9th Banking Forum and Fintech Expo

Banking & Capital Markets, PwC Germany Leader EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)

Βurkhard Eckes is the leader of the Banking and Capital Markets Practice in PwC EMEA, with over 29 years of professional experience in auditing and advisory of banks including supervisory and regulatory requirements and practices, banking strategies, business models, risk management and risk assessment, accounting, and reporting best practices, bank restructuring, and bank transformation advice. He also is the Global Banking and Capital Markets ESG Leader of PwC. He is driving the development of PwC’s regulatory strategy including senior relationships at supervisors and regulators especially ECB/SSM, EBA, and the SRB. He leads PwC’s ECB/SSM Competence and Coordination Center for the European network in Frankfurt. Burkhard is a senior responsible/relationship partner across PwC’s large banking clients in Germany and is in continued dialogue with senior executives and non-executives of the financial services sector throughout Europe. He is chairman of Banks Working Party of Accountancy Europe (Federation of European Auditors and Accountants.

CEO, Bank of Cyprus

Panicos Nicolaou currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Bank. He previously served as the Director of Corporate Banking Division from June 2016 until August 2019 during which he had under his supervision Corporate Banking Centres throughout Cyprus, the International Corporate Banking Centre and International Operations as well as the Bank’s Factoring Unit. He joined the Bank in 2001. Prior to becoming a Director of Corporate Banking he served as Manager, Corporate Management in the Restructuring and Recoveries Division where he managed a large portfolio of problematic exposures. Panicos holds a BSc in Financial Services from the School of Management, UMIST, UK, a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from National Technical University of Athens (Metsovio), Greece and an MSc in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. Recently he was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of Cyprus Banks for a second year.

Chief Executive Officer, Hellenic Bank

Oliver Gatzke was born in 1968. Born in 1968. He has graduated from the University of Hamburg in Germany with an Honours degree in Business Administration; before then he obtained the qualification of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce Banker while training at Deutsche Bank AG Hamburg (1989-1996). Mr Oliver Gatzke has been, until August last year, the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Technology Officer of European systemic bank, Hamburg Commercial Bank AG (formerly HSH Nordbank AG), where he focused on finance, IT / digitization, business operations and facility management. He had joined HSH Nordbank AG in 2013 as a Finance Director then Chief Financial Officer, co-leading the first privatization of a state-owned bank in Germany to international financial investors. Previously, he had been working for sixteen years at Audit firm KPMG AG in Germany as a Partner Transactions & Restructuring Financial Services from 2007 (with secondment to KPMG London, UK), as (Senior) Manager Transactions & Restructuring from 2001 (with secondment to KPMG Chicago, USA) and as Assistant Manager Corporate Finance from 1997. He was appointed Executive Member of the Board of Directors / Chief Executive Officer of Hellenic Bank on 23 July 2021.

CEO, RCB Bank Ltd

Dr. Kirill Zimarin was born in 1971. He graduated with honors from the M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University obtaining a degree in Economics of Foreign Countries and International Relations. In 1996, he obtained a PhD in Economics from the M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University and in 2015, a doctorate in Economics from the same university. In 2005, he joined RCB Bank Ltd and he is currently a member of its Board of directors and the Bank’s Chief Executive Officer. In 2008 he was elected President of the Association of International Banks in Cyprus, a position he holds until today. In 2011, he became a member of the International Affairs Steering Group of the European Banking Federation (EBF). In 2016, Dr. Zimarin has been appointed as a member of the “International Presidential Business Advisory Council” that plays an important role in forming business policy in Cyprus.

CEO, Alpha Bank Cyprus Ltd

Konstantinos Kountentakis he graduated from Stanford University (BSc in Electrical Engineering and MSc in Engineering Economic Systems), and also holds an MBA from INSEAD Business School. He joined Alpha Bank Group in 2002. Initially, he worked at Alpha Mutual Funds, a Group Company of Alpha Bank S.A. In 2007, he joined Alpha Bank S.A., where he has held various managerial positions, among others, the positions of Head of Retail Distribution Strategy, Head of Asset Gathering, Personal Banking Segment, Mass Segment & CRM, and the position of Executive General Manager – Asset Gathering Management. From April 2017 he was appointed Managing Director of Alpha Bank Cyprus Ltd.

