Thanasis Laskaridis

In 2016, Thanasis Laskaridis founded the A.C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, a non-profit organisation which aims to build partnerships and implement programmes that focus on the environment and education in Greece. As part of these efforts, in 2019 the MV Typhoon, a former platform supply vessel that was converted into a special purpose ship, began operations in the Greek seas with the aim of contributing to the large scale clean-up of the coastline, as well as research of coastal and in-water marine pollution in cooperation with universities and research institutions.

In 2014, he financed with €1.5 million the restoration of Syntagma Square, the central square of Athens that had been damaged during riots and vandalism in previous years. The mayor of Athens, Giorgos Kaminis, unveiled a plaque in his honour in September 2018, for Laskaridis' contribution to the square.

In 1993, the Laskaridis brothers founded Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation in memory of their mother. The foundation actively supports cultural and educational projects in Greece. Laskaridis and his brother have donated to numerous causes such as the Hellenic Coast Guard, the Greek navy, the Union of Greek Shipowners' charitable trust, fresh water supply projects for refugees in northern Greece and a number of Greek charitable organisations engaged with the wellbeing of children in need. Laskaridis has also donated to the London School of Economics in support of the Hellenic Observatory, where he sits on the Advisory Board.

During the mid-'70s he started his career in shipping by taking control of the small family fishing company along with his brother, Panos. The two brothers are the majority shareholders of Lavinia Corporation, a shipping group holding company that controls Laskaridis Shipping, an Athens-based management company founded in 1977 which operates reefer ships, petrol tankers, dry bulk carriers, ship repair facilities, and marine terminals.

He was born in Athens, Greece, to Konstantinos (Constantine) and Aikaterini (Kaiti) Laskaridis and has one older brother, Panos Laskaridis. He graduated from the German School of Athens in 1970 and went on to receive a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering at Aston University of Birmingham in 1973, a Master's degree in Systems Engineering at Imperial College London in 1974 and a second Master's degree in Economics and Finance at the London School of Economics in 1975.

Thanasis Laskaridis (Greek: Θανάσης Λασκαρίδης; born 1952) is a Greek shipowner and businessman based in the United Kingdom. He is the president and CEO of Lavinia Corporation. He is also founder of the A.C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, The People's Trust in Greece, and co-founder (together with his brother Panos) of the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation. He has six children.