GWEC founder Arthouros Zervos dies after short illness

Arthouros Zervos founded GWEC in 2005 and served as its first president for five years between 2005 and 2010. 

GWEC said he passed away on yesterday (29 July) in Athens. 

Zervos headed the European Wind Energy Association, now called WindEurope, as president for more than 12 years between 2001 and 2013. 

GWEC’s current CEO, Ben Backwell, said: “Arthouros showed indefatigable energy, optimism and determination to create a better world, right to the end. He was always willing to spare time to provide advice, support or simply have a friendly chat. I was very lucky to have him as a mentor and inspiration during the most important period of my career.”

GWEC will mark its 20th anniversary next year, and the industry body said recognising Zervos’s legacy and contributions would now form a key part of the celebrations. 

Among his other posts was a 12-year presidency of the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) between 2000 and 2012. 

Most recently Zervos served as the president of REN21, a renewable energy lobby group and think tank composed of experts from international governments, industry, science and NGOs — a position he held since 2013. 

Bruce Douglas, CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance, is a former colleague of Zervos and helped him found GWEC. 

"I am devastated that Arthouros is no longer with us. He was the reason I decided to spend my life working with wind energy and renewables, and I have relied on him as a mentor and friend for almost 25 years,” Douglas said. 

“His determination and warmth will be with us forever; however his loss will make us all even more determined to carry out the energy transition and create a better world for generations to come,” he added. 

Zervos had also been a professor at the School of Engineering, parto of Greece’s National Technical University in Athens. 

He served as chairman and CEO of Greek utility Public Power Corporation amid the global financial crisis in 2009, alongside his colleague Ioannis Tsipouridis. 

Tsipouridis described Zervos as a"great man who did so much for wind energy and other renewables, and not just for Greece but for Europe and the world. His unique intelligence and personality touched deeply all of those who were lucky enough to be near him."