Ioannis Kantartzis was born in Ottawa, Canada and grew up in Thessaloniki, Greece. He studied Economics (BA Hons) at the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece and graduated in 1994. He obtained his MSc degree (Master in Money, Banking and Finance) from the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, as well as a diploma in political and economic studies from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. He holds all relevant professional certifications and qualifications, including options market making, execution of orders and knowledge in financial products. He has over 25 years of experience in the financial markets as a high profile executive working for investment banks and brokers, both in Greece and the UK, with an emphasis on derivatives products (options and futures) and online trading, covering a wide range of financial instruments across global markets. He has spent the better part of his life educating people across the globe, sharing his knowledge from both the insittutional and the retail world. Lastly, he is an associate member of CISI in the UK and sits in other financial committees and finance clubs in Greece, Spain and the UK. He speaks fluently 5 languages and is passionate about travelling, art and music (he plays the piano) while being a proud father of three