12th Limassol Economic Forum

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.

Economist, Belgium

Alessio Terzi is an Economist at DG ECFIN of the European Commission, working in the Policy Coordination team. Prior to that, he was an Affiliate Fellow at Bruegel, the Brussels-based economics think-tank, and a Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. He also has work experience from the European Central Bank’s EU institutions division and in sovereign risk analysis from BMI Research (Fitch Ratings). Alessio holds a PhD from the Hertie School, with a thesis on economic growth.

Professor of Economics, London School of Economics (LSE), UK

Ricardo Reis is the A.W. Phillips Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, and sits on the advisory councils of many central banks. Recent honors include the Jahnsson award, the Bernacer prize, and the BdF/TSE prize. His main areas of research are inflation, expectations, central banks, monetary policy, fiscal transfers, automatic stabilizers, sovereign-bond backed securities, and the role of capital misallocation in the European slump and crisis.

Director of Research, Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS). Belgium

Dr. Cinzia Alcidi is Director of Research, Head of the Economic Policy Unit at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels and LUISS- School of European Political Economy- research fellow. Since November 2019 she is also the acting Head of the Jobs and Skills unit. Prior to joining CEPS, she worked at International Labour Office in Geneva and she taught International Economics at University of Perugia (Italy). Her research activity includes international economics, macroeconomics, central banking and EU governance. She holds a Ph.D. degree in International Economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva (Switzerland).

Constantinos Petrides assumed office as Minister of Finance of the Republic of Cyprus on the 3rd of December 2019. Prior to his appointment, he served as Minister of Interior (1 May 2017 - 3 December 2019) and Deputy Minister to the President of the Republic of Cyprus (1st March 2013 – 30 April 2017). From September 2011 to February 2013 was the Director of the Office of the President of the Democratic Rally. In 2006 he was hired at the European Commission in Brussels where he worked as an economist at the Directorate-General for Agriculture and the Directorate General for Competition until September 2011. He studied Economics at the University of Nottingham and then acquired an MSc in Political Economy of Transition in Europe from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences.

Minister of Finance for Greece

He was elected MP in Fthiotida with Nea Demokratia political party on the election of 2007, 2009, 2012 (May and June), 2015 (January and September) and July 2019. From October 2009 until June 2012 he was Deputy Head of the Economic Policy Sector of Nea Demokratia. From June 2012 he was appointed as Alternate Minister of Finance, and held his position until the election of January 2015. From February 2015 until June 2019 he was the Head of ND Economic Policy Sector. From July 2019 he was appointed as Minister of Finance. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the Management School, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, and a Doctor’s degree (PhD in Banking) from the Department of Banking and Finance, Cass Business School, City University. He is Associate Professor in Finance at the Athens University of Economics and Business. He was part time academic staff at the Hellenic Open University (2004-2007), Assistant at the Athens University of Economics and Business (2006 - 2019), Visiting Professor at the Universities of Thessaly, Athens, City and European University Cyprus. He has worked at the Central Bank of England and the Eurobank Group.

Vice-President of GLOBSEC & Head of GLOBSEC Brussels, Belgium

Roland Freudenstein was born in Bonn, Germany. After a two year voluntary military service, he studied political science, economics, Japan studies and international relations in Bonn and Los Angeles. Having worked as a research fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations, he became a member of the foreign and security planning staff of the European Commission in Brussels in the 1990s. Subsequently, he became the director of the Warsaw office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and later held a leading function in the Foundation’s central office in Berlin. After coming back to Brussels in 2004, he represented the German city state of Hamburg to the EU. In 2008, he joined the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies and, has been, since October 2015, its Policy Director. As of 2021, Vice President of GLOBSEC.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Cyprus