Vice-President, European Central Bank

Luis de Guindos is Vice-President of the European Central Bank since 1 June 2018. In this capacity, he is also a member of the Executive Board, the Governing Council and General Council of the European Central Bank. He was Minister of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (2016-2018) and Minister of Economy and Competitiveness (2011-2016). He was Secretary of State for Economic Affairs and member of the Economic and Financial Committee of the EU (2002-2004,). Prior to that, he was Secretary General for Economic and Competition Policy (2000-2002) and Director General (1996-2000). Mr de Guindos was Head of Financial Services (2008-2009) at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Director at IE Business School and PwC Center for the Finance Sector (2010-2011). He was Chief Executive Officer Iberia at Lehman Brothers and Chief Executive Officer at Nomura Securities (2006-2008). He graduated with honours in BSc in Economics from Colegio Universitario de Estudios Financieros (CUNEF) in Spain (1982) and graduated as State Economist and Trade Expert (1984).

Governor, Central Bank of Cyprus

Constantinos Herodotou is the Governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) and a member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank. Previously he served as an Executive Director at the CBC’s Board of Directors (2017-2019). He also held the position of the Commissioner of Privatisations in Cyprus (2014-2017). Before moving to Cyprus in 2014, most of his career was in investment banking at UBS Investment Bank in London, where he rose through the ranks to head concurrently two sectors: Shipping for Europe, Middle East and Africa and simultaneously Infrastructure & Concessions Advisory / Project Finance for Central & Eastern Europe. He has advised governments and global conglomerates on major financial transactions and strategy, totaling a value of over €50 billion. His experience includes among others structuring and heading complex negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, project concessions, listing companies on stock exchanges (NASDAQ and NYSE), structuring and raising equity and debt, corporate and financial restructurings and project finance. Constantinos Herodotou holds an MBA from London Business School and a BSc in Economics from University College London.

Partner, Advisory, In charge of Banking, PwC Cyprus

Michalis Stephanou is an Advisory Partner and in charge of the Banking sector at PwC Cyprus. He advises banks with the preparation and implementation of their strategic plans, financial reporting valuations, due diligences and other M&A projects. Michalis has been involved in some of the biggest transactions in the Cypriot banking sector as well as in Greece where he spent a year working at PwC Greece. He also has significant expertise advising Cypriot large corporates and SMEs in dealing with the restructuring of their credit facilities and resolving their liquidity issues, leading projects associated with acquisitions and disposals of shares or assets, group reorganisation exercises, and other similar projects. Michalis is also a member of the Board of the Cyprus - Japan Business Association and has also served as a member of the Financial Services and Consulting Committees of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Cyprus”.

Senior Managing Director, Global Lead Customer, Sales and Service, Global Digital Banking, Accenture, Belgium

Dr. Edwin Van der Ouderaa, Senior Managing Director, leads Accenture’s Customer, Sales and Service practice and Digital Banking worldwide. He is a Computer Science Engineer, holds a PhD in Information Theory and an MBA. He founded a software company with venture-capital and served as its CEO until 1995. Joining Accenture since, he led several global banking accounts and one of Europe’s largest Banking IT Transformational Outsourcing programs, Accenture’s Payments practice and its UKI Insurance practice. In 2010-11 he chaired the Basel III Liquidity kick-off sessions, one of the three streams besides Capital Adequacy and Macro-Prudential Governance, advising the BIS, Basel Committee and G20/FSB. He then created Accenture’s global FS Digital, Data and Analytics practice, leading this till 2020. He is a founder of Accenture’s Digital Decoupling practice. He is involved in digital transformations at numerous large banks across the world. He built several Digital banks and assisted many FinTechs.

