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HELLENiQ ENERGY CEO Andreas Shiamishis Tops Extel’s 2026 Mid-Cap Oil & Gas Ranking

Andreas Shiamishis, the Cypriot CEO of HELLENiQ ENERGY, ranked first in Extel’s 2026 Emerging EMEA Executive Team survey in the “Mid-Cap Oil & Gas” category.

The recognition comes as HELLENiQ ENERGY expands beyond its traditional refining business and strengthens its position across Southeast Europe’s energy market.

Investors Back HELLENiQ ENERGY’s Strategic Shift

Shiamishis has led the group since 2019, overseeing a broad strategic transformation. During his tenure, HELPE was rebranded as HELLENiQ ENERGY, while the group increased its focus on the energy transition and renewable energy.

The strategy has diversified the company’s business and expanded its international presence. HELLENiQ ENERGY now combines its refining operations with investments aligned with longer-term changes in the energy sector.

Group And Investor Relations Teams Also Recognized

HELLENiQ ENERGY was also named among the “Most Honoured Companies” in its category, while its Investor Relations team received top recognition. The results reflect investor assessments of both the company and its management and communications.

For the group, the recognition adds to its international profile as it expands across the regional energy market.

What Extel’s Survey Measures

Extel’s annual survey evaluates listed companies and executives on management credibility, communication, financial stewardship and capital allocation. Shiamishis has ranked among the sector’s top three executives in recent years.

This year’s survey collected votes from 454 professionals at 247 investment firms. Overall, 401 companies and 603 senior executives across 11 sectors were evaluated.

Shiamishis Maintains Links To Cyprus

Shiamishis, who is from Morphou, remains closely connected to Cyprus, where HELLENiQ ENERGY operates through EKO and is expanding its renewable energy activities.

His ranking places a Cypriot executive at the top of Extel’s 2026 Mid-Cap Oil & Gas category, while the wider results recognize HELLENiQ ENERGY and its Investor Relations team.

Booking Holdings Loses EU Appeal In €1.63 Billion ETraveli Deal Ruling

Booking Holdings has lost its challenge to the European Union’s veto of its €1.63 billion acquisition of ETraveli, marking a significant victory for regulators and underscoring the bloc’s tougher stance on large-scale tech and platform deals.

European Court Backs Commission’s Merger Analysis

On Wednesday, Europe’s second-highest court sided with the European Commission, which blocked the deal in 2023 on the grounds that it would have deepened Booking’s market power and made it harder for competitors to challenge its position in online travel services.

The Luxembourg-based General Court rejected Booking’s claim that the Commission had failed to follow its own merger rules and had applied the wrong legal test. In its ruling, the court said regulators were correct to conclude that acquiring ETraveli, one of Europe’s leading online flight booking platforms, would have reinforced Booking’s already dominant position in online travel agencies tied to hotel bookings.

Why Regulators Stepped In

The case reflects a broader shift in European competition policy. In recent years, the Commission has intensified scrutiny of acquisitions by dominant technology and platform companies, warning that so-called “killer acquisitions” can weaken competition by absorbing smaller but strategically important rivals before they grow into serious threats.

For regulators, the concern was not simply the size of the transaction, but the strategic logic behind it: combining a major hotel booking platform with a leading flight booking operator could have created a more integrated travel ecosystem that rival firms might struggle to match.

What The Deal Would Have Added To Booking’s Portfolio

Booking’s portfolio includes Booking.com, Rentalcars, Priceline and Agoda, giving it broad reach across global travel services. ETraveli, owned by private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, operates brands such as Gotogate and Mytrip and also provides airline content distribution through TripStack.

The combination would have expanded Booking’s ability to offer a wider set of travel products within a single ecosystem, a model that can strengthen customer retention but also raise concerns about market concentration and competitive foreclosure.

Appeal Still Possible

The General Court’s ruling does not necessarily end the matter. Booking can still appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union, the bloc’s highest court, if it chooses to continue the legal fight.

For now, however, the decision stands as a reminder that in Europe, even large and established platform companies face increasing resistance when acquisitions appear likely to consolidate power rather than expand consumer choice.

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