Socrates Ploussas is the founder and CEO of the technology company KNEX, a pioneer in software development, primarily operating in the UK. KNEX develops API platforms for EMIs and banks, as well as a payment infrastructure platform. Until recently, he also served as a corporate strategic advisor at Profile Software, a publicly traded company on the Athens Stock Exchange, specializing in software development for banking and investment services, as well as at Relational Financial Services. He was a founding member and CEO of PARNASSE S.A., the operator of OpenCircle, the first and only equity crowdfunding platform in Greece. He was also a founding member and president of the Hellenic Start-up Association and a board member of Synergies, an initiative for innovation development in Greece. In the past, he worked in the commercial divisions of major Greek multinational groups, such as 3E (Coca-Cola bottler in 26 countries) and the Fourlis Group (master franchisee of IKEA and Intersport and distributor of SAMSUNG products). He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business from DEREE and an MBA in International Business from HENLEY Management School, where, together with other alumni academics, he co-founded the HENLEY Emerging Markets and International Business Forum.