Official Launch of the Cyprus Institute of Directors & Corporate Governance (CyIoDCG)

Kyriacos Kokkinos is former Minister for Research, Innovation (R&I) and Digital Policy, Republic of Cyprus. He previously served as the National Chief Scientist and Chairman of the Board for Research & Innovation Foundation RIF. He is a distinguished professional with more than 35 years of experience in Executive Strategic Management, Technology and Consulting, served at Executive roles in global Corporations across Europe. He serves at Board level of private companies and Institutions as non-exec director and he is the founder and chairman of Outthink Insights Consulting, an advisory management and technology consulting firm. He is an elected Member of the Governing Board (and Member of the Executive Committee ExCo of the Board) of the European Institute of innovation and Technology EIT https://eit.europa.eu/ . He is a Certified International Director on Corporate Governance from INSEAD business school. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and recognitions for professional excellence. He holds an MSc and BSc degrees in Elect. Engineering from NJIT (USA) and Executive MBA from Henley Management College (UK).

Demetra Kalogerou is a seasoned professional in the banking and financial regulatory sectors, known for her strategic leadership and regulatory expertise. She has served as Chairwoman of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), where she led regulatory oversight to ensure industry compliance, market transparency, and financial stability. Her tenure is marked by significant reforms and innovations in the regulatory framework, aimed at protecting investors and enhancing the reputation and competitiveness of the Cyprus financial market. With over 20 years of experience, Demetra provides strategic and operational advisory services in fintech and broader financial sectors, helping clients across various regions to effectively manage risk, comply with financial regulations, and succeed in dynamic market environments. She has a strong track record of fostering productive relationships with international regulatory bodies, market participants, and other stakeholders. Passionate about advancing the fields of finance and regulation, Demetra is committed to high ethical standards and delivering quality services that support the sustainable growth and development of the financial industry. Her expertise includes financial regulation, anti-money laundering (AML), corporate governance, risk management, and crisis prevention.

Dr. George Theocharides, Chairman, CySEC Dr George Theocharides is the Chairman of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). He is also the Chairman of the Risk Standing Committee (RSC). The RSC is part of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and the successor of the Committee for Economic and Markets Analysis (CEMA), for which Dr. Theocharides served also as Chairman, between March and December 2022. He served as CySEC’s Vice Chairman from July 2020 to September 2021 and was previously a CySEC Board member. He has extensive experience working in the wider financial sector. From September 2010 until July 2020, he held the position of Associate Finance Professor at the Cyprus International Institute of Management (CIIM) and Director of the MSc in Financial Services Programme. Prior to joining CIIM, he worked as an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Sungkyunkwan University of South Korea from 2006 to 2010. In 2006, he also worked as an International Faculty Fellow at the Sloan School of Management of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In the past, he served as a member of the Interim Board of Bank of Cyprus, Chairman of the Board of the Cyprus Blockchain Technologies Ltd, as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus-Kuwait Business Association. He also served as a member of the Training/HR Committee of the Cyprus Investment Funds Association (CIFA), Chairman of the Board of Management of The English School, as well as a non-executive member of the Board of Directors for a number of organisations and companies in the financial services sector. He is also an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) and a Research Associate at the UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies (UCL CBT). Dr. Theocharides holds a degree of BΕng (Hons) in Electrical Engineering & Electronics from the University of Manchester (U.M.I.S.T.), an MBA from the University of San Diego and a PhD in Finance from the University of Arizona.

Irene Piki is the Deputy Minister to the President since 1st March 2023. She studied Economics in the UK, (BSc Regional Science – Economics and Human Geography) at the University of Reading, followed by an MSc on Environmental and Natural Resources Economics at University College London (UCL). She was employed in the public service of the Republic of Cyprus as a career technocrat from 1997 to 2023, at various posts with a wide range portfolio, which includes issues relating to the economy, environment, regional policy, reforms and investments, as well as European issues. In September 2019 she took over as Head of the Strategy, Coordination and Communication Directorate at the Ministry of Finance. In March 2021 she was promoted to Director of Finance and in October 2022 she became the Director of Economic Policy and European Affairs. She has served as member of the Board of Directors of Invest Cyprus (CIPA), the Research and Innovation Foundation, the Cyprus Organization for Standardization, as well as the Cyprus Economy and Competitiveness Council. She has also represented Cyprus in various EU Committees relating to economic and cohesion policy issues.

