5th Cyprus International Tax Conference

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.

George Panteli is the Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary. He studied Economics at Queen Mary College and he holds a master's degree in Public Administration. His professional career started at KPMG. Subsequently, he was employed at the Ministry of Finance and in 2014 he was appointed Director of the Economic Research and European Union Directorate. George Panteli is the Cyprus’s representative in the Economic and Financial Committee of the European Commission and the Eurogroup Working Group, he participates in the meetings of the Eurogroup and the ECOFIN Council and is a member of the Board of Directors of the European Stability Mechanism. He participates in various BoD of Organizations such as the Bank of Cyprus Oncology Center, the State Health Services Organization. He is the President of the BoD of Asset Management Cooperative Company and is the Head of the Economy Working Group of the negotiations for the reunification of Cyprus.

Takis Klerides was born in Nicosia. He holds a Business Studies Diploma from the UK and is a Fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants of the UK and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus. He practiced in the UK and Greece and from 1981 to 1999 he was a partner with KPMG Cyprus, specialising amongst others in banking, finance, and insurance. He was appointed Minister of Finance of the Republic of Cyprus in March 1999 until February 2003. As Minister of Finance, he had a pivotal role in Cyprus accession to the EU and the harmonisation of two major chapters in Taxation and Competition. In 2001 he introduced a major Tax Reform, whose positive effects are still valid today. In June 2018 he was appointed Chairman of the Council of Economy and Competitiveness. He serves on the Boards of global leading corporations in Shipping, Insurance, and private equity funds. He has served as the Chairman of Cyprus Basketball Federation (1988 1998) and in the Executive Council of the Cyprus Olympic Committee. He is the Vice Chairman of Karaiskakio Foundation a non-profit organisation which is involved in research for hematological malignancies as well as the Cyprus Bone Marrow Donor Registry. He is also the Treasurer of the Cyprus Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), a Cancer Research organisation.

Having completed a university degree in Business Administration and specialization in Science management at the University of Cranfield, Christodoulos Angastiniotis is the CEO of the VitaTrace Nutrition (VTN) Group of Companies, while he has a rich leadership portfolio within organizations, business associations and companies, such as the presidency of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2017-2023), the presidency of CIPA (2011-2018), the presidency of the PanCyprian Association of Veterinary Medicine (2007-2013), etc. In 2010, Christodoulos Angastiniotis was awarded with the annual quality award for his outstanding contribution to the upgrading of the quality of Cyprus, by the Ministry of Finance and the Cyprus Quality Organization.

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.

Christopher Sanger is EY’s Global Tax Leader for Government, and Tax Policy Leader for the EMEIA Tax Centre and the UK. Chris has extensive experience in advising governments, including as Head of Business Tax Policy in the UK’s HM Treasury. He is Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales’s Tax Technical and Oversight Committee and founder of its Policy Committee; a Council Member of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and chair of the Forum of Tax Professionals, from where he advises UK Ministers on the making of tax policy. Chris is also a member of United Nations’ Subcommittee on Extractive Industries Taxation Issues for Developing Countries and has given evidence to various Parliamentary and governmental committees.

Stavroula Vrasida is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ACA), a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (FCCA), and holds the Advanced Diploma in International Tax (ADIT - Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT)). She is an Appointed Member of the ACCA Advisory Committee in Cyprus, an Appointed Member of the International Business Structuring Association (IBSA) Cyprus Branch Committee, and was an Appointed Member of the Regulatory Committee of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) between 1/1/2014 – 1/1/2016.

Alexis Alichanidis joined Exness in 2016 as a financial controller, following his successful career in PWC. During the years in Exness he managed to transform the financial department of the Group from a small team of 3 specialists into a highly competent, agile, and integrated function capable of adding value through successful management of business, regulatory and tax risks and delivery of actionable insights to support strategic and financial planning and decision-making process. Alexis became a valuable member of the Exness executive team contributing to the success of the Group. Alexis Alichanidis joined Exness in 2016 as a financial controller, following his successful career in PWC. During the years in Exness he managed to transform the financial department of the Group from a small team of 3 specialists into a highly competent, agile, and integrated function capable of adding value through successful management of business, regulatory and tax risks and delivery of actionable insights to support strategic and financial planning and decision-making process. Alexis became a valuable member of the Exness executive team contributing to the success of the Group.

President, International Operation and Foreign Investments Committee, under the auspices of ICPAC

Maria Zavrou is the President of the International Operation and Foreign Investments Committee, under the auspices of ICPAC since 2019. She joined KPMG in Cyprus in 1996 and qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant of England and became a Board Member of KPMG in Cyprus since 2010. Maria is involved with audits of large multi-national groups, international entities, operating in Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and CIS Countries, South Africa, India and United Kingdom. Furthermore, she is the Assistant Head of the Retail sector in KPMG. She is the founding member of the Cyprus-South Africa Business Association (under the auspices of CCCI) which she leads since 2014, and a member in the Cyprus -Belarus and Cyprus – Ukraine Business Associations under the auspices of CCCI.

George Campanellas is the Chief Executive Officer of the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency (Invest Cyprus). He has nearly twenty years of professional experience in Cyprus and abroad, working with the DG Competition in Brussels and directly with the Cypriot Ministers of Health and Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism. Mr. Campanellas has been actively involved with the development of the oil & gas sector in the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone, dealing with licensing, exploration and exploitation activities, as well as promoting bilateral and multilateral cooperation at a regional level. Throughout his career, he also had an active role in drafting the regulatory framework and running the relevant licensing procedures for attracting Foreign Direct Investment in sectors of strategic importance and large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the LNG terminal at Vasilikos Energy Center, Cyprus Techno Park, EuroAsia Interconnector and the City of Dreams Mediterranean, Europe’s largest integrated casino resort and Cyprus’ largest FDI project. George Campanellas has been elected to the Steering Committee of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) and has the position of the Regional Directorship of Eastern Europe.

Chairman of Techisland, CEO of the University of Nicosia

Antonis Polemitis currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the University of Nicosia and EDEX, as a Board member of EDEX and UNICAF, and as a member of the Council of the University of Nicosia. He helped found the world-leading Digital Currency / Blockchain Initiative at the University of Nicosia, co-taught the first university cryptocurrency course in the world, and is regularly quoted as an expert on cryptocurrency issues. Mr. Polemitis was a member of the national committee that designed the blockchain strategy for Cyprus. He is the managing partner of Ledra Capital where he led early-stage investments in, or software development of, Software-as-a-Service platforms in the areas of higher education, cryptocurrency, online video publishing and legal research. He was previously a principal at ACG Capital, a privately held multi-billion dollar investment firm and a partner based in New York and London in the private equity practice of Mercer Management Consulting (now Oliver Wyman), one of the world’s leading strategy consultancies.

Savvas M. Klitou holds the position of Director in the Tax Services department and is the Regional Coordinator for Baker Tilly Southeast Europe. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). He holds a BSc in Accounting and Business Management from the University of Westminster, UK. He is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) and a member of the Institutes Tax Compliance Committee and has served as a member of the International Operations and Foreign Investments Committee between 2016-2019. He is Hon. Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cyprus where he has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2016. Savvas is president of the Cyprus-Spain Business Association (under the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and a member of the EMEA Regional Advisory Council of Baker Tilly International.

Costas Markides is heading the International Tax practice of KPMG in Cyprus. He is a Member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and a Member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC). Costas Markides is also a Member of the Tax Reform advisory committee and a Member of the advisory team supporting the Ministry of Finance during Tax Treaty negotiations. He is the president of the Cyprus/Kazakhstan Business association, an association which is operating under the auspices of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI). He is a frequent speaker on topics related to International Tax and has published many articles on the subject, in Cyprus and the US.

Philippos Raptopoulos is the Head of Tax and Legal Services of EY in Cyprus since 2013 and a Partner in the Firm since 2010. He joined Ernst & Young Cyprus in 2008 after serving for 10 years in a senior position with the Cyprus Tax Department, gaining experience in all areas of the Cyprus tax legislation. He is a Holder of a bachelor’s degree in Accounting & Finance and a fellow qualified Certified Accountant, and he is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) and a member of the Tax Committee of ICPAC. Also, he is a member of the Cyprus Treaty Negotiation Team.

