Niki Dandolou was born in Athens and is a Civil Engineer with a B.Eng. from University College London (UCL), M.Sc. from City University UK and MBA holder from the National Technical University of Athens and the Athens University of Economics & Business.

Starting as an Engineer in London for a global engineering company, she worked on infrastructure projects in the UK, USA, and Hong Kong.  Upon returning to Greece, she was employed via an open competition in the framework of EU co-financed programmes: initially for major transport infrastructure projects in Greece and subsequently in the Ministry of Economy & Finance, the coordinating point for EU financing. Later she worked in the Ministry resp for Energy, involved in renewables, the first co-financed energy efficiency programme for public buildings and households, electricity sector liberalisation, oil and gas; and served as Member of the BoD of DESFA, the national natural gas transmission system operator.  Then in the maritime sector as head of cabinet of Greece’s Minister of Shipping and Insular policy, participating in the privatisation of Piraeus port, the establishment of the Regulatory Authority for Ports, national port strategy, shipping and blue economy issues.

In 2019 she was appointed Special Secretary of the Hellenic Government responsible for the management of EU co-financed programmes at national level: sectors incl. entrepreneurship, energy, transport, environment, research – innovation, education, employment, health, culture, territorial cooperation. Member of the High Council of the Innovation & Technology Transfer Fund – Equifund, Member of the Investment Committee of the Guarantee Fund with EIF and the Portfolio Funds for Infrastructure projects with EIB and Entrepreneurship with HDB.  Since 2020, she is the Special Secretary for the management of European Social Fund Programmes, resp for co-financing in employment, including vulnerable or special groups, youth and women, education, health, social innovation.