7th Cyprus Professional Services Conference

Harris Pistos is the Director of International Banking of Bank of Cyprus and has under his supervision the IBUs, a specifically designed network of Units specialised in servicing the Bank’s international clients in Cyprus, and the Representative Offices. He joined the Bank in 1992 as Management Trainee. Before assuming his duties as Director he served the Bank as Cards Marketing Manager, then as Manager of Cards Center, Manager IBUs Nicosia, and as Manager International Banking Network. Harris holds a B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), UK, and an MBA in Marketing Management from City Business School, London, UK.

Myles Thompson is the current President of Accountancy Europe and has held this role since 2021. He is an audit director at KPMG having joined the firm in 1985. From 2003 to 2013, Myles headed up KPMG UK’s technical audit group and KPMG ELLP’s technical audit group as of 2007. He was an engagement partner for the firm’s listed audit clients in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors across Europe. In 2013 he was seconded to KPMG’s Global Audit center in the US. He moved back to the UK in 2018 to be involved with its UK Audit Quality initiatives. Myles was Chair of Accountancy Europe’s Audit & Assurance Policy Group for 9 years and a board member until the end of 2020.

Elżbieta Franków-Jaśkiewicz is the Chair of MONEYVAL and the Head of the International Cooperation Unit within the Department of Financial Information (Polish Financial Intelligence Unit), Ministry of Finance. Mrs. Franków-Jaśkiewicz has over 20 years of experience within the government administration of Poland - The Polish Police, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Finance. For the past 20 years, she has been focused on anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing issues working within the Polish Financial Intelligence Unit. As the representative of Polish FIU, she is involved in the work of numerous international organizations and fora (FATF, MONEYVAL, EAG, UNODC, OECD, OSCE, the Egmont Group, the EU Experts Group on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing, the EU FIU Platform, FIU.Net, and others).

Hans Kroes has 20+ years of experience in the services industries, working with companies of all sizes across the globe. He is globally responsible for the strategy and execution of SAP’s portfolio and Partner solutions focused on the professional services industry.

Candice Denic is a Research & Development leader at Google. She conducts macro-level studies on market data to drive product innovation internally and for clients across the globe. Her work at Google has been scaled globally to influence clients across many industries. Candice has experience across tech, advertising, and retail firms. Her educational background includes a Master of Information Systems Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago.

Marios Kapiris is the General Manager of Kyndryl in Cyprus, also responsible for the Alliances for both Greece and Cyprus. Previously, he was the Country Manager for IBM where he began his career in Cyprus back in 2001, holding various regional management positions in Australia, New Zealand and Greece. He holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Keele, an MSc from University of Leeds Business School in International Management and is a qualified ACIM from Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK). Marios currently represents Kyndryl Cyprus as a Board Member and President of the Digital Transformation Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cyprus, Vice President of the Cyprus Institute of Marketing, and Board Member of the Cyprus Tech Association. In the past he also served as Board Member at the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation and a Board Member of the Cyprus Information Technology Enterprises Association.

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.

Demetra Kalogerou (BSc, MSc, MPhil) from September 2011 to September 2021 was the Chairwoman of CYSEC the independent public supervisory Authority responsible for the supervision of the Capital Markets, the investment services market, the Fund industry, the administrative services as well, as Crypto Exchanges. During the same period, she participated in the board of supervisors of ESMA. Also, from November 2012 until February 2021, she was a board member of the CyPAOB, which has been established for the oversight of auditors and audit firms. Furthermore, from November 2019 until June 2021 Mrs. Kalogerou chaired the ad-hoc tripartite committee and she was also a member of the four-party committee concerning the investigation of the naturalization of all persons done through the CIP. Additionally, from September 2013 until June 2014, Mrs. Kalogerou has been a member of the Resolution Authority in Cyprus. Mrs. Kalogerou previously held the position of a Senior Officer of the CSE and has several years of experience in the financial sector and investors’ protection.

Andreas Avraamides is a Fellow Chartered Accountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC), holding practicing certificates from both above institutes. He is the Vice President of the International Operations and Foreign Investments Committee of ICPAC. Andreas is experienced in leading teams in the delivery of engagements involving International Financial Reporting Standards, International Standards on Auditing and the Cyprus Companies Law. He has developed a specialty in serving multinational clients investing into various jurisdictions via Cyprus and he has worked with a wide range of industry sectors. He has extensive experience as engagement partner on multinational audit engagements, and engagements for entities listed in various stock exchanges.

Pieris Markou is the CEO of Deloitte in Cyprus and a member of the Deloitte Middle East Executive Board, having previously served as the Tax & Legal Services Leader. He started his career in London in 1986 and was admitted to Partnership at Chrysanthou and Christoforou (Andersen) in Cyprus in 2000. He is a member of the Council of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus since 2014, and elected President for the period 2021-2023, having previously served as the Vice President of the Council during the period 2019-2021 and Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Tax and VAT Committees. Pieris was an appointed member of the Advisory Council to the President of the Republic of Cyprus, for the establishment of an Independent Authority against Corruption for the period from its establishment until June 2023 and is currently a member of the Advisory Council to the Council of Ministers for the appointment of the board members of the Semi-Government Organisations. Pieris is also a board member of the Nicosia Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Pieris holds a BA in Accounting, is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

Philippos Soseilos is the CEO & Chairman of PwC Cyprus. Prior to becoming CEO in January 2022, he was a member of the Management Board for 13 years and Head of People for 8 years. He has 30 years of experience as a Business Consultant with a focus on strategy issues and implementation of business and digital transformation, in Cyprus and abroad, drawing from his extensive experience in leadership alignment, people consulting, as well as change and culture management. He has also led numerous projects relating to the reform of the public sector in Cyprus. Philippos has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, is a Fellow member of the ICAEW and a member of ICPAC.

Christos V. Vasiliou started his career at KPMG in Leeds in 1991. He joined KPMG in Cyprus’ Audit department in 1994 and became a Board Member in 1999. Christos has been involved with the audit of large financial institutions including major banks, insurance companies and investment funds. In 2016 he was appointed Deputy Managing Director of KPMG in Cyprus and Managing Director in 2019. He was the Head of the Advisory in KPMG in Cyprus until 2021. He is a member of the Executive Committee of KPMG in Cyprus, a founding member of CIFA (Cyprus Investment Funds Association) and served as a member of the Board of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus for three terms spanning from 2014 to 2023. He is also President of the Cyprus-Australia Business Association.

Alexia Kountouri graduated in law from the Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms University, Bonn, Germany in 1998. In 1999 she was admitted to the Cyprus Bar. Alexia ‘s practice is focused on public law, including administrative law, data protection law, public procurement law, constitutional law and legislation drafting and she has extensive experience in handling cases before the Supreme Court of Cyprus both at first and second instance in the field of public law. Alexia is a member of IAPP and a member of the UK Procurement Lawyers Association. She has earned the ANSI-accredited Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E) credential. Alexia has been invited to be a speaker/panellist in various conferences and events, both in Cyprus and abroad. She has authored articles for international legal publications and local periodicals. As from October 2020 Alexia is a member of the Advocates Disciplinary Board, appointed by the Cyprus Bar Association Council. In September 2021 she joined Step Up Stop Slavery, a non-profit organization working to disrupt the human trafficking business model through education, as Head of the Legal Team.

Cleo Koushos-Cros was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, studied law in England graduating from the University of Kent at Canterbury with the title of LL.B Bachelor of Laws, University of Bristol with the title of LL.M Master of Laws, and completing education at the College of Law at London Store Street, with the Legal Practice Course (LPC). Since January 2008, she has been a Partner at the firm, and since January 2012 she has served also as Head of the Corporate Department of Koushos & Korfiots LLC and now of Koushos Korfiotis Papacharalambous LLC. Cleo served as Director and Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Grandcity Properties S.A., a public traded entity listed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and she has also served as an independent lawyer on the board of the Council for Registration and Control of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors and on the board of the Cyprus Housing Finance Corporation.

Demosthenes Mavrellis is a partner at Chrysses Demetriades & Co. LLC, specializing in corporate finance. He is a graduate of Kings College London and Georgetown University, Washington DC. He has and continues to advise major international institutions in the field of capital markets and syndicated lending as well as corporate restructurings and NPLs. Other interests include renewable energy and mergers and acquisitions. He has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Cyprus University of Technology, where he has served a term of 5 years and continues to be a member of the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and the Standing Committee for Services of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. George Pamporidis studied law in Athens and went on to get a Masters degree (LL.M. Shipping Law) from the University of Southampton, an M.Sc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D in International law from the University of Southampton. He served (2015 to 2018) as Minister of Health of the Republic of Cyprus under President Anastasiades. During his tenure he formulated and introduced a complete reform of the Health Sector.  George is a Lawyer based in Cyprus practicing corporate and shipping law, qualified in Cyprus, England & Wales and Greece. He is the author of two books and numerous articles. He also teaches International Shipping Law at the University of Cyprus.

Charalambos Prountzos is a Partner and the founder of Prountzos & Prountzos LLC Law Firm, a member of the EY Law network since 2017 and the Central, Eastern, Southeastern Europe and Central Asia Law Leader of EY, leading hundreds of legal professionals in more than 25 countries. He is a Barrister-at-Law of Gray’s Inn after successfully completing the BVC course at the Inns of Courts School of Law in London with Merit. He holds an LLB (Honours) from University of Bristol and a Diploma in Professional Legal Skills from City University, London. He is a member of the Cyprus Bar Association with over 17 years of experience as an advocate in Cyprus, mainly dealing with corporate and commercial law, regulated financial services and banking law, energy law and public procurement law. He is a licensed insolvency practitioner in Cyprus and a Board Member of the Cyprus Investment Funds Association. He is also a member of the Company Law Committee of the Cyprus Bar Association.

Nikolas Chatziavraam is the CEO of Softline Computer Systems. Nikolas holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and obtained his Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Cyprus (UCy). Through his technical expertise he has been serving as a technology and operations optimization consultant for some of the largest professional service companies around the island such as law firms, accounting firms and fiduciary service providers. Nikolas is a firm believer that technology is the only way forward for the professional services industry, disrupting the current mode of operation and becoming a given asset to the companies that invest in it.

Dr. Christos Ph. Clerides is the President of the Cyprus Bar. He is a Professor of Law and Head of the Department of Law of Frederick University. He is co-founder of Phoebus Christos Clerides and Associates LLC with his father, now deceased, ex Minister of Justice and Member of the House of Representatives. Dr. Clerides was elected as a member of the House of Representatives 2001-2006. He is a holder of an LL. B Hons (1976) and LL.M 1977 in Maritime Law and Insurance, University College, London and a Ph.D holder in European Law of Kings College (1981). He has been practising in Law since 1982 and he is a litigation advocate.

Kyriakos Iordanou is the General Manager of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) since January 2012. Prior to that, he served as a Council member between 2002 to 2011, rising to the position of the Vice President (2009-2011). Kyriakos Ιordanou is a Fellow of ACCA, member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CPFA) and a Fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (FCIS), as well as a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (MCIM). He also served as a board member of the Cyprus Institute of Internal Auditors (2006-2011). In 2019, he was elected as the President of the Parallel Parliament for Research, Innovation and Digital Governance.

Andreas Mercouri is one of the founding Board members of the Cyprus Fiduciary Association (CYFA) and currently acts as its Treasurer. He is the General Manager of Trident Trust Cyprus, with overall responsibility for the strategy and day-to-day operations of the Cyprus business. He joined Trident in 2009 following his previous employment where he has over 6 years’ experience working on specialist corporate recovery and insolvency cases, with exposure to a diverse portfolio of formal insolvency and corporate recovery assignments across various industry sectors in fast-moving business environments. Andreas also worked within the financial investigations’ division of this global firm. Andreas holds a BSc (Hons) in Accounting & Financial Management from Loughborough University in the UK and is also a Fellow Chartered Accountant licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales.

Melina Pyrgou is the managing director of Pyrgou Vakis Law Firm. An experienced lawyer with 30 years of experience in various firms. An experienced corporate lawyer with strong interpersonal and organisation skills leading a talented team recognised in “Legal 500” EMEA 2021 as “Recommended Lawyer” in the areas of Commercial, Corporate and M&A. An active citizen serving on the Board of the Cyprus Legal Council, the Health Insurance Organisation and Chairman of Committee of Environment, Energy and Investment Programmes.

Andreas Yiasemides is the President of the Cyprus Investment Funds Association (CIFA) and Partner, in charge of Funds Services at PwC Cyprus. On his graduation from the University of Manchester with a first-class degree in Economics, he joined PwC in 1999 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant (FCA). He continued his career with the Bank of Cyprus, holding various positions including heading the Custody and Trusts Unit. He then moved on to an organization of professional services where he set up and led the Fund Services Unit. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Cyprus and of the Central Bank of Cyprus and is the President of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Investment Fund Association (CIFA). He is also a member of the Cyprus National Advisory Council of the Charter Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI).

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.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTRIES, INC. and its affiliates (IRI) provide administrative and technical support to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime and Corporate Registries. The RMI Registry is the leading quality registry in the world with both the youngest and greenest fleet surpassing 191 million gross tons with 5,162 vessels at the end of March 2022. IRI has a network of 28 worldwide offices that have the ability to register a vessel, including those under construction, record a mortgage or financing charter, incorporate a company, issue seafarer documentation, and service clientele.

Pamboridis LLC is a General Commercial and Corporate law firm founded in 2003 and headed by Dr George Pamboridis, assisted by five Partners and a number of senior and junior Associates. With two offices, in Cyprus and Greece, we aspire to meet all the legal needs of our worldwide clients on all main fields of law and to offer our international clientele a local insight to the markets of the jurisdictions where we operate offices. Our team of lawyers are well qualified, working on the highest level of professionalism and in an efficient and speedy manner.

Softline Computer Systems is a leading software provider for firms acting in the professional services industry. For more than 25 years, Softline advises law firms, accounting firms and fiduciary providers on their digital transformation with the use of innovative software. Through the use of its flagship software products, Altis and Zygos, more than 250 firms of all sizes and practices, manage every aspect of their daily operations from KYC and project management to document management, timesheet, and billing.

Conferience is the ideal web-app for event organizers, presenters, market researchers and team leaders all over the world. Engage your audience in any kind of online or/and physical event, facilitating direct interaction among them. It is excellent for any kind of online or/and physical event, including lectures, presentations, webinars, conferences, forums, trade shows, polls, training courses, seminars, workshops, school classes, universities, focus groups, research & internal (corporate executive) meetings.

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.

Cyprus Bar Association is the professional body of lawyers with 4500 members. Cyprus Bar Association was established under the Advocates Law Chapter 2 in 1960 and it has been operating since then. It is the Regulatory Body and among its powers is to maintain the honour and independence of the Bar and its defence in relation to the judiciary and the executive and to regulate the practice and etiquette of the profession. It is the competent authority for lawyers under Cyprus legislation in accordance with section 59 (4) of the Prevention and Suppression of Money Laundering of Money Laundering Activities Law of 2007 (L. 188 (I)/2007) as amended. Cyprus Bar Association is a member of the Council of the European Bar Association (CCBE) and a member of the International Bar Association (IBA).

The Cyprus Investment Funds Association (CIFA) represents the face and voice of the Cyprus asset management and investment fund community. Founded in 2013, CIFA currently counts over 380 members and represents fund managers, depositaries, administrators, professional advisory firms and other specialist firms involved in the fund services industry in Cyprus. CIFA’s Board of Directors is comprised of high caliber industry professionals who come from all areas of the funds industry and are well-placed to support and complement the continued development of the industry. CIFA’s mission revolves around assisting its members capitalize on industry trends, shaping the development of the regulatory and legislative framework, enhancing professionalism, integrity and quality, and promoting Cyprus as a leading funds jurisdiction.

The Cyprus Fiduciary Association (CYFA), established in 2011, is the representative body of regulated Administrative Service Providers (ASP’s) in Cyprus. With a vision to assist in forming a solid international business sector in Cyprus operating on high professional standards, ethics and integrity, the Association aims to serve industry providers by promoting their interests, raising sector awareness, supporting their operations, contributing to new legislations and delivering valuable training to professionals. The Association’s commitment to its purpose has established it among the most reputable and recognised organisations within the country, before public and regulatory authorities, other associations, as well as the business community in Cyprus and overseas.

The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC), established in 1961, is the professional body for the accountancy profession in Cyprus, currently tallying more than 5.200 members and 3.500 students. It provides the organisational framework for all professional accountants, supports and promotes the activities and interests of th accountancy profession, safeguards the reputation of the profession and ensures adherence to the Code of Ethics and the continuous professional development of the members. Furthermore, ICPAC is a competent authority and has been delegated the relevant tasks under the Law for the regulation of the audit profession, for Anti-Money Laundering purposes, for the provision of administrative and insolvency services. ICPAC is a key and active stakeholder in the economic affairs and development of the country, cooperating with the government, the private and public sector.

ISACA Cyprus Chapter, the locally established chapter of ISACA International, is an independent non-profit organisation and its purpose is to help business technology professionals and their enterprises realize the positive potential of technology. Today, ISACA international serves more than 165,000 professionals in 180+ countries, who covers a variety of professional IT-related positions, information systems or IT auditors, internal auditors, governance, security and risk professionals, consultants, educators, and C-suite executives. They serve professionals in nearly every industry. ISACA engages in the development, adoption and use of globally accepted, industry-leading knowledge and practices for information systems and in the provision of the professional qualifications CISA™, CRISC™, CISM™, CGEIT™, CSX-P™, CDPSE™, ITCA™ and CET™.

As the flagship publication within IMH’s media brands, IN Business magazine, has a 16-year history, during which thousands of examples of good business practices by businesses and businesspeople, brands, commercial practices and developments have been showcased. The aim of IN Business was – and continues to be – the promotion of good Cypriot business. www.inbusinessnews.com

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.