Ambassador Kornelios S. Korneliou was born in Nicosia, on 29 June 1963. He graduated from Kykkos High School in Nicosia and studied Political Science, Philosophy and American Cultural History at the Ludwig Maximillian University in Munich, Germany. He wrote a thesis on “Greece’s Membership in the European Economic Community and its consequences on its foreign policy”. Since 1989, Ambassador Korneliou is a member of the Diplomatic Service of the Republic of Cyprus. He served at the Embassy of Cyprus in Germany, as Director of the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Deputy Permanent Representative to the European Union in Brussels, as Ambassador to Austria with parallel accredidation to Croatia, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Slovenia, OSCE, IAEA, UNIDO, CTBT and UN Office in Vienna, as Director of the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as Ambassador to France with parallel accredidation to Andorra, Monaco and UNESCO and as Permanent Representative to the European Union in Brussels, whereas he served as President of the Committee of the Permanent Representatives (COREPER) during the first Presidency of Cyprus of the Council of the European Union (July to December 2012). He also served as Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and as Secretary General of European Αffairs. Ambassador Korneliou has received several decorations from the Republic of Germany, the Republic of Slovenia, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Croatia and the Holy See. He has also been awarded an Honorary doctor from the European University of the Republic of Serbia. He is married to Xenia Nicolaidou and they have one daughter, Maria.

Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Cyprus

H.E. Mr. Amr Mohsen Hamza was born on 15th December 1972 and he is married with two daughters. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt in January 1997 and he is the Ambassador of Egypt in Cyprus since 2020. He has been posted also to Beijing, Lebanon and to the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations in New York. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, he was appointed as Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Minister’s Cabinet, First Undersecretary’s Cabinet, Chief of Cabinet of the Assistant Minister for European Affairs, Cabinet of the Assistant Minister for Multilateral Affairs and in the Cabinet of the Assistant Minister in Charge of United Nations Security Council Reform as well as Asian and North American Affairs Department. Meanwhile, he was assigned for Sous-Sherpa of G-20 Summit Osaka, Japan in 2019, Cabinet of the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt in 2010, Lead Negotiator of the Non Aligned Movement on the process of UN System – Wide Coherence at the United Nations in 2009 and Assistant to the Facilitator of the Outcome Document in the United Nations Follow – up Conference on Financing for Development in 2008.

Ambassador, Embassy of France in Cyprus

Salina Grenet-Catalano (Knight of the National Order of Merit), born on 24 July 1973, is a graduate from the Institute of Political Science SciencesPo, Paris. She speaks English, Italian and Arabic. Ms. Grenet-Catalano started her diplomatic career as Desk officer for Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova at the Continental Europe Department of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She then became advisor to the Minister for Cooperation and Francophony, and Desk officer for the USA at the Americas Department. She has been appointed first Secretary in Damascus (Syria) in 2002 before going back to Paris in charge of the Middle East and the fight against terrorism at the United Nations and international organizations Department in Paris in 2005. She was then First Counsellor in Zagreb (Croatia) in 2008, Political advisor in Rome (Italy) in 2011, Head of Mission at the Cultural and Education Department at the MFA in Paris in 2015, Head of Mission at the Crisis and Support Center in 2016, and Deputy Head of mission in Beirut (Lebanon) in 2018. On February 16th 2021 she handed over her credentials as Ambassador of France to the Republic of Cyprus.

High Commissioner of India to Cyprus

High Commissioner Madhumita Hazarika Bhagat is a career diplomat and joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1999. She has been educated in New Delhi and has done her graduation in Political Science (Honours) and followed it with an LLB. High Commissioner Madhumita Hazarika Bhagat began her diplomatic career in the Embassy of India in Moscow, Russia (2001-2004) and thereafter, was posted to Embassy of India in Almaty, Kazakhstan (2004-2006). She subsequently served as Under Secretary on deputation in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade Policy Division, New Delhi (2006-2008) with a stint as Deputy Secretary in the Public Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi. She was First Secretary in the Embassy of India, Stockholm, Sweden (2008-2011) for Commercial & Economic, Cultural and Information affairs. Later, she joined the Embassy of India, Moscow, Russia (2011-2014) in the capacity of Counsellor, Economic & Commercial and Culture. She served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India, Ankara, Turkey (2014-2017). High Commissioner Madhumita Hazarika Bhagat was appointed as India’s first National Coordinator and Joint Secretary for Shanghai Cooperation Organization (June, 2017 - October, 2019). She assumed charge as High Commissioner of India in Cyprus on November 11, 2019.

