1972, he pursued his education in Shipping at the London School of Commerce, followed by specialization in Shipping and Shipbroking at the City of London Polytechnic.
- After returning to Greece in 1967, he co-founded the chartering, purchasing, sales, and general management shipping company "Sougierka Maritime Co. Ltd."
- Since 1998, he has owned two shipping companies: ISK SHIPPING LTD in Piraeus and ISK SHIPPING AND AGENCIES LTD in Thessaloniki.
Sports Administration Experience:
- As the President of the International Olympic Academy, Isidoros Kouvelos has played a pivotal role in transforming the IOA's image and role within the Olympic Movement. He expanded its educational initiatives globally by partnering with numerous National Olympic Academies, prestigious universities, and educational institutions worldwide, fostering a robust network for spreading Olympic Values through various seminars and conferences.
- In 2019, he shared his sustainable future vision for the IOA with IOC President Dr. Thomas Bach and successfully secured substantial financial support from the IOC. This support funded a comprehensive renovation of the IOA's facilities in Ancient Olympia, completed in 2021.
During his presidency:
• He oversaw the creation of the master's degree program in "Olympic Studies, Olympic Education, Organization and Management of Olympic Events" in collaboration with the University of Peloponnese in 2009, attracting over 130 international students from over 100 countries to date.
• Since 2012, the IOA has conducted an annual educational symposium at its premises, in cooperation with the Center for Hellenic Studies at Harvard University, focusing on the evolution of Olympic Values and Sports Ethics since Greek Antiquity.
• The IOA expanded its outreach with Olympic Education programs in Saudi Arabia (2022) and Bahrain (2024), executed in partnership with the respective National Olympic Academies.
• Collaborating with the Ministry of Education and the Hellenic Olympic Academy, the IOA has organizing throughout 2024, educational excursions for 2,000 Greek high school students to its premises in Ancient Olympia focusing on the evolution of Olympism and its Values.
• In a joint initiative with the University of Patras, the Ministry of Education, the Region of Western Greece, and the Municipality of Ancient Olympia, the IOA is launching a Bachelor's degree program in Olympic Studies set to begin in 2025.
- Isidoros Kouvelos has been a Member of the Hellenic Olympic Committee since 2005 representing the Hellenic Equestrian Federation, in which Federation he served as President from 2001-2012 and 2016-2021.
- He has been selected as Chef de Mission for the Greek Delegations at the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio de Janeiro 2016.
- Since 2011, he has been a member of the International Olympic Truce Foundation and in two IOC commissions, those of Culture and Olympic Legacy (2011-2018) and the Commission for Olympic Education (2018-present).
Honors:
President Kouvelos has been recognized for his commitment to Olympic Education and the spread of Olympic Values with the following distinctions:
- In 2014, he received the title of "Honoris Professor" from the Kazakh Academy of Sports and Tourism.
- In 2011, he was awarded the title of "Doctor Honoris Causa" by the State University of Physical Education and Sports of the Republic of Moldova.
- In 2010, he was honored with the "Doctor Honoris Causa" title by the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine.