Executive Officers

Prokopios (Akis) Tsirigakis, 55
Chairman of the Board, Co-Chief Executive Officer and President

In November 2007 he founded, and until February 2011 was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Star Bulk Carriers Corp. a dry-bulk shipping company listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq: SBLK) that owns and manages vessels aggregating in excess of 1.2 million deadweight tons of cargo capacity. He has served as a director of Star Bulk Carriers Corp. since November 2007. From May 2005 till November 2007 he founded and served as Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President of Star Maritime Acquisition Corp. (AMEX: SEA). Mr. Tsirigakis is experienced in ship ownership, ship management and new shipbuilding projects. Mr. Tsirigakis formerly served on the board of directors of Dryships Inc., a dry bulk transportation company listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (Nasdaq: DRYS). Since November 2003, he served as Managing Director of Oceanbulk Maritime S.A., a dry cargo shipping company that has operated and managed vessels. From November 1998 till November 2007, Mr. Tsirigakis served as the Managing Director of Combine Marine Inc., a company which he founded and that is providing ship management services to third parties. From 1991 to 1998, Mr. Tsirigakis was the Vice-President and Technical Director of Konkar Shipping Agencies S.A. of Athens, after having served as Konkar’s Technical Director from 1984 to 1991; the company at the time managed 16 dry bulk carriers, multi-purpose vessels and tanker/combination carriers. From 1982 to 1984, Mr. Tsirigakis was the Technical Manager of Konkar’s affiliate, Arkon Shipping Agencies Inc. of New York. He is a life-member of The Propeller Club of the United States, a member of the Technical Committee (CASTEC) of Intercargo, the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners, President of the Hellenic Technical Committee of RINA, the Italian Classification Society and member of the Technical Committees of various Classification Societies. Mr. Tsirigakis received his Masters and B.Sc. in Naval Architecture from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and has seagoing experience.

George Syllantavos, 46
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, Treasurer and Director

Since November 2007 he has served as Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and director of Star Bulk Carriers Corp. a global dry bulk shipping company listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market (NASDAQ: SBLK) that owns and manages vessels aggregating in excess of 1.2 million deadweight tons of cargo capacity. Mr. Syllantavos will resign as a director and Chief Financial Officer of Star Bulk Carriers Corp. effective as of August 31, 2011. Since September 2009, he has been the President, Secretary, Treasurer and sole director of BTHC X, Inc. (OTCBB: BTXI), a company exploring business combination opportunities in the Far East. From May 2005 to November 2007 he served as the Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Director of Star Maritime Acquisition Corp. a Special Purpose Acquisition Company that raised $189 million in December 2005, listed on the NYSE Amex, LLC (AMEX: SEA) and effected a $345 million acquisition of eight dry bulk carriers. From May 1999 to December 2007, he was the President and General Manager of Vortex Ltd., an aviation consulting firm specializing in strategic analysis, fleet planning and asset management. From January 1998 to April 1999, he served as a financial advisor to Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S.A., where, on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer, he coordinated and led the company’s listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: OTE) and where he had responsibilities for the strategic planning and implementation of multiple acquisitions of fixed-line telecommunications companies. Mr. Syllantavos served as a financial and strategic advisor to both the Greek Ministry of Industry & Energy (from June 1995 to May 1996) and the Greek Ministry of Health (from May 1996 to January 1998), where, in 1997 and 1998, he helped structure the equivalent of a US$700 million bond issuance for the payment of outstanding debts to the suppliers of the Greek National Health System. From 1998 to 2004, he served as a member of the Investment Committee of a merchant banking firm, where he reviewed and analyzed many acquisition targets of small or medium-sized privately-held manufacturing firms in the U.S. and internationally, of which he assisted in negotiating, structuring and implementing the acquisition of several such firms. Before that, he served for many years as an aviation consultant specializing in strategic planning and fleet asset management. Mr. Syllantavos has a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from Roosevelt University and an MBA in Operations Management, International Finance and Transportation Management from Northwestern University (Kellogg).

Board of Directors

Nicolas Bornozis, 57
Director

He has over 28 years of experience in the US and European financial and capital markets. Since 1996, he has served as the Founder and President of Capital Link, Inc., an international investor relations and advisory firm, which assists listed companies and capital markets related organizations to develop and maintain access to European and North American investors. Capital Link has a leading position in investor relations for listed shipping companies and also focuses on U.S. Closed-End Funds and ETFs and international companies accessing the U.S. and European markets. He also established and managed, Alexander Capital, L.P, a US broker-dealer firm, which developed securities brokerage business in North America with the Greek, Egyptian and Russian markets and sold the company at the end of 2003. Prior to Capital Link (1988 – 1995), he served as President and CEO of CCF International Finance Corp. (CCF IFC), the US broker/dealer subsidiary of Credit Commercial de France, now part of HSBC. Prior to CCF IFC he worked at the International Department of Bankers Trust Company in New York and then at the Commercial Banking operation of CCF in New York where he was responsible for business development and lending to US multinationals and Wall Street firms with special focus on asset based financing — shipping and real estate. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School (1982) and a Law Degree from the University of Athens (1979), in Greece with specialization in commercial and corporate law. For ten years he was a Visiting Lecturer on International Banking and Finance at the City University Business School in London, United Kingdom. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Atlantic Bank of New York, a subsidiary of the New York Community Bank.

Alexandros Argyros, 31
Director

Since March 2010, he has been with Axia Ventures Group serving as a Vice President in the Investment Banking Division. Prior to that and since early 2009, Mr. Argyros was a director of FiliaGroup, a private equity fund focusing on investments in the Environmental and Alternative Energy sectors within Greece. From 2002 till 2009, he spent seven years with Morgan Stanley, three years with the Global Industrials Group in New York and London and four years with the Greek coverage team in Athens focusing mainly on transactions involving companies, both public and private, in the Greek commercial shipping sector. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of Filia Environmental Industries S.A. and FiliaCom S.A., both private companies active in the Environmental and Alternative Energy fields. Alexandros holds a BA. in Economics from Amherst College (USA).

Stylianos (Stelios) Anastopoulos, 61
Director

His career in shipping spans almost four decades, comprising of positions of responsibility both in commercial merchant shipping and in the Hellenic Navy. Since 2004, he has served as the Honorary Consul of The Commonwealth of the Bahamas in Greece and he pursued the interests of the Bahamas and in particular by representing The Bahamas Maritime Authority in the region. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Imperial Hellas Insurance Brokerage Co since 2004. From 2001 to 2004, he served as Operations Advisor to Imperial Hellas Insurance Inc, a casualty and asset insurance company. From 1999 – 2001, he served as Safety & Quality Advisor at European Navigation, a dry bulk vessel operator and from 1998 – 1999 served as Safety & Quality Supervisor at Cardiff Marine a dry bulk, crude and products vessel operator and manager of the fleet of Dryships (Nasdaq: DRYS). Prior to that, Mr. Anastopoulos had a 29-year career in the Hellenic Navy serving in various active assignments involving full operational, technical, training and executive responsibilities. He served as a Commander on both submarines and surface navy ships, as well as shore based units. He exited with the rank of Rear Admiral in 1998. During the period 1988 – 1991 he served as the Naval Attache in the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic in Ankara, Turkey. Mr. Anastopoulos is a 1970 graduate of the Hellenic Naval Academy (First Class Honors) and a 1984 graduate of the Hellenic Naval War College.