Nikos MERTZANIDIS

Director, European Government Affairs at Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Brussels, Belgium.

Nikos Mertzanidis is Director, European Government Affairs at Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) where he is responsible for developing, presenting, negotiating, and implementing European industry positions on legislative, regulatory, and policy matters involving taxation, port & destination, and public health issues. In addition, he is the designated Secretary to the CLIA Europe Port & Destination Advisory Committee and the Taxation and Public Health Working Groups. Mertzanidis joined CLIA in 2016 as manager, European Government Affairs and was promoted to his present position in 2020. Prior to joining CLIA, Mertzanidis was a political advisor, working on the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, and later joined Imperial Brands Ltd. where he was the chief lobbyist focused on taxation, new generation products, and consumer affairs. A seasoned government and public affairs professional, with expertise in EU policy making and European business regulation, Mertzanidis is a long-standing member of the International Political Science Association and the Society of European Affairs Professionals. Born and raised in Greece, he studied political science and international relations at the University of Macedonia in Greece, working in parallel for the UNESCO Chair for Intercultural Policy. In 2009, he earned his Master’s degree in International Politics at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales, and in 2022, he submitted his PhD, with an emphasis on International Relations and Affairs, to the University of Macedonia.