Nikos Mertzanidis

As Executive Director for CLIA in Europe, Nikos Mertzanidis is responsible for providing leadership for the region, including driving advocacy efforts on behalf of CLIA’s member cruise lines operating in the region.

Nikos joined CLIA in 2016 as Manager, European Government Affairs, and was named Director in 2020. Prior to his promotion to Executive Director in July 2025, Nikos had served as Vice President of Ports & Destinations and Taxation since 2023. In this role, he was responsible for developing, presenting, negotiating, and implementing industry positions on legislative, regulatory, and policy matters involving sustainability in ports and destinations, as well as taxation issues. In addition, he led the work of CLIA’s Port & Destination Advisory Committee, Global Tax Committee, and Europe Taxation Working Group—and has provided valuable leadership.

Prior to joining CLIA, Nikos served as a political advisor to the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, and subsequently as EU public affairs lead at Imperial Brands Ltd., focusing on FMCG regulation, taxation, and consumer policy. 

A seasoned government and public affairs professional, with expertise in EU policy making and European business regulation, Nikos is a long-standing member of the International Political Science Association and the Society of European Affairs Professionals.

Born and raised in Greece, he studied political science and international relations at the University of Macedonia in Greece, working in parallel for the UNESCO Chair for Intercultural Policy. He earned his Master’s degree in International Politics at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales in 2009 and, in 2022, his PhD with an emphasis on International Relations and Affairs from the University of Macedonia.