Head, Technology & Digital, Hellenic Bank Public Company Ltd

Christos Eojourian is the Head of Technology & Digital at Hellenic Bank. Christos has over 12 years of experience in the financial services sector in the UK. He started his career at UBS in London working within Prime Brokerage Technology before taking a senior role within the Hedge Fund Client Integration team at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Prior to his current role, Christos was a Director at BlackRock leading, a global team for the Aladdin platform, which provides portfolio management, trading, operations, compliance and accounting tools on a single platform. Christos graduated from the University College London (UCL) with a BEng degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

CIO, Eurobank Cyprus

Spyros Loizou is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Eurobank Cyprus, leading the bank’s digital and business transformation initiatives. Spyros has over 15 years of experience in the financial services sector in Cyprus and the UK. He was previously employed by Morgan Stanley Investment bank in London where he as leading the quantitative risk modeling team with Technology and Data division before his repatriation to Cyprus to lead EY’s IT Advisory services as a Director in the local practice for a number of years. He has been awarded with a 1st class honors in BSc in Computing from Northumbria University at Newcastle and an MBA from the Cyprus International Institute of Management. He is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), an ACL Certified Data Analyst (ACDA) as well as a certified ISO 27001 Lead Implementer.

Chief Information Officer, Bank of Cyprus

George Tziortzis has more than 23 years of experience in Management Consulting and Technology with a focus in Business and Digital Transformation. He has worked, on a full time basis, for KPMG in the United States, Switzerland and Cyprus servicing clients in different industry sectors including Banking, Telecoms, Retail and the Public Sector. He is currently the acting CIO of the Bank of Cyprus. His expertise includes business transformation of large organizations in terms of organizational and operational restructuring, performance improvement, digital strategy definition and digital services development and implementation. He also focusses on the design and development of initiatives, programs, and solutions for developing and establishing a digital economy at a national level.

Head of UK & Europe Partnerships, Wise

Roisin Levine has been working within the tech and fintech space for the past 11 years. Before recently taking her new role at Wise, she held senior positions at well known fintech companies Flux and Funding Options. Roisin is a decorated fintech star, being recognised countless times within the Women in Fintech Powerlist as well as being nominated as Young Leader of the Year and the Women in Credit Award’s Transformation of the Year award. Wise is one of the UK’s golden fintechs and a North Star business for many startups - recently completing a direct listing on the London Stock Exchange. Wise supports consumers and businesses of all sizes to move money cross-border.

Division Head, Business Consulting Services, Logicom Solutions, Cyprus

Charis Florides is the Division Head of Business Consulting Services Unit of Logicom Solutions, helping clients to define technology related strategies, build frameworks and safeguard their business by proactively identifying and assessing areas threatening information assets and their operations. He has over 13 years of experience in different areas of Information Technology, including designing and delivering transformation projects and highly complex Information Security Architectures, cybersecurity strategies and frameworks. Previously, he served as Head of IT Audit at a major Financial Institution in Cyprus. Charis holds an MSc in Information Security from Royal Holloway University of London, is CISSP and OSCP certified and a Cyprus Certified Information Security Professionals (ISC2) Chapter Board Member.

CEO, Ecommbx

Michael C. G. Charalambides comes from a Banking background with a solid academic and strategic foundation in macroeconomics and politics. Since the dawn of the Fin-Tech industry Michael has become a part of many leading industry projects and regulatory bodies via a contribution through his network of projects. He has successfully launched with his peers the ECOMMPAY brand, was part of the project that launched the first private POS payments terminal in Cyprus. and now has taken on a new venture and created the family of ECOMMBX as an EMI regulated under the CBC. Michael’s favorite words that lead his vision are: “positive disruption” and “always work in the light”.

Managing Director, Ispiral

Christos Ttiniozou has worked in implementing several Regulatory Technology projects in Europe and the Middle East with huge experience and knowledge in automating Money Laundering & Fraud Detection, and prevention. He is the Chief Product Manager of RegTek+ an all-in-one platform for handling Onboarding, KYC, Risk Assessments, Transaction Monitoring, and Transaction Screening.

Solution Architect, Senior Manager, Red Hat IGC

Menny Tsarfati is Regional Manager of Red Hat Solutions Architects. The purpose of his job is to lead the solutions focused on the business needs of the co customers, while realizing Red Hat’s values: innovation, entrepreneurship, transparency with customers, and transparency with the open source community. Tsarfati (61) has many years of experience in IT, from infrastructure to software and IT Strategy. His record includes dozens of successful projects in the IT worlds, from virtualization and server consolidation, Data center automation systems, service-oriented architecture design and implementation, Business process modeling and analysis, and Organization and IT strategy. Menny is an expert for communication and security, Cross-IT systems, and work processes, high-level design of data centers, business continuity and central information security systems. Tsarfati, a graduate of Statistics & Mathematics. Act as lecturer at CIO course and Academy Master degree - computer science for SOA and Microservices courses. In his previous positions, he served as a Business Solutions Strategist at VMware and CTO Global Account at HP. “My motto is to show responsibility and respect for the partners, customers and organizations with whom I work with,” says Tsarfati.

Logicom Solutions, member of the Logicom Group of companies, is one of the leading technology companies in the region and the digital transformation partner of choice for many Public and Private Organizations in Cyprus, Greece and Malta. Logicom Solutions provides end-to-end technology solutions and services spanning from strategic ideation and crafting of a digital vision to supporting organizations realize value through the right execution and implementation of technology projects. A partner of some of the most innovative technology companies in the world, companies like CISCO, Microsoft and Accenture, Logicom Solutions helps organizations transform and remain relevant and competitive in a new digital world.

George Z. Georgiou & Associates LLC is a full-service law firm, with 60 experienced lawyers, arbitrators, legal consultants and support staff. The Firm provides services in the areas of: FinTech, GDPR, Banking & Finance, Corporate & Commercial, Litigation & Arbitration, Private Client, Property & Construction, Compliance & Regulatory, Employment & Pensions, IP & Media, Tax, and Family. It is a dynamic and modern law firm, priding itself on its devotion to professionalism, passion for excellence and commitment to the legal services it provides clients. The Firm is ranked in all the main legal directories - Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal.

A global leader in the field of Regulatory Technology, iSPIRAL’s award-winning Solutions are tailor-made to resolve all your Fraud, KYC, AML, Governance-Risk, and Compliance challenges. Renowned in the Finance Industry, their one-stop software comprehensively addresses the compliance objectives and obligations set by worldwide regulators. Through the expert use of machine-learning technology, real-time activity monitoring, global partnerships, and data analysis, iSPIRAL ensures your organisation consistently delivers exceptional services to your clients around the world. www.i-spiral.com

In a world that is constantly changing, Artificial Intelligence, climate change and geopolitical shifts are redefining the global economy. For businesses, new challenges and new priorities are presented.

At PwC Cyprus, we combine deep industry knowledge, tech expertise, and advanced know-how, so that you can build, accelerate and sustain the momentum you need to thrive. We are by your side. We listen to you. We tell you the truth with objectivity and boldness. We help you create the value you want today and in the future.

We believe in the power of the team and the result of collaboration. With a commitment to quality and integrity, we build strong relationships of trust to help you turn vision into value so you can set the future in motion. In times of great challenges, such as today, trust is essential and more important than ever.

Our more than 1,100 people in Cyprus join forces with the 284,000 professionals of our global network in 155 countries. We are a tech-forward, people-empowered firm who combines intelligent approaches, experience, and technological innovation. So, you can, at any moment, feel confident about your next business step.

Together we work differently. To stand out from the competition and achieve your goals.

We offer Advisory, Audit, Tax & Legal Services and TRS & Connected Compliance services.