High Commissioner, British High Commission in Cyprus

Mr. Stephen Lillie CMG was appointed British High Commissioner to Cyprus in April 2018. Previously he served as Director, Asia Pacific from July 2013 until April 2017. Stephen served as British Ambassador to the Philippines (2009-13); Head of the FCO Far Eastern Department (2006-2009); Director of Trade and Investment at the British High Commission New Delhi (2003-2006) and British Consul-General at Guangzhou, China (1999-2003). Previously, Stephen has also served in the European Union and Middle East Departments of the FCO and at the British Embassy Beijing. Stephen is a Chinese speaker, having studied the language in Hong Kong and London. He has a degree in Modern Languages from Oxford University.

Ambassador, Embassy of the United States of America to Cyprus

Prior to her appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus, Judith Garber served as the Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. In that capacity she led U.S. diplomacy on oceans, climate, space, health, wildlife trafficking, and fisheries, among other issues. A career Foreign Service Officer with the rank of Career Minister, she joined the Foreign Service in 1984. Her previous diplomatic assignments have included Ambassador to Latvia from 2009-2012, Deputy Assistant Secretary for North and Central Europe, Director for Overseas Development Finance as well as postings in Spain, the Czech Republic, Israel and Mexico. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, the Ambassador worked at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury.

Director, European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE), Belgium

Fredrik Erixon is a Swedish economist and writer. He has been the Director of the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE) ever since its start in 2006. The Financial Times has ranked Erixon as one of Brussels 30 most influential people. Fredrik Erixon is the author of several books and studies in the fields of international economics, economic policy, and regulatory affairs (welfare reforms, healthcare, competition policy, et cetera). His latest book (co-authored with Björn Weigel) was The Innovation Illusion: How so Little is Created by so Many Working so Hard (Yale University Press) and he has previously written books about the history of political ideas, the role of social capital for economic growth, and international economic policy. His research interests covers international economics, European relations with Asia and North America, trade and regulatory policy, philosophy and technological change. His next book, Saving Liberalism for the 21st Century, is about challenges from populism and other ideas to the open society. Erixon has advised several governments in Europe and the rest of the world, and is a frequent speaker at conferences. He regularly writes for international newspapers and magazines. In his previous career, Erixon has worked in development policy, financial markets, business consulting, and academia.

Economist, Clients & Industries, Deloitte UK

Tom has been with Deloitte since 2017 where he works in the economics research team, which advises clients on macroeconomics. Before joining Deloitte, Tom spent four and a half years working as an economist at Saudi Arabian bank Samba Financial Group, where he covered the global economy and energy markets. Tom has previously worked for Lloyds Banking Group, where he helped to build economic forecasting models.

Nawaf Abdulla is currently holding the position of Chief Executive Officer at DP World Limassol in Cyprus, a UAE national, joined DP World in 1997 back in Dubai, UAE. It is now 25 years being in Ports and Maritime sectors. When joined DP World, only two Ports in UAE were within the company’s portfolio wherein today the group has interconnected global network of 295 business units in 78 countries across six continents. Mr. Abdulla’s expertise and leadership is throughput Ports Management including various developments and expansion projects of facilities within the port industry, mainly in UAE, Middle East & Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe. Mr. Abdulla held several managerial roles within the Port Management and Maritime sector, focusing on financial results of business units, including strategic decisions, investments opportunities, and building relationship with shareholders / stakeholders. Mr. Abdulla’s leadership style focuses on driving results while delivering outcome throughout empowerment, delegation, and mentoring of individuals within the business unit.

Manager, Cyta Business

Maria Damalou–Hadjigeorgiou graduated from City University, London and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Started her career in the audit profession and joined Cyta in 1985. Being part of the management team of the Finance Department of Cyta for a number of years, reached the top position of the Chief Financial Officer, which she held until 2015. From 2015 she is leading Cyta Business, which is the Business Sector of Customer Services. She has in general, an extensive experience in the telecoms industry, in the finance and the commercial sectors.

Country Manager Cyprus, Public

Dimitrios Filopoulos holds a BA in European Business from Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge Campus) as well as a postgraduate degree in International Business Economics from the same University. He has many years of experience in sales positions at high-tech companies such as Info-Quest Technologies, where he began his career in 2003 as a VARs Account Manager. At Info-Quest Technologies, he was promoted to various positions of responsibility and, in 2008, he took on the position of Retail Manager. In 2010, he joined Public as a Store Manager, and in 2015 he took on the position of Network Manager in Cyprus. Since 2016, he has held the position of Country Manager for Cyprus.

