Evangelos J. Pistiolis founded our Company in 2000, is our President and Chief Executive Officer and serves on our board of directors since July 2004. Mr. Pistiolis graduated from Southampton Institute of Higher Education in 1999 where he studied shipping operations and from Technical University of Munich in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. His career in shipping started in 1992 when he was involved with the day to day operations of a small fleet of drybulk carriers. From 1994 through 1995 he worked at Howe Robinson & Co. Ltd., a London shipbroker specializing in container vessels. While studying at the Southampton Institute of Higher Education, Mr. Pistiolis oversaw the daily operations of Compass United Maritime Container Vessels, a ship management company located in Greece.

Vangelis G. Ikonomou is our Executive Vice President and serves on our board of directors since July 2004. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Ikonomou was the Commercial Director of Primal Tankers Inc. From 2000 to 2002, Mr. Ikonomou worked with George Moundreas & Company S.A. where he was responsible for the purchase and sale of second-hand vessels and initiated and developed a shipping industry research department. Mr. Ikonomou worked, from 1993 to 2000, for Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Ltd., a ship management company in Greece, in the commercial as well as the safety and quality departments. Mr. Ikonomou holds a Masters degree in Shipping Trade and Finance from the City University Business School in London, a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from the University of Athens in Greece and a Navigation Officer Degree from the Higher State Merchant Marine Academy in Greece.

Alexandros Tsirikos is Executive Director of our Board of Directors since November 2008 and Chief Financial Officer since April 2009. Mr. Tsirikos is a UK qualified Chartered Accountant (ACA) and has been employed with Top Ships since July 2007 as the Company's Corporate Development Officer. Prior to joining TOP SHIPS, Mr Tsirikos was a manager with PricewaterhoouseCoopers where he worked for six years. During his career with PwC, Mr. Tsirikos drew experience both from consulting as well as auditing as he was a member of the PwC Advisory team and the Assurance team. As a member of the Advisory team, he lead and participated in numerous projects in the public and the private sectors, involving strategic planning and business modelling, investment analysis and appraisal, feasibility studies, costing and project management. As a member of the Assurance team, Mr. Tsirikos was part of the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) technical team of PwC Greece and lead numerous IFRS conversion projects for listed companies. He holds an MSc in Shipping Trade and Finance from City University of London and a Bachelor's Degree with honours in Business Administration from Boston University in the United States. He speaks English, French and Greek.

Michael G. Docherty serves on our board of directors since July 2004. Mr. Docherty is a founding partner of Independent Average Adjusters Ltd., an insurance claims adjusting firm located in Athens, Greece, which he co-founded in 1997. Mr. Docherty has 24 years of international experience handling maritime insurance claims.

Roy Gibbs serves on our board of directors since July 2004. Mr. Gibbs has been the chief executive officer of Standard Chartered Grindlays Bank, Greece, formerly ANZ Grindlays, since 1992. From 1988 to 1992, Mr. Gibbs was the chief manager of domestic banking at ANZ Grindlays, London. Prior to that he was assistant director for property, construction and shipping at ANZ London. Mr. Gibbs joined National and Grindlays Bank in 1965.

Marios Hamboullas joined our Board of Directors in September 2009. Mr Hamboullas is the founder and Chairman of Astarti Development Public Company Ltd., a public company founded in 1979 and listed on the Cyprus Exchange (Symbol: AST) engaged in the hotel industry. Since 1968, Mr. Hamboullas has been a managing director of Kyriacos Hamboullas and Son Ltd., a family owned company with extensive interests in agriculture, trading and manufacturing. Mr. Hamboullas is also the Business Development Director of D.H. Cyprotels Plc, a Cypriot private company engaged in the hotel and tourism industry. Mr. Hamboullas also serves as a director of the following private companies: Hamboullas Financial Services Ltd. and Marham Investments Ltd. Mr. Hamboullas earned his M.A. degree in Law and Economics from Cambridge University U.K. and a post-graduate degree in European Politics and Economics from Strasbourg University in France. Mr. Hamboullas is a citizen of Cyprus and is fluent in Greek, English and French.

Yiannakis C. Economou joined our Board of Directors in September 2009. Mr. Economou is a Managing Director of Hull Blyth Araouzos Limited, a company based in Cyprus which provides a wide variety of services in passenger and cargo transport by sea, land and air, including agency services for shipping, aviation, travel and tourism, customs clearance and freight forwarding. Since 1985, Mr. Economou has served as a Managing Director and Secretary of the company. Prior to joining Hull Blyth, Mr. Economou trained in shipping with Ellerman City Liners in Liverpool and London, England. Mr. Economou earned his Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Athens. Since 1981, Mr. Economou has served on the Board of Directors of Associated Agencies Ltd. and United Stevedoring Company Limited. Mr. Economou for the third time serves as the President of the Cyprus Shipping Association. He is also a member of the Employers Association of Cyprus, Honorable Consul for Costa Rica in Cyprus, Secretary of the Consular Corps in Cyprus and was a past President of the Rotary Club of Famagusta. Mr. Economou is a citizen of Cyprus.

Captain Stavros Emmanuel is the Chief Operating Officer of TOP Tanker Management since July 2004. He has 32 years experience in the shipping industry and expertise in operation and chartering issues. Prior to joining TOP Tanker Management, Captain Emmanuel served as General Manager of Primal Tankers Inc., where his responsibilities included chartering and operations management. Prior to joining Primal Tankers in 2000, Captain Emmanuel worked in various management capacities for Compass United Maritime. Captain Emmanuel obtained a Naval Officers degree from ASDEN Nautical Academy of Aspropyrgos, Greece and earned a Master Mariners degree in 1971.

Demetris P. Souroullas is Vice President of Top Ships Inc. and has been with our company since 2007. Prior to joining the Company, and from 2001 onwards Mr. Souroullas held the positions of Chief Executive Officer for the Fleet of Admibros Shipmanagement Co. Ltd and Technical and General Manager of LMZ Transoil Shipmanagement S.A. Prior to that Mr. Souroullas worked with the Cyprus Bureau of Shipping where he started in 1988 as a Surveyor and left in 2001 as the Head of Classification. Mr. Souroullas holds a Masters degree in Naval Architecture from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and a Bachelors degree in Maritime Technology from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology.