Athos Malliris and Lena Fanouraki are a lovely couple. Panagiotis “Panos” Christidis is their business partner (in shipping) and best friend. Together the three are fondly referred to as “The Three Musketeers” in the Bailliage of Shanghai.

All are Greek nationals and enthusiastic Non-professional members. They have been in the Chaîne for years, all the while keenly supporting events through regular participation.

Let me introduce them to you.

First up is Athos Malliris. From an early age Athos’ dream was engineering resulting in four Masters’ Degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His past 30 years in Japan, Korea and China have been in the shipbuilding industry. Athos’ passion is rock’n’roll, Greek art and motor racing. Whilst in Korea Athos was introduced to the Chaîne by Heinz Wagner, his friend who was Bailli of Busan. Athos liked that every dinner had a different theme and appreciated the charming atmosphere created by the Chaîne camaraderie. He decided to join and has now been a member for 20 years with the last 13 in the Bailliage of China. The Chaîne, Athos says, is the perfect place to meet people with different nationalities, backgrounds and cultures. Exploring different food and wines opens many horizons of gastronomy. Athos strongly suggests visiting other Bailliages around the world - naturally, once pandemic restrictions again permit such travel.

Next is Lena Fanouraki. With her father and brother being Civil Engineers, it was natural for Lena to study civil engineering. On graduation she was self-employed developing her career with construction projects. Invited to several Chaîne dinners by friends, Lena enjoyed the special atmosphere created by interesting people not to mention the food and wine pairings. The decision was made. The rest is history. Lena joined the Korea’s Bailliage of Busan in 2005. Since 2008 she has been a member in Shanghai. When travelling worldwide Lena likes to attend local Chaîne events to meet new people as well as to discover different cultures and tastes. She feels it is time to re-evaluate our lifestyle by caring more about family and friends. Be grateful for our blessings. Appreciate and enjoy each moment of life. She encourages us to embrace the idea of the Chaîne “family” and keep enjoying beautiful moments.

Finally there is Panagiotis “Panos” Christidis. A naval architect and marine engineer by profession, Panos has been living and working in Asia since 1997. Away from work he is an enthusiast for fine food and great wines so it is not a surprise that he was introduced to the Chaîne by a friend in Busan, Korea. Since being inducted in Seoul in 2002 Panos has been attending Chaîne events regularly, ultimately becoming an Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs (OMGD) member in 2017. He says that the Chaîne offers a great opportunity to participate in spectacular dinners with fine food and wines. Key for him is the friendly environment with interesting people sharing their passion for food and lifestyle away from cultural and personal differences. The bond of camaraderie remains strong for years! Good friendships in his adult life have come through his Chaîne background. Panos believes that it is important to value the Chaîne with its long history and global spread.

And now you know all about the “The Three Musketeers” in the Bailliage of Shanghai. Three people committed to the values and aims of the Chaîne. And all three invited by a friend. Who do you know that you could invite to be part of our great Chaîne “family” with all its benefits?

Allen Wong
Bailli Délegué