Property General Manager, City of Dreams Mediterranean and Cyprus Casinos, Melco Cyprus

Grant Johnson is the Property General Manager of City of Dreams Mediterranean and Cyprus Casinos. Prior to that, Grant was SVP, Casino Sales, Marketing & Operations at Studio City in Macau, and previously was SVP, Casino Sales & Marketing for Altira Macau and Mocha Clubs where he received his first casino–related marketing responsibilities. Grant handled various non-gaming marketing roles throughout Melco properties in Macau. Grant Johnson began his career with Melco in 2011. Before joining Melco, he was with Sands China Ltd. from 2007-2011 in a variety of marketing roles and was the Executive Director, Destination Marketing when he left. Prior to Sands, he worked for the National Basketball Association from 2005-2007 as its Director of Marketing, Asia; and from 1995-2005, he was with E.J. Krause & Associates (organizer of international conferences) and was VP, Marketing Asia when he left. Grant received his BS, Marketing from State University of New York.

Head of Financial Advisory Services, Deloitte Cyprus

Nicos S. Kyriakides is the Financial Advisory Services Leader of Deloitte Cyprus. He has extensive experience of more than 38 years in Audit, Corporate Finance, Insolvency, Business Consulting and International Tax planning. He has led a large number of Consultancy and Financial Advisory projects across different industries relating to Valuations, Mergers and Acquisitions and Due Diligence Reviews, Reorganisations of Groups of companies, Capital and Debt Restructurings, Evaluation of NPL portfolios, Forensic and Insolvency work, Fairness Opinion Reports and Public Offerings. Nicos has prepared studies for the financing of Renewable Energy projects, Marinas, Golf courses, Hotels and large Real Estate Development projects. Nicos is a Chartered Accountant, fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW), member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC), and holds a B.Sc. in Economics (Accounting & Finance) from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is also a licensed insolvency practitioner in Cyprus.

Elias Neocleous is the Managing Partner of Elias Neocleous & Co LLC, Cyprus’ largest and most progressive international law firm. He is a graduate of Oxford University, a barrister of the Inner Temple, and was admitted to the Cyprus Bar in 1993. Elias has more than thirty years’ experience successfully leading legal teams dealing with large, complex and innovative cross-border transactions. His main areas of practice are banking and finance, company matters, intellectual property law, international trade, tax and trusts and estate planning. Elias is a frequent conference guest speaker with many publications to his credit. He is a strong advocate for utilizing technology to benefit the client and is spearheading the introduction of ALSP to Cyprus via Neolaw.ai.

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.

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.

Η Cyta Business είναι ο μεγαλύτερος πάροχος ολοκληρωμένης ηλεκτρονικής επικοινωνίας  για επιχειρήσεις στην Κύπρο. Επικεντρώνεται στις συνολικές ανάγκες κάθε επιχείρησης, ανεξάρτητα από το μέγεθος ή τον τομέα δραστηριότητάς της παρέχοντας αξιόπιστες λύσεις μέσα από υπερσύγχρονα δίκτυα, υποδομές και τεχνολογίες αιχμής που διαθέτει. Στηρίζει όλες τις επιχειρήσεις προσφέροντας μεγάλη γκάμα καινοτόμων επιχειρηματικών λύσεων για υπηρεσίες Τηλεφωνίας, Ίντερνετ, Κινητής, Cloud, Δικτύωσης, Τηλεόρασης κ.α. Με το ευρύ δίκτυο πωλήσεων και τη ψηλή ποιότητα εξυπηρέτησης που παρέχει ως «One Stop Telecommunications Solutions Provider» είναι ο ιδανικός συνεργάτης για κάθε είδους επιχείρηση.

