Filenews 28 February 2023
The die was cast. The first political act of the newly elected President of the Republic is a fact, as he had promised before the elections, for the appointment of the Council of Ministers. The 25 electors of the new government are expected to take office on March 1, 2023, after the legalized assurance at the Presidential Palace.
As can be seen from the CVs of the new ministers, Christodoulides' choices concern various aspects of the economic and social life of Cyprus, both from the public and private sectors, while lawyers, academics, journalists, economists and businessmen are included in the list.
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Mr Konstantinos Kombos
Konstantinos Kombos was born in 1976 in Limassol. He studied Law and holds a Master's degree in EU Law (LLM University of Cambridge) and a PhD in European Constitutional Law (PhD University of Hull). He was elected to the Law Department of the University of Cyprus in 2006 and is a founding member. He was a President of the Law Department and a member of the Senate. He is the author of six books and dozens of articles and chapters in scientific journals and collective volumes. His works were translated and published in six languages and he has participated as a speaker in dozens of international conferences.
The Supreme Court appointed him as a Member of the Council of the School of Judges. He appeared on behalf of the Republic of Cyprus before the Court of Justice of the EU, and was summoned to give an opinion for the House of Representatives on issues of EU law and the Cyprus Constitution.
He was appointed a member of the negotiating team on the Cyprus problem in 2014 and participated in all stages and levels of the process in Cyprus, Geneva I, Crans-Montana, Geneva II.
He is married to Maria Hadjisolomou from Famagusta.
Minister of Finance: Makis Keravnos
Makis Keravnos was born in Larnaca, and grew up in Nicosia. He is married to Niki and has three children.
He studied Economics at the University of Athens and did postgraduate studies in Development Economics, Industrial Relations and received further training in new technology and human resource development.
He worked as a manager in large companies in Cyprus and abroad. From 1983 to 2003, he worked in the Human Resource Development Authority, in the Directorate of Training and Development and in the Directorate of Research and Planning as a Senior Officer. In March 2003, he was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Insurance and in May 2004 he was appointed Minister of Finance, where he served until the end of 2005. In September 2005, he assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors of Hellenic Bank, where he served until September 2014. He served as President of the Board of Directors of CyBC and President of the Board of Directors of the Company Hellenic Alico Life Insurance. He was a founding member and elected President of the Pancyprian Association of Economists. Since 2015, he has been active as an independent Consultant on financial issues, management issues, strategic planning and business development. He has given lectures at Universities in Cyprus, at the Centre for European and International Affairs of the University of Nicosia and at international conferences. He was appointed as a non-executive member of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Cyprus from October 2018 until today.
Minister of Interior: Mr Konstantinos Ioannou (former Minister of Health)
He was born on 24 March 1969 and is a graduate of the English School Nicosia. He studied Business Administration at the Manchester School of Management UMIST in the United Kingdom. He continued his studies in the United States on an honorary scholarship from Fulbright to Cornell University where he obtained an MBA in Hotel Management. He is married and has three children.
Since 1997 he is the founder, consultant and member of the Board of Directors of IMH, an organization for the transfer of knowledge and information to the executives of the Cypriot market.
Konstantinos Ioannou was Managing Director and Board Member of Real Time Hospitality Intelligence, USA (1996-2001). In 2006 he founded C.C. Coffee Company Ltd, which owns the rights to use Gloria Jean's Coffees International in Cyprus and was a member of the advisory group of Retail Food Group, Australia representing the European region. He has served on the Boards of Directors of several companies.
He served as Minister of Health from March 1, 2018 until 1/7/2021 following his appointment by the President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades.
The University of Nicosia awarded Konstantinos Ioannou an honorary doctorate from the Medical School in 2022 to honour his vision, efforts and determination during his time as Minister of Health, for the implementation of the GHS.
Minister of Defence: Michalis Giorgallas (former MP Solidarity Movement)
Michalis Giorgallas was born in Marathovounos, Famagusta on October 20, 1968. He graduated from Lanitio Lyceum of Limassol. He served his military service in the lokatzis in the 31st Commando Squadron. He holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the Polytechnic School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, a BSc and an MSc in Chemical Engineering. He specialized in ISO International Standards Systems and Green Energy from the Greek Centre for Renewable Energy Sources. He has been accredited EXYPP Health and Safety at the Ministry of Labour. He has worked in consulting and managerial positions in companies and organizations in Greece and Cyprus. In parallel with his studies, he studied at the "Thessaloniki Journalism Workshop" and collaborated with mass media in Cyprus and Greece. He was an active leader of the student movement in Greece. He served as Deputy President of the European Party and the Solidarity Movement.
Michalis Giorgallas was a member of the National Council from 2012 to 2017 and as a Member of parliament for Famagusta from 2016 to 2021. During his tenure in the House he was deputy chairman of the House Standing Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources and was a member of the Parliamentary Committees (I) Finance and Budget, (II) Education, Culture and Sports, (III) Environment, (IV) Monitoring of Development Plans and Public Expenditure Control. He has also been a member of various Ad Hoc Parliamentary Committees and an alternate member of the delegation of the Cypriot Parliament to the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE while he participated in many missions of the Parliament abroad.
Michalis Giorgallas is married to Dr Maria Paleomylitou and they have a son, Angelos.
Minister of Education: Athina Michailidou
Dr Athina Michailidou is a graduate of the Cyprus Pedagogical Academy and the University of Thessaloniki, holds a Master's degree in Education from the University of Manchester, as well as a PhD in Education Sciences from the University of London, specialising in educational research and evaluation. She has been a teacher, Professor of Pedagogy at the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, Head of the Research and Evaluation Section, Head of the Centre for Educational Research and Evaluation and Director of the Pedagogical Institute. Dr Michailidou has served as Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, as well as collaborating teaching staff at the Open University of Cyprus and the University of London. As of July 2022, by Decision of the Council of Ministers, she was appointed as Deputy Director General of the newly established Deputy Ministry of Culture.
Dr Michaelidou represented the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth in expert groups of the European Commission on education issues and participated in several working groups, representing Cyprus abroad. She was the coordinator of horizontal actions and innovations of the Ministry and taught for many years in seminars and programs which she coordinated, on issues of educational innovation, action research and policy in education. Her research interests mainly concern issues of professional development and introduction of innovations in education.
Dr Michailidou comes from the Kyrenia district, is divorced and has two children, a son and a daughter.
Minister of Transport, Communications and Works: Mr Alexis Vafiadis
Architect, graduate of the University of Southern California (USC).
He has been practicing the profession of Architect since 1988 and is a shareholder and one of the Directors of the family service company, Vafeadis and Co. Ltd. He is registered with ETEK.
He is a Member of the Board of Directors of Dimitra Investment Public Limited and of the Joint Committee on Structural Contracts of Cyprus (MEDSK Ltd). During his previous tenure as President of the MEDSK, he contributed to the revision of existing Building Contracts and their enrichment with new texts that serve new requirements of the construction industry.
He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Council for the Registration and Control of Technical and Building Contractors and Member of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Architects Association.
He is married to Evangelia, and has two children, Maria and Kostas.
Minister of Energy: Giorgos Papanastasiou
George Papanastasiou was born in Nicosia on 10 September 1961.
He is married to Glykeria Michailidou, they have a son Ignatius and they live in Nicosia.
He is a Mechanical Engineer by profession, with a first degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Higher Technological Institute of Cyprus, a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the City University of London and an MSc in Refrigeration & Air Conditioning from Kings College London.
He worked for 26 years at BP from various senior management positions in the United Kingdom, other European countries and Cyprus, where he held, among others, the position of Country Head.
During his career, he gained a wide range of experience in the energy industry (Oil & Gas), specifically in the areas of Supply & Logistics, Health, Safety & Environment, Technical Processes, Management, Sales & Marketing, Corporate Governance and Compliance.
George was appointed General Manager and CEO of VTT Vasiliko Ltd (VTTV), a subsidiary of the Netherlands-based multinational VTTI B.V., on October 1, 2011 where he led a flexible team of professionals for the construction of the energy products storage and management terminal, which currently operates in Vasilikos.
He is President of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Organization for Standardization (CYS) and the Cyprus Certification Society (KEP), President of the Cyprus-Dutch Business Association of the CCCI and a Member of the Board of Directors of OEB.
Minister of Agriculture: Mr Petros Xenophonos
Date of birth.: February 25, 1962.
I gained significant experience in team leadership in the direction of collaboration, innovation and empowerment of human resources as well as in serving customers and the public in general.
ABILITIES
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Director of Government Printing Office and Head of State Procurement and Procurement Services (15/10/2021 to date) Ministry of Finance
- If. Director of the Government Printing Office and Head of State Procurement and Procurement Services (11/5/2020 to 14/11/2021) Ministry of Finance
Director of the Government Printing House.
Head of the State Procurement and Procurement Services (YKAP)
- Senior Road Transport Officer (3/2008 to 12/5/2020)
Department of Road Transport of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works
- Mechanical Engineer at the Nicosia Sewerage Board (11/2006 to 2/2008))
- Professor of Informatics (9/2004 to 10/2006)/ Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth.
