Yanis Varoufakis – a sometime bothersome financial expert

In 2016, he founded the European Movement DiEM25, which stands up for a democratic Europe and opposes a relapse to nation states. Just recently, his book, “The whole Story”, was released, and with it, secret audio-data of nonpublic negotiations. These revelations guarantee further controversy. But Varoufakis said in an interview with the Zeit, “I had a moral duty to tape these negotiations – because afterwards, I needed to answer for my actions to the media and the public. Also because there are no protocols. Every participant leaves the room with their own version, people lie and information is leaked, that’s toxic for Europe.”

He once described himself as an unorthodox Marxist, and many of his actions can certainly be seen as unorthodox. Few ministers of finance have sparked the media’s interest as he has. He became the face of the finance political crisis – while also becoming more isolated.

His international background

Varoufakis is a citizen of both Greece and Australia. He studied Business Mathematics at the University of Essex and mathematical Statistics at the University of Birmingham. Starting in 1983, he taught for two years in Essex and wrote a thesis on economy in 1987. He was fellow and teacher in Cambridge from 1986-1988, while also teaching at the Universities of East Anglia, Glasgow and Sydney, until in 2000, he took a professorship in Economics at the national and Kapodistrias University in Athens.

From March 2012, he was economist and analyst and finally consultant in the software production company Valve Corporation. In 2013, he was visiting professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas. In 2015, he ran for Parliament and, with 135,638 votes, entered Greece’s Parliament with the highest number of votes at this election.

According to his blog, one of his greatest tragedies was his wife’s moving back to Australia after their separation, followed by the financial crisis. Since then, he has remarried, and together with his second wife, an artist, founded the non-profit organization Vital Space.

In his speeches, in English, he talks about finance and economy, politics, globalization and change management. Let yourself be inspired by a polarizing Yanis Varoufakis! Call or email us at yanis-varoufakis@premium-speakers.com