Deloitte Limited is among the leading professional services firms in Cyprus, providing audit & assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax and related services, as well as a complete range of services to international business, through over 750 people in Nicosia and Limassol. Deloitte Limited, is the sub-licensed affiliate for Cyprus of Deloitte NSE LLP, a UK limited liability partnership and member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. Please visit www.deloitte.com/cy to find out how Deloitte in Cyprus is making an impact that matters. As part of the Deloitte global network, with approximately 345,000 people in over 150 countries and territories, Deloitte Cyprus has the advantage of global sharing of knowledge with local adaptation and personal approach, built on the solid foundations of over 60 years of successful operations on the island.

Elias Neocleous & Co LLC is renowned for its expertise and jurisdictional knowledge in Cyprus and European law. It is the largest law firm in Cyprus and foremost legal advisor in the region, with 140+ legal professionals in offices in Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos, Brussels, Budapest, Kiev, and Prague. ISO 9001:2015 certified, the firm is a pioneer in leveraging technology to optimize legal service delivery in Cyprus and embraces the concepts of sustainability, diversity, and social inclusion. It consistently tops independent legal ranking tables, including Tier/Band 1 ratings in 2023 by Legal 500 and Chambers HNW Guide, and has been awarded for its cutting-edge neolaw.ai innovation and contributions to advancing industry standards

Olympia is an international investment group with significant stakes in five main businesses: Systems Sunlight (energy storage), Public MediaMarkt (electronics/culture retailing), SoftOne (cloud ERP software), Lamda (real estate) and Westnet (technology distribution). Founded by Panos Germanos in 1980, Olympia creates long-term value by driving the growth and sustainability of its investments. Olympia operates both as a business building entrepreneurial group, as well as a co-investor in partnership with other leading strategic and financial investors. Olympia is fully committed to the adoption of corporate governance and sustainability best practices.

Being an owner of the very first and only branded residence in Cyprus – The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Limassol, is to live an extraordinary life on the Mediterranean seafront. A commitment to excellence governs everything at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Limassol, Cyprus, underlining its rich brand history. In the world of upscale homes the development standout with their superior design, legendary services and exclusive amenities which come together to create a whole that is far greater than the sum of its parts. An endless tranquility that’s yours to own. We look forward to assisting you to Live Here, Always. www.rcrlimassol.com

The Cyprus LSE Alumni Association has been founded by LSE graduates living and working in Cyprus to support the affiliation between its alumni members and LSE. The association’s main objectives are to promote and enhance collaboration among its alumni members in Cyprus; to host various events of a socioeconomic nature in liaison with LSE, and to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and experience from LSE. Building on the success of the Limassol Economic Forum over the past 10 years, the LSE and The Cyprus LSE Alumni Association are participating in this year’s event with a number of speakers and alumni, to address modern challenging times. LSE and The Cyprus LSE Alumni Association have been actively supporting the Limassol Economic Forum from day one believing in the development of Cyprus as a regional forum for bringing together the necessary brain power, know-how and experiences to deal with the ever increasing challenges of the local, regional and global economy and geopolitical dynamics.

Since its first day of operation in April 2016, ALPHA Television Cyprus has been implementing and maintaining a high level of quality both in production and operation mode. By choosing Alpha Cyprus, the viewer can watch the biggest TV names from Cyprus and Greece as well as informative and entertaining productions high in quality and presentation. Strategically, ALPHA Cyprus continues to invest and create content by setting high goals on the three key pillars of news, entertainment and fiction, with a strong emphasis on quality and variety in content.

GOLD was first published in 2011 as the first monthly English-language business magazine in Cyprus. Today, it not only consistently promotes good business practices, focusing on the promotion of Cyprus as an international business centre, but has a unique readership, comprising High Net Worth Individ­uals, executives of international companies, and English-speaking Cypriot and non-Cypriot busi­nessmen and women.

15 years ago, IN Business magazine began its ongoing relationship with the business world of Cyprus, profiling leaders and organisations, publicizing issues of importance and promoting best practices. Throughout these 15 years, we have shone the spotlight on countless examples of good business, photographed thousands of businesspeople and presented the most successful Cypriot enterprises to the broader reading public. To mark the magazine’s first 15 years, the November 21 issue of IN Business will be a special multi page anniversary edition that looks back over one and a half decades of business reporting, significant business and economic milestones, through articles, features and interviews with Cypriot business leaders and much more.