Professor Costas Grammenos is Pro-Vice Chancellor of City University London; and Deputy Dean (Head of Undergraduate School since 2003) of its Cass Business School.

He founded the International Centre for Shipping, Trade and Finance in 1983 (renamed by City University London, The Costas Grammenos International Centre for Shipping, Trade and Finance in April 2007). He has been head of the Centre since its inception and responsible for its design; and, until 1997, was Director of the world class MSc Shipping, Trade and Finance, introduced in 1984. The Centre introduced the MSc Trade, Transport and Finance in September 1997 (now know as MSc Supply Chain, Trade and Finance); and the MSc Energy, Trade and Finance in 2003. The Centre has gained international recognition for its applied research in the areas of shipping finance, shipping and financial risk management, commodity trade and finance, logistics and supply chain management; and is a major platform for international dialogue between senior business executives, government and academia. More than 2400 students, from over 100 countries, have graduated over this period, many of them are holding leading positions in international banking, shipping and trading, and manufacturing sectors.

In 2006 he became Founding President of the Governing Board of the newly established International Hellenic University, Thessaloniki, Greece.

He was born in Athens in 1944. He has a BA in Economics (Pantion, Athens), MSc. in Financial Economics (Bangor, Wales). In 1999 he was awarded the highest academic accolade, the DSc. in Shipping Finance (City, London), for creating - through his published research - 'Shipping Finance' as a new academic discipline, and for his "significant contribution to knowledge in Shipping, Trade and Finance"

He started his career in the National Bank of Greece in 1962, and was financial shipping expert at the Bank's head office in Athens, from 1973-1974. He was Independent Researcher and Advisor from 1977 until 1982. He joined City University in 1982 as Visiting Professor and became Professor of Shipping, Trade and Finance in 1986. He teaches Shipping Investment and Finance where, in 1977, he introduced credit analysis and policy of bank shipping finance which, since then, has been applied by most international banks. He introduced, through the MSc's, a new approach in international business, "the spherical approach". He wrote the well-known seminal monograph on the subject 'Bank Finance for Ship Purchase' (1978) and has written many studies and articles published in academic journals and specialist trade publications. In addition, since the mid 1980's, through his research, class teaching and public presentations, he would draw the attention of the shipping world to the potential of public and private equity and debt markets as new sources for shipping finance. He is the Editor of the major academic publication 'The Handbook of Maritime Economics and Business' (2002), LLP, where 50 leading academics from 30 universities in 19 countries contributed 39 chapters. He has given papers and lectures in various parts of the world.

He was 1998 Seatrade Personality of the Year; in 2008 he was awarded the prize of Distinguished Personality for his outstanding contribution to the shipping industry by the Association of Banking and Financial Executives of Hellenic Shipping; and in 2009 was awarded the 'Achievement in Education or Training' at the Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards. He was made OBE (Hon) in 1994, for his work in international shipping and finance and appointed CBE (Hon) in 2008 for "services to teaching and research". He is Member of the Board of Directors of the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation (1995-), Member of the American Bureau of Shipping (1996-), FRSA (1996-), Founder and Chairman of the City of London Biennial Meetings (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008), a Founding Trustee of the Institute of Marine Engineers Memorial Fund (2000-), Non-executive Member of the Board, Marfin Investment Group (MIG) (2007- ), Freeman of the City of London (2000-), Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights (2002-), Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (2004), Hon. Fellow IMarEST (2008). He is Visiting Professor at the University of Antwerp (2000-) and was President of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) (1998-2002).