ZEBRA Consultants is an innovative IT company that specializes in software development, infrastructure solutions, consulting services, systems integration, and cloud solutions. Red Hat is the world’s leading provider of enterprise open source solutions, including Linux, Cloud, Middleware, Storage, Virtualization, and Container technologies. ZEBRA being the only Red Hat Premier Business Partner in the region provides qualitative Red Hat solutions and services in diverse markets. Our expertise, coupled with our customer-driven focus, allows our clients to tackle their technological challenges, boosting competitiveness and maximizing their potential. For further information, please visit www.zebrac.com or call +357 22028128.

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.

Alpha Bank Cyprus Ltd has been operating in Cyprus since 1998. It offers a wide range of highquality financial products and services, including Retail Banking, SMEs, Corporate, International and Wealth Banking, as well as Investment and Insurance offerings. As part of the Alpha Bank Group, a leading financial sector group in Greece, its mission is to contribute to the Cypriot Economy by continuously developing and upgrading its products and services to meet the evolving demands of its individual and business Customers. The Bank takes an active role in supporting the Cypriot Economy and Society through initiatives that create value for its Customers, Employees, and the broader Community

Established in 2008, AstroΒank operates a network of 15 branches and business units across Cyprus, offering innovative and technologically advanced products and services tailored to the needs of its local and international clientele. AstroBank’s operations are based on four pillars: Retail, Corporate/ SME, Private Banking, and International Business Banking (IBU). A leader in backing clean energy projects, AstroBank today is helping the island achieve its green transition by funding large clean energy projects and sustainable enterprise. Since its establishment, the bank has been working on boosting competitiveness and contributing to the country’s business environment. Clients can always rely on its team of highly qualified experts to deliver customised solutions and guidance. Private banking advisers guide clients on how to build their core portfolio with equity, bonds and funds or more sophisticated products, always providing alternative investment proposals to diversify and protect. At the same time, recognising the diverse needs of its international clientele, AstroBank’s IBU has designed a suite of products and services to meet their requirements.

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.

Eurobank Ltd is one of the leading financial institutions in Cyprus, managing over €28 billion in total assets and holding strong market shares in deposits (42%) and loans (36%). With approximately 3,000 employees, it offers comprehensive solutions across retail, corporate and investment banking, wealth management, international financing, and bancassurance. The Group also includes ERB Cyprialife and ERB Insurance, both leaders in the Cypriot insurance market.

Eurobank Ltd forms part of the broader Eurobank Group, operating across Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, and the UK, with over €100 billion in total assets. The Group benefits from strong institutional backing, including a 33% shareholding by Fairfax Financial Holdings.

The Eurobank Group is set to open a Representative Office in Mumbai, following approval from the Reserve Bank of India. Expected to commence operations by March 2026, this will make Eurobank the first Greek and Cypriot banking group with a presence in India, serving as a strategic hub linking Indian businesses with Cyprus, Greece, and the wider European market and actively supporting Indian corporates expanding into Cyprus and Europe.

https://www.eurobank.com.cy/en-us/

Η RCB Bank Ltd ιδρύθηκε την 1η Αυγούστου 1995 και εορτάζει φέτος τα 25χρονα της. Η RCB Bank αποτελεί μια από τις μεγαλύτερες τράπεζες στην Κύπρο και συγκαταλέγεται στις σημαντικές Ευρωπαϊκές τράπεζες που εποπτεύονται κατευθείαν από την Ευρωπαϊκή Κεντρική Τράπεζα μέσω του Ενιαίου Εποπτικού Μηχανισμού (ΕΕΜ). Η Τράπεζα διατηρεί καταστήματα σε Λευκωσία, Λεμεσό, Πάφο, Λάρνακα και Λουξεμβούργο.

The English-language business magazine GOLD was launched in 2011. Today, it has established itself as a publication that promotes Cyprus as an international business centre, and at the same time, presents all sectors of business activity in Cyprus. It has a unique readership, which consists of high – net worth individuals , executives of international businesses, English-speaking and also Cypriot businesspeople.