Michael S. Zolotas
Board of Directors, Member
President, Chief Executive Officer

Michael S. Zolotas is a third generation shipowner with 18 years technical, operational and commercial experience. He completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology.

Mr. Zolotas joined Stamford Navigation Inc. as a superintendent engineer where he spent almost three years in sea service and in pure technical matters including repairs and conversions and newbuildings.

In 1999, Mr. Zolotas became General Manager of Stamford Navigation Inc. Over the next six years, he expanded Stamford Navigation Inc. from two vessels to close to thirty vessels ranging from 17,000 dwt to 170,000 dwt.

In 2005, he was nominated as member of Bureau Veritas (BV) Black Sea Mediterranean Committee, on which he serves as board member. In 2006, he was nominated as member of Registro Italiano Navale (RINA). He is also a member of China Classification Society (CCS) Mediterranean Committee. From 2001 to 2007, he served on the board of the CTM Pool.

In 2006, together with Mr. Nicholas G. Fistes, Mr. Zolotas founded GrandUnion Inc., where he serves as Chief Executive Officer and is a board member.

Antonis Bertsos
Chief Financial Officer

Antonis Bertsos is Chief Financial Officer of NewLead Holdings since October 1, 2011. Mr. Bertsos hold the position of Deputy Chief Operating Officer of NewLead since April 2010.

Prior to joining NewLead, Mr. Bertsos served as Chief Financial Officer for Aries Energy Corporation from February 2005 to March 2010. Mr. Bertsos commenced his career as an Auditor at PWC.

Mr. Bertsos holds a B.Sc. in Accounting and Finance from Deree College in Greece and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom.

Panagiotis-Peter Kallifidas
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Peter Kallifidas has been NewLead’s general counsel since December 1, 2009. Prior to NewLead, Mr. Kallifidas served as general counsel for Fairport Shipping Limited/Commercial S. A. from July 2002 to November 2009. From August 1996 to June 2002 Mr. Kallifidas was a member of the in-house legal team of Dioryx Maritime Corporation/Liquimar Tankers Management Inc.

Mr. Kallifidas received his undergraduate degree from the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and a Masters degree in Maritime Law from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. Mr. Kallifidas is admitted to practice before the Athens Bar Association.

George Fragos
Chief Operating Officer

George Fragos has twenty years of shipping and shipmanagement experience with various vessel types including crude/product tankers, chemical carriers, bulk carriers, LNG tankers and passenger ships.

Mr. Fragos joined Ceres Hellenic Shipping in 1990 as superintendent engineer and was promoted to senior and top management positions within the group and its affiliated companies.  Mr. Fragos has held such titles as Technical Manager and Technical Director of the passenger shipping company, Director of Newbuilding Projects, Marine Division Director, Fleet Director of Euronav Shipmanagement Hellas and CEO of GasLog Investments. Mr. Fragos has also served on the Board of Ceres Hellas, Ceres LNG, and Egypt LNG.

In 2007, Mr. Fragos became Director of the Tanker Division of GrandUnion.
as well as Managing Director of the tanker shipmanagement company within GrandUnion Group.  Finally in 2008 he became the Chief Executive Officer of the affiliate tanker shipowning venture, Tankunion Inc.

Mr. Fragos has previously been a member of INTERCARGO Safety and Technical Committee and is presently a member of the Business Advisory Committee of Athens Laboratory of Business Administration’s “MBA in Shipping” program.

Mr. Fragos graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens.

Sozon A. Alifragis
Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer

Sozon A. Alifragis has over a decade of experience in the maritime industry. He has served as Commercial Director of GrandUnion Inc. as well as Director of Commercial Operations of Newfront Shipping S.A., Newlead Shipping S.A and Stamford Navigation Inc. in charge of Commercial, Commercial Operations and Insurance and Claims Departments.

Mr. Alifragis has also served in top management positions within Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises Ltd. and has worked with Odfjell Tankers in Bergen and in the Commercial Operations Department of Seachem Tankers in Houston.

Mr. Alifragis holds a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, a MSc. in Shipping Trade and Finance from City University, London and Postgraduate degree in Maritime Law from London Guildhall University.

He is a member of the Technical Chamber of Greece as well as a member of INTERTANKO Insurance and Legal Committee. Since 2005, Mr. Alifragis has also been a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.