- Director of Vehicle Workshop Support and Spare Parts Department for car importers (10/1992 to 8/2004)/ (BMW, Rover, Land Rover and Peugeot).
- Mechanical Engineer at the contracting company CYBARCO (10/1987 to 2/1990)
EDUCATION
- MSc in Business Administration from the University of Cyprus
(9/2010 to 1/2013).
- Instructor Certified Training Professional by ECDL (29/6/2007).
- Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from KY.S.A.T.S. (19/5/2006).
- Master's Degree from North London University - Postgraduate Diploma in Computing with Distinction - (10/1991 to 10/1992).
- Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens with a grade of 8.24 Very Good (9/1981 to 9/1986).
- Graduate of the Pancyprian Gymnasium of Nicosia – Natural Sciences with grade 18 11/14 Excellent (9/1973 to 7/1979).
PROFESSIONAL BODIES
- Member of ETEK
INTERESTS
- Volunteering – Member of Round Table and 41 Cyprus Club and Rotary.
-Study.
MARITAL STATUS
I am married to Koula Ioannou Xenophontos and we have two children Stefania and Alexandros
Minister of Labour: Mr Yiannis Panayiotou
Yiannis Panayiotou was born in Nicosia in 1981.
He graduated from Archbishop Makarios III High School and served his military service as a Reserve Infantry Lieutenant.
He studied at the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens and holds a degree in Philosophy, Pedagogy and Psychology, continued his studies at King's College London of the University of London from where he obtained postgraduate degrees in Educational Policy (MA) and Educational Research (MSc), while he specialized in the field of professional learning and development (Diploma on Learning & Development) at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
He worked in the House of Representatives as a Scientific Associate where, through the monitoring of parliamentary work, he was responsible for the study of state budgets and for the analysis of the economic, social and political impact of legislative work.
He worked at the Ministry of Finance, the Department of Public Administration and Personnel, as a Training Officer of the Cyprus Academy of Public Administration, and was responsible for the learning support of changes and reforms, for the design, implementation and evaluation of programs, as well as for the training of Public Service executives in the subject of strategic planning.
He worked at Ernst & Young (EY) as a Senior Director of Consulting Services and as Head of the EY Academy of Learning & Development, managed major projects in the public and private sectors, acted as a consultant to organizations, businesses and governments, and was awarded by EY for developing innovative services with the international award of Learning Innovation in consulting services.
He was actively involved in public affairs as a young man and as a student, having served as President of the National Cypriot Student Union (EFEK) of Athens, Secretary of International Relations of the Pancyprian Federation of Student Unions (POFEN) and representative to the European Students' Union (ESU), President of the Mediterranean Student Network (MedNet), General Secretary of the Cyprus Youth Council (SYNK), member of the Board of the Cyprus Youth Organization (ONEK) and President of the Youth of the Democratic Party (NEDIK).
He is the father of an 8-year-old daughter.
Minister of Justice: Mrs Anna Koukkidou Prokopiou
Anna Dotsi-Prokopiou was born in Nicosia in 1974 and comes from the occupied Zodia. She is married and mother of a daughter. She studied with a scholarship at University College London (UCL) and holds degrees in Economics and History with honours, with postgraduate studies in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She holds a professional Political Risk Analyst certification from Teneo Intelligence (one of the largest companies in the field of political intelligence in the world), while, at the same time, she holds the Executive Development Diploma (Mini MBA for Professionals) of CIIM, where she studied with a scholarship from the Lanitis Group, of which she served as a manager for a number of years. In 2015, with a scholarship from the European International Studies Association, she further specialized in Religion and Politics at the Macmillan Center at Yale University.
As an expert on foreign policy, internal security and gender mainstreaming, she has worked with, among others, the International Crisis Group, the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the Union for the Mediterranean and the OSCE. She is also a World Bank certified expert for Cyprus in the field of "Women, Business and the Law". In addition, she belongs to the United Nations international team of experts UN Senior Women Talent Pipeline based in New York, as well as to the Global Women in Management group of Exxon Mobil based in Washington. She is a founding member of the Greek-Israeli Forum established in the framework of the transnational cooperation between Cyprus-Greece-Israel and a member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for European and International Affairs of the University of Nicosia. For more than twenty years, she has been an active member of civil society.