Antonis Taliotis is the Tax & Legal Services Leader of Deloitte Cyprus and immediate past chairman of the Tax Planning & Policy Committee of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus. He holds a B.A. degree in Accounting and has trained and qualified as a chartered accountant in the United Kingdom. Before joining Deloitte, Antonis worked for the Cyprus Tax Authorities as a Principal Tax Assessor, accumulating extensive experience in many areas of national and international taxation. Back in 2002, Antonis was actively involved with the team of experts advising the Cyprus Government on the latest major tax reform, which harmonized the Cyprus tax system with EU law and the OECD requirements. In addition to offering tax compliance and tax advisory services to his portfolio of clients, Antonis is also a tax consultant to the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, and a regular speaker in conferences and seminars. Antonis Taliotis is a member of the ICAEW, a member of ICPAC and a member of the International Fiscal Association (IFA).

Joanne Theodorides is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountant in England and Wales (ICAEW) and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC). She has 30 years professional experience in the UK and Cyprus, including 15 years with PwC Cyprus. Her current areas of focus include Cyprus and international tax developments, Fiscal State aid and tax advice on business changes. She also has experience in tax audit and compliance. She is a member of PwC’s European Union Direct Tax Group (EUDTG) Technical Committee and State Aid Working Group.

Partner International Tax, NSS Tax Management & Consulting

Neofytos Neofytou is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC). He has 45 years’ professional experience in international tax planning, on structuring operations for clients in the banking and financial industry, the oil and gas industry, the construction and hotel industry, the manufacturing and service industries and his clients included major local and international groups. Neofytos is teaching on international taxation issues, with particular emphasis on substance, transparency and exchange of information. For many years he is acting as a special advisor to the Cypriot Ministers of Finance on double tax treaties and exchange of information issues.

Senior Manager at Deloitte Netherlands and Assistant Professor at Maastricht University, the Netherlands Jasper Korving is a senior manager in Deloitte’s Tax Research Department. He has over 18 years of experience and specializes in EU Tax Law and International Tax Law issues. Jasper also is an assistant professor at Maastricht University. He has been involved in all kinds of actions in which EU law plays a role, both related to CJEU case law and EU tax policy issues. At the IFA Congresses in 2019, 2020, and 2021 he acted as secretary to the Seminar on European Tax Law developments. Jasper is a well-known contributor to different tax law magazines, both in English and in Dutch, and regularly speaks at seminars and conferences.

Phil Greenfield is a member of PwC’s global team that works on tax policy and he coordinates the network of PwC’s experienced tax policy representatives around the world. He was involved with the OECD well before the BEPS project began and is one of PwC's representatives on the tax committee of Business at the OECD. Phil drafts, edits or reviews PwC’s written responses to tax consultations of supranational bodies like the OECD, Platform for Collaboration on Tax and European Commission. He also produces Tax Policy Alerts/ Bulletins published by PwC and articles on a wide range of corporate tax matters.

Director, Economic Policy, European & International Affairs Directorate, Ministry of Finance, Republic of Cyprus

Lucy Herodotou Mouskou graduated from Surrey University having acquired a BSc in Economics and from Imperial College London having acquired an MSc in Management Science. She is the Director of Economic Policy at the European and International Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Finance, which deals with the Macroeconomic and Fiscal Policy, the Tax Policy and the European and International Issues. Her main areas of responsibility are the analysis of macroeconomic developments of the Cypriot economy and its prospects, determination of sectoral and economic policies, formulation and updating fiscal policy, formulation of taxation policies based on European and international developments. She is responsible for briefing international organizations inter alia the European Commission, the IMF, the European Central Bank under the Post-Program Surveillance and Credit Rating Agencies on the developments and prospects of the Cyprus economy.

Natalia Quiñones is the International Tax partner with Quiñones Cruz in Bogota, Colombia. Until January, 2020, she was the head of the Office for International Affairs at the Colombian Tax Administration (DIAN). She is a PHD Candidate in Tax Law at Amsterdam University (UvA). JD from Universidad del Rosario, Philosopher (summa cum laude) from Universidad de los Andes, and LLM (Gerard Wallace Scholar) from New York University (NYU). She is a member of the Executive board at the Colombian IFA branch and was the chair of the branch until July 1st, 2020. She teaches international taxation at Universidad de los Andes and is a guest lecturer in various settings around the world.