Ludo Van der Heyden has been Professor of Technology and Operations Management at INSEAD since 1988. He is the INSEAD Chaired Professor in Corporate Governance since October 2010, Emeritus in September 2018. He was the founding Academic Director of INSEAD's Corporate Governance Centre and, with colleagues, co-founded the International Directors Programme, the Modern Governance in Banking, and the Value Creation for Owners and Directors programmes. He directed the Advanced Management Program (2000-08), the INSEAD Zentrum Leipzig (1994-99), was INSEAD co-Dean (1990-95), first PhD Director and Associate Dean for R&D (1989-90). Before joining INSEAD, Ludo Van der Heyden was on the faculty of the School of Organization and Management at Yale University (1980-1988) and of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (1978-80). He holds an Engineering Degree in Applied Mathematics from the Université Catholique de Louvain (1974) and a Ph.D. Degree in Administrative Sciences from Yale University (1979). He is the first Honorary Professor of the recreated Leipzig Graduate School of Management (HHL), from which he also received the Distinguished Service Medal. He co-created in 2017 the first educational programme of the Ukrainian Corporate Governance Academy (UCGA) which he regularly contributes to. He was a Distinguished Scholar at IMD (2021-2024). He has published in many journals such as Harvard Business Review, Strategy & Business, International Commerce Review, The European Finance Review, Family Business Review, the Journal of Economic Theory, Mathematics of Operations Research, Mathematical Programming, and the International Journal of Game Theory. He published two reports entitled The Real Impact of Digital (2016) and Directing Digitalisation. Guidelines for Boards and Executives (2017). His latest publication is the book Value Creation for Owners and Directors (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023), co-authored with Massimo Massa and Kai Teraporevala. He is a member of the Supervisory Board of Naftogaz of Ukraine (2019-2021 & 2023-…), the largest energy company of Ukraine. He is Chairman of the Board of Seisquare, a software company for estimating natural resource reserves. He was a Board member - and then Advisory Board member - of Bencis Capital Partners. He is a co-founder of the Association des Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales in Milly-la-Forêt. He is Honorary Vice-President of the Association Pôle Sud Paris which fosters economic development in the South Paris area. He became a Municipal Counsellor in Rougemont (CH) in Fall 2023. The King of Belgium appointed him Officer of the Order of Leopold in 1996. www.ludovanderheyden.com

Eleni Neocleous joined Bank of Cyprus in September 2025 as the Chief Compliance Officer. She brings over 20 years of experience as a consultant in Cyprus and the UK, advising financial institutions on risk and regulatory matters. Her career began at KPMG in the UK as an Advisor, and she later transferred to KPMG Cyprus, where she became an Advisory Partner in 2019. Her role involved providing advisory services on Governance, Risk, Compliance, and Internal Audit to regulated entities and supervisory authorities in Cyprus and across the EU. Eleni holds a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and an MSc in Economics from the University of Edinburgh.

Dinos Lefkaritis was born in Larnaca on 17/4/1952. He is married to Maria and is the father of four children, Christos, Andreas, Dinos Junior and Alκistis. A graduate of the Pancyprian Commercial High School of Larnaca, he studied Business Studies in England in the fields of Insurance, Shipping, Marketing and Finance. He served in the National Guard from 1979 to 1981. Since 1974 he has been working for Petrolina and the Lefkaritis Brothers Group, with a long professional career.  Since 2018 he has held the position of Executive Managing Director (CEO) of Petrolina (Holdings) Public Limited and the Lefkaritis Brothers Group, which play a leading role in the energy and business sectors of Cyprus. At the same time, he serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of subsidiaries and affiliated companies of Petrolina (Holdings) Public Limited, including strategic joint ventures (JVs), active in the energy and aircraft refuelling sectors in Cyprus and Greece. These include PPT Aviation Services Ltd, HAFCO S.A., LCA Aviation Fueling System Ltd, eWise Cyprus Ltd (formerly ExxonMobil Cyprus Limited), as well as Silk Oil S.A., through which the company has sales points in Greece. He has a strong institutional and social presence as President of the Larnaka Tourism Board and the Larnaka 2030 organization, Honorary President of the Larnaca Chamber of Commerce and Industry and AEK Larnaca, as well as President of the Ski Club and the Cyprus Ski Federation. He has been honoured with various awards and distinctions for his contribution to the business and social sectors.

Ioannis Georgoulas is a certified board director with a specialization in banking from INSEAD and holds professional certifications in banking and green & sustainable finance from the Chartered Banker Institute. He has founded several companies in the fields of corporate communications and technology, and specializes in corporate governance, regulatory frameworks for financial services firms, and emerging technologies. He has served on the Board of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, appointed by the Council of Ministers. He is currently an independent non-executive director at EcommBX, Société Générale Bank Cyprus, FXCM (a subsidiary of Jefferies Group), and TFI Markets. He is Chairman of the Cyprus Association of Electronic Money and Payment Institutions (ACEMPI) and a board member of the Cyprus–U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He has served on various boards in the private sector and in charitable organizations, and is an alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the U.S. Department of State. He holds an MBA, a BSc in Business Information Systems, and a Diploma of Higher Education in Computer Sciences.

