George Papaconstantinou was born in Athens in 1961. He is
an economist, holding a B.Sc. from the London School of Economics, an M.A. from
the New York University, and a PhD in economics from London School of Economics.
He worked for ten years (1988-1998) as a senior economist at the Organization
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris.
In 1998 he
was appointed advisor to former Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Information
Society issues. Two years later he was appointed Special Secretary for the
Information Society at the Ministry of Economy and Finance (2000-2002). Between
2002 and 2004 he served as a member of the Council of Economic Advisors, he was
a board member of OTE (Greece's largest telecoms company), and was the Greek
representative to the EU Economic Policy Committee (EPC). In 2003 he coordinated
the "Lisbon Strategy" for economic and social reforms during the Greek
Presidency of the EU.
Between 2004 and 2007, Mr. Papaconstantinou served
as economic advisor to PASOK's President George Papandreou. He was also a board
member of the Institute for Strategic and Development Studies (ISTAME), PASOK's
think-tank (2005-2008). In May 2005 he was elected member of the National
Council of PASOK.
Between 2003 and 2007, he also taught economics at the
Athens University of Economics and Business and advised the European Commission
on research and information society issues, participating in various
international research projects.
In September 2007, he was elected
member of the Greek National Parliament for the Prefecture of Kozani, and was
subsequently appointed PASOK's Press Spokesman in March 2008. In the June 2009
elections for the European Parliament, he headed PASOK's list of candidates and
was elected MEP. In October 2009 he was appointed Finance Minister in the
government formed by Prime Minister George Papandreou after the national
elections.
He is married to travel writer Jacoline Vinke. He has two
sons, Nicolas and Stefanos.
Philippos Sachinidis was born in 1963 and has grown up in Larissa.
He studied Economics in the Graduate School of Industrial Studies, in the University of
Piraeus and received his Master's degree in Queens College, at City University of New York. He
received his PhD in Economics from the University of Manchester. He granted a scholarship by the
Council of Economic and Social Researches of UK.
During the period 1991 - 1994 he has taught Economics at the Manchester School of Management.
He started his professional career as a researcher of the Foundation of Economic and
Industrial Research. He has served as Economic Analyst at the National Bank of Greece and as a
Special Advisor at the Economic Department of ex Prime Minister Mr. Konstantinos Simitis's Cabinet.
He has additionally served as a Chairman of the Committee "Employment: Risks,
Challenges, Prospects" and has also been a member of the "State - Market and the Provision of Public Goods"
Committee at the Institute of Strategic and Economic Studies (ISTAME).
In 2007, he was elected as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament. During the period 2007 - 2009
he was a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Production and Trade and the Secretary
of the Development Committee of PASOK.
He is a Member of the National Council of PASOK.
In the 2009 elections, he was reelected and took office as the Deputy Minister of Finance.
He has a variety of publications in Academic Journals and in Press.
He is married to Rania Karageorgou since 1990 and has a 17
year old son, Dimitris.
George Papaconstantinou was born in Athens in 1961. He is
an economist, holding a B.Sc. from the London School of Economics, an M.A. from
the New York University, and a PhD in economics from London School of Economics.
He worked for ten years (1988-1998) as a senior economist at the Organization
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris. 
Philippos Sachinidis was born in 1963 and has grown up in Larissa.