Dr Joanna-Eugenia Bakouni

Program Leader & Course Director at Lloyd's Maritime Academy

Speaker

Dr Joanna-Eugenia Bakouni is an Academic Course Director at Lloyd’s Maritime Academy, specialising in Maritime HR and crew management, and the Programme Leader for the MSc in Shipping Operations, in partnership with Middlesex University.

Her work centres on one of shipping’s most important assets: its people. She currently works as a Learning and Development Manager, with a focus on maritime workforce development and transformation. Throughout her career, she has worked primarily across Human Resources and Training, while also holding roles in HSEQ and Operations giving her a strong understanding of the maritime industry from both an operational and people-management perspective.

Alongside her industry career, Dr Bakouni has been teaching predominantly Human Resources Management, Organisational Behaviour and people-related subjects. Her academic experience spans a range of private higher education institutions, including the University of Essex through Aegean College, le Cnam/Descartes College, and Swiss Alpine in collaboration with Cardiff University. Across her academic work, she places particular emphasis on connecting theory with the realities of managing, developing and leading people in the maritime industry.

Dr Bakouni holds a PhD focused in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from the University of Piraeus, with research focusing on ethical leadership and its psychological and behavioural impact on employees. She also holds postgraduate degrees in Human Resources Management and Occupational Psychology, alongside further qualifications in adult learning, career counselling and maritime operations.

A strong advocate of continuous development and mentoring, she supports initiatives focused on leadership, gender diversity and helping younger professionals build successful careers in maritime. Her contribution to the profession has included recognition as one of Greece’s most influential HR Executives in 2023 and the MaritimeSheEO Leader of the Year Award in 2025.