John Panaretos is a Greek educator and statistician. He is Professor of Probability and Statistics at the Athens University of Economics and Business. He was Deputy Minister of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs (October 6, 2009 - June 17, 2011). He has also been appointed by the Prime Minister in charge of the open government project.
Panaretos was born in Kythera. Before joining the Athens University of Economics and Business he taught at the universities of Patras and Crete in Greece, University of Iowa and University of Missouri in the United States, and at Trinity College, Dublin in Ireland.
He has been Director of the Institute of Statistical Documentation Research and Analysis since 1996, a life member of the Scientific Council of the Greek Parliament since 1987, and a member of the governing board of the Institute of Strategic and Development Studies (ISTAME) - Andreas Papandreou (2005–2008). Since 2004, he is the education adviser of George Papandreou, leader of PASOK (the main opposition party of Greece) and the Socialist International. He is a member of the National Council of Education, the Council of University Education, the Council of Technical Education and the Council of Primary and Secondary Education (representing PASOK).
He has acted as Chairman of the Department of Statistics (1993–1996 & 2000-2002) and as member of the research committee of the University (1993–1996). At the University of Patras, he served as Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, as Chairman of the Research Committee, as Associate Dean of the Engineering School and as Chairman of the Division of Mathematics of the School.
Panaretos has served as Vice President of the European Network of the National Councils of Education (1997–2000), Chairman of the National Council of Education of Greece (1996–2000), the Council of Higher Education (1988–1989), and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs in Greece (1988–1989 and 1995–1996), and member of the governing board of the Institute of Strategic and Development Studies (ISTAME) - Andreas Papandreou (2004–2008).
He has published more than fifty papers in International Scientific Journals, was an invited speaker in many scientific meetings, and served as Associate Editor of Communications in Statistics (A), Theory and Methods.