Greek American Thomas Katsiantonis (42) is the new head of World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (WHIA).

Mr Katsiantonis replaces the former Victorian MP John Pantazopoulos as head of the organisation that brings together parliamentarians of Hellenic heritage across the globe.

Katsiantonis has been a board member of WHIA for the six years and vice president for the last two.

“John did an extremely good job and I’ll try to keep with it,” he told Neos Kosmos this week, adding that one of his first priorities is to help rebuild Greece’s tarnished image internationally.

“Greece has to regain trust from other countries [and] talking to the media and informing the viewers is the best way to change the momentum in favour to Greece,” he said.

Later this month he will travel to New York to add his advocacy to the US visit of Greece’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yannis Amanatidis. With relatives in Melbourne, Katsiantonis also has plans to travel to Australia in February.

Katsiantonis, who was born to first generation migrants in New Hampshire, has been running his family’s chain of restaurants for years.

Using products made in Greece, he says, is partly the reason for his company’s success. At the age of 29 he started his political career as Democrat candidate for the New Hampshire House of Representatives representing the Distinct of Hillsborough. He was first elected to the chamber in 2008.