The Board of Directors of DESFA, the Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator, has today appointed Maria Rita Galli as the new CEO of the company. Previously Ms. Galli was Executive Vice President Business Development & Asset Management at Snam and Chairman of SENFLUGA Energy Holdings S.A., DESFA’s majority shareholder. Ms. Galli has an in-depth knowledge of the Greek energy market, both in her role of leading the acquisition process of DESFA in 2018 and as Chairman of SENFLUGA Energy Holdings S.A., DESFA’s majority shareholder, a position she has held until now.
She will take on the role from Nicola Battilana, who is now moving on to a new job position at Snam, a leading global energy infrastructure company, after spending two years as CEO of DESFA. During his assignment, Mr. Battilana led the transformation of DESFA after the privatization, actively contributing to the transformation of the Company in a private company, to the development of the investment plan and to the consolidation of the natural role of DESFA as a major player in the energy transition as well as international projects.
The appointment of Ms. Maria Rita Galli, a senior executive with a strong international background in the energy industry, confirms the commitment of DESFA’s shareholders in accelerating the company’s growth path towards a leading role in the energy transition of the Eastern Mediterranean area, whereby making Greece a trading hub and a key gateway in South Eastern Europe.
Bio, Maria Rita Galli
Maria Rita Galli was the Executive Vice President Business Development & Asset Management at Snam S.p.A, a leading global energy infrastructure company and Chairman of the SENFLUGA Energy Holdings S.A., a consortium controlling 66% of DESFA's share capital.
Ms Galli started her career at Eni in 1997, as a graduate in nuclear engineering from the Milan Polytechnic University. At Eni, she went through various roles within the International Business Development Department, joined relevant international projects and was involved in M&A activities. As a member of Eni's Board of Directors, she also oversaw the operations of some of the Group’s companies abroad (Galp, Distrigas, eni Gas&Power Trading BV, eni Gas&Power France, GVS GmbH, etc.)
Since 2006, she has been in charge of the International Business Development unit and, from January 2010, she has been in charge of the International Business Development and Assets Management department.
In October 2016, she joined Snam as the Head of Business Development and International Asset Management.