Alexis is widely considered as the foremost expert on VAT in Cyprus. With close to 20 years of experience in VAT strategic consulting, he advises businesses on local and international VAT matters and lectures regularly at VAT seminars and conferences in Cyprus and abroad. Alexis possesses an extensive vocational and educational experience in European VAT and a detailed comprehension of EU VAT matters and decisions of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). He has served on various committees charged with tax matters and his work includes liaising with the Cyprus tax authorities and government on policymaking. He has written a number of tax syllabuses, chapters and articles on matters pertaining to Cyprus and EU VAT. He is the author of the book “An in-depth analysis of the Fixed Establishment concept and a comparison with the Permanent Establishment concept”. Alexis is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), and holds the Expert in European Value Added Tax Degree, which he earned with the highest grade ever awarded in the history of the coveted diploma. He is a Partner and a Director of the VAT Forum in Belgium and the co-founder and Vice-Chairman of the Cyprus VAT Association (CYVA). He is also a Certified Vocational Trainer with the Human Resources Development Authority of Cyprus (ANAD).

S. KANIKLIDES (CYPRUS) LIMITED specialises in the management of documents and records throughout their lifecycle. Digitisation, storage, and destruction are but a few of the phases within this lifecycle. KANIKLIDES offers an advanced secure shredding service, using industrial shredders with level 4 security shredding. The organisation also offers Records Management Consulting and Data Protection Officer Services, which are needed for the compliance Regulation (EU) 2016/679. KANIKLIDES takes security very seriously and now ranks as the only Professional Information and Records Management Services Organisation in Cyprus – possibly even European-wide – with 8 related ISO Certifications.

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.

EY is a globally connected, multidisciplinary professional services organization driven by our purpose: building a better working world – for our clients, our people and communities. With over 300,000 people in over 150 countries, we ask the better questions that unlock new approaches to the working world’s toughest challenges. For over 80 years, the Cyprus practice has been a trusted business advisor and auditor to a broad range of clients and is ideally placed to cater to the needs of our clients in a wider geographic span.

KPMG has been operating in Cyprus since 1948 and currently employs more than 800 professionals working from 6 offices across the island. It is a member of KPMG International Limited, a global organisation of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. KPMG operates in 143 countries and territories and has approximately 273,000 people working in member firms around the world. Clients look to KPMG for a consistent standard of service based on high-order professional capabilities, industry insight, local knowledge and expertise.

NSS Tax Management & Consulting is an international tax boutique Firm, with offices in Cyprus and Israel, focused on providing a comprehensive holistic tax and transfer pricing solutions to clients. Our team is comprised of senior tax professionals with a combined experience of more than 100 years in top-tier international tax practices. We emphasise providing a superior service along the most professional advice. We believe that good service requires full attention, agility and in-depth understanding of details. The provision of services personally by senior experienced tax advisors allows us to be focused, efficient and provide value in a timely manner.

In a world that is constantly evolving, our aim at PwC Cyprus is to find the right solutions to complex problems. We focus on quality and build strong relationships based on trust, creating value for our clients, stakeholders and society. Based on PwC’s new global strategy, “The New Equation”, we look at problems from different angles and present innovative solutions that make a difference and lead to sustained outcomes. More than 1100 people in Cyprus join forces with 364,000 professionals of our global network in 151 countries and create an experienced team that combines intelligent approaches, experience and technological innovation. Visit www.pwc.com.cy to discover the benefits we can bring to you.

RSM Cyprus, with offices in Limassol, Paphos and Nicosia, provides a comprehensive range of audit, assurance, tax, and consulting services. With our worldwide strong collaborative approach, deep insights, world-class technology, and real-world experience, we deliver personalised solutions that shield business operations and address today’s challenges. RSM Cyprus is a member firm of RSM International, the 6th largest international assurance, tax, and consulting network, with firms in 120 countries, including the world’s top 40 major business centres. RSM has 57.000 people and 830 offices across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, MENA, Latin and North America.

Being one of the 190+ chapters of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the Cyprus Chapter of the ACFE is an anti-fraud organization that serves professionals, students and communities in Cyprus. The objec¬tive of the Cyprus Chapter of the ACFE is to promote improved fraud detection and deterrence. This is achieved through enhancement of knowledge, promotion of networking opportunities and support for its members and the business, academic and government community.

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 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.

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.

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