Cleopatra Kitti is an INSEAD-certified independent director and board member with 30 years of experience advising corporations, governments, and international organisations across EMEA, the US, and the UK with an expertise in governance, geo-economics, and global affairs. Her boardroom experience includes heavily regulated industries and publicly listed companies, particularly in financial services, travel and hospitality and fintech. Over the past decade, she has served as an independent director on multiple boards, including more than seven years with a Eurozone systemic bank. She has chaired key committees such as Nominations, Internal Governance, and Sustainability, and contributed as a member of Risk and Audit Committees. Cleopatra maintains an active portfolio of advisory roles for US and regional energy companies, as well as other international corporate clients. She also serves as a senior policy advisor at ELIAMEP - Greece’s leading European think tank - where she co-founded the Mediterranean Programme. In addition, she is a member of the International Crisis Group’s International Advisory Council, actively supporting peacebuilding efforts and drawing on her hands-on experience volunteering in conflict zones across Africa.

The Bank of Cyprus Group is the leading banking and financial services group in Cyprus, providing a wide range of financial products and services which include retail and commercial banking, finance, factoring, investment banking, brokerage, fund management, private banking, life and general insurance. The Group’s digital infrastructure is proving successful, transforming the Bank to a modern, customer-centric hub offering banking and broader financial digital products and services in Cyprus. The Group has set the foundations to enhance its organisational resilience and ESG agenda and continues to work towards building a forward-looking organisation with a clear strategy supported by effective corporate governance aligned with ESG agenda priorities, aiming to lead the transition of Cyprus to a sustainable future.

ECOMMBX represents the new age of fintech, revolutionizing the way businesses handle their global transactions. We specialize in e-account management, cross- border payments, personal & business cards, acquiring, and multi-currency conversions, all through our ECOMMVERSE, a single, innovative and intuitive platform that gives you instant access to all of ECOMMBX’s services. Our innovaive service model is based on four cornerstones: cutting edge technology designed for the global banking industry; customized connections with banking partners around the world; stringent security; and maximum operational speed. In short, our ECOMMVERSE is your go-to address for e-accounts and related products as well as a series of other services and benefits that make your business operate smoother and life easier.

Through its representation of ten member banks, that hold more than 90% of market share and provide a full range of banking services, the Association of Cyprus Banks (ACB) is the voice of the Cyprus banking system. Its primary aim is to promote best practices for the interest of the banking sector and the local economy as a whole. The ACB is a non-profit organization through which common positions are formulated and promoted on banking and financial issues, when local legislative and governmental policies are determined. In communicating the industry’s views, the ACB cooperates closely with the Central Bank of Cyprus, the House of Representatives and various Ministries as well as other private and public bodies. The Association also has a close relationship with the European Banking Federation (of which it is a member), national banking associations and global organizations. This year, the ACB is celebrating its 50 years’ anniversary.

The Cyprus Compliance Association (CCA) is a pioneering non-profit and professional association committed to enhancing compliance and ethical standards across various business sectors. With the full support of the International Compliance Association (ICA), CCA supports governance, risk, and compliance professionals, promoting their professional development and advancing the industry’s integrity. CCA fosters a robust community where knowledge-sharing and best practices elevate the compliance culture, ensuring a resilient and ethically driven business environment in Cyprus and beyond.

The Cyprus Institute of Directors and Corporate Governance (CyIoDCG) aspires to be the authoritative voice for directors, championing good governance, competent leadership and strong values and ethos. Our purpose is to promote excellence in directorship and uphold high standards of directorship, ensuring that boards are prepared to lead organizations with integrity, trust, ethos and foresight. At CyIoDCG, we believe that corporate governance and effective, fit-for-purpose directorship are transformative forces for organizational success, progress and positive change. Good governance extends beyond mere compliance and risk management; it embodies the readiness to identify and seize opportunities amidst uncertainty and ongoing crises. We understand that a fit-and-proper Board is not a given but, rather, the result of relentless improvement, collective learning and the sharing of knowledge and experiences.

IMH is a leading Corporate Events, Media, Business Intelligence and Networking organisation with a vast annual agenda of over 200 conferences, business forums, exhibitions, investment summits, client events and business awards ceremonies. Organised by IMH in Cyprus and abroad, these are considered to be Cyprus’ largest business and professional networking platforms. Our Business Media Department publishes Cyprus’ two most popular monthly business magazines– IN Business and GOLD –and two digital media platforms, IN Business News and CBN (Cyprus Business News) with their Daily Newsletters providing executives with news and updates on the local business and economic landscape, in Greek and English respectively. Our Consumer Media Department operates REPORTER, one of the country's most popular news portals, as well as SUPER FM, Cyprus’ Number 1 Greek music radio station. IMH also participates in Cyprus Government, EU and other international organisations’ projects and programmes. www.imhbusiness.com