He is the great-grandson of Georgios Streit who was Foreign Minister of Greece on the eve of World War I. Geroulanos graduated from Williams College in 1988 with highest honors with a degree in history.

Pavlos Geroulanos began his political career in 1999, as an advisor to George Papandreou, then the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and as Secretary General for Greeks Abroad, a position that he held until 2004.

From 2006 to 2009 he was director of the Papandreou's party political bureau, in the latter's capacity as president of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement.

After PASOK's electoral victory in October 2009, Pavlos Geroulanos was appointed as the Minister for Culture and Tourism.

The robbery at the Archaeological Museum of the history of the Ancient Olympic Games on 17 February 2012, resulted in Culture Minister Pavlos Geroulanos' resignation.