Speaker

Olga Balaoura is a senior healthcare executive with more than 15 years of experience in the public health sector, specializing in hospital administration, health system transformation, and healthcare policy. She currently serves as Governor of the 1st Health Region of Attica in Greece, where she oversees the strategic planning and operation of one of the largest health regions in the country, coordinating healthcare services across multiple hospitals and public health units and ensuring the effective implementation of national healthcare policies. She has previously served for five years as Chief Executive Officer and President of the Board at Saint Savvas Oncology Hospital, one of the leading oncology institutions in Greece, where she led organizational restructuring initiatives and improved operational efficiency and patient care services. Earlier in her career, from 2010 to 2014, she held the position of CEO and President of the Board at Konstantopouleio General Hospital, managing hospital operations, budgeting, and strategic development while implementing reforms to enhance service delivery. Since 2014, she has been working as an independent healthcare consultant, focusing on the transformation of the National Health System and providing strategic advice on healthcare policy, management, and reform initiatives. In parallel, she has contributed at an international level as an expert consultant for the World Health Organization (WHO) and for GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), supporting programs related to the reform and strengthening of the Greek National Health System. She has also been appointed by the Minister of Health as Greece’s representative for Comprehensive Cancer Centers in international and supranational organizations, contributing to cross-border collaboration and the advancement of oncology care standards. Olga Balaoura is currently a PhD candidate at Democritus University of Thrace. She holds two Master’s degrees, one in National and European Administration from Panteion University and another in Health Economics, Policy and Management from the London School of Economics, which she completed with a scholarship from the Onassis Foundation.