Minister of Health: Popi Kanari - President of the Board of Directors of the Karaiskakio Foundation
Popi Kanari is a graduate of the English School. He studied Chemistry at the University of London and holds a PhD from the same University. She served for 37 years in the General Chemical State Laboratory, of which the last eight in the position of Director. During her tenure as Director she established the first accredited laboratory in the National Guard for gunpowder testing on ammunition. She has served on various boards of directors, both at local and European level. She has been a member of the Advisory Board of the European Food Safety Authority, head of the European Network of Official Medicines Laboratories and president of the American Association of Official Analytical Chemists (European Section). She is a consultant in the fields of Food Safety, Medicines and Toxicology.
She served as the first president of the National Anti-Doping Team for Clean Sports. She became a member of the Board of Directors of the Karaiskakio Foundation (KI) in 1999 and was elected president in 2011, a position she holds to this day. During her chairmanship of the Rotary Club "Nicosia – Lefkothea" in 2005 she coordinated 11 Rotary Clubs for the creation of the first Umbilical Cord Bank in KI. She is a member of the Boards of the Cyprus Cancer Research Institute, the Council of the European University and the Cyprus Research and Educational Foundation.
She was born in Nicosia. She is married, has two children and five grandchildren.
Government Spokesman: Konstantinos Letympiotis
Konstantinos Letympiotis was born on 16 June 1984 in Paphos. He graduated from the First Lyceum of Ethnarch Makarios III of Pafos and then fulfilled his military service. He holds a degree in Architectural Engineering from the Polytechnic School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a Master's degree in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, USA (UPenn).
At the end of his studies he returned to Cyprus where he worked as an Architect Engineer in an architectural office based in Limassol.
From a very young age he became involved with the commons. President of the Central Student Council of the First Lyceum of Ethnarch Makarios Pafos. President of the PFC Avant-garde Thessaloniki in 2008-2009 and its representative in efek Thessaloniki. In 2012 he was elected First Vice President of the Executive Committee of the PFC PROTOPORIA Pancypria. In August 2015 he was elected President of the Youth of the Pafos Democratic Rally, a position he held until May 2017.
He was a member of the Board of Directors of the European Capital of Culture "Pafos 2017" and from 2016 to August 2022 he was a member of the Pafos Municipal Council until he resigned from his position.
He is married to Irene Sophocleous with whom they have a son, George.
State Secretary to the President: Irene Piki
Irene Piki was born in Nicosia in 1973. In 1974, as a result of the Turkish Invasion, she moved with her parents and siblings to Athens, where she lived her school years, graduating from the Moraitis School. She then studied in the UK, initially in Economics (BSc Regional Science – Economics and Human Geography) at the University of Reading (UK), and then in Environmental Economics at University College London (UCL) where she received an MSc in Environmental and Natural Resources Economics.
She has been serving the Republic of Cyprus as a career technocrat since 1997, from positions of responsibility, with a broad portfolio that includes economic, environmental, regional policy, reforms and investments as well as European issues. Her professional career began in the private sector in environmental economics. In 1997 she began her career in the Public Service with her appointment to the Planning Bureau (now General Directorate of Development, Ministry of Finance), where she dealt with issues of environment, natural resources and was a member of the negotiating team on Cohesion Policy issues during the accession negotiations of Cyprus to the EU (2002-2004). She was a member of the Cohesion Policy Planning Unit until 2009, when she was selected to staff the Secretariat of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU (Presidency of the Republic), as Programme and Policy Coordination Leader (2010-2013). In 2014 she undertook the coordination of entrepreneurship and innovation, investments and regulatory improvement, in the Administrative Reform Unit, under the Deputy Minister to the President. At the same time, in the period 2014-2016 she participated in the Ad Hoc Group for the Preparation of the Implementation of the Acquis Communautaire, in the context of the negotiations on the Cyprus problem.
Since March 2018 she has served as Head of the Office of the Minister of Finance, Mr. Harris Georgiades, while in December 2019 she took over as Head of the Directorate of Strategy, Coordination and Communication at the same Ministry. In March 2021 she was promoted to the position of CFO while since October 2022 she was head of the Directorate of Economic Policy and European Affairs.
She has been a member of the Boards of Directors of Invest Cyprus (CIPA), the Research and Innovation Foundation, the Cyprus Organization for Standardization as well as the Council for Economy and Competitiveness. She has also represented Cyprus in a number of EU committees on Economic and Cohesion Policy.
She is married to George G. Papageorgiou and has two daughters.
Deputy Minister of Shipping: Marina Glyki-Chatzimanoli
Marina Chatzimanoli was born in Famagusta in 1973. After the Turkish invasion of 1974 at the age of one, she settled in Limassol with her family. She is the mother of three children, Harry, Melanie and Christina.
She is a graduate of Lanitio Lyceum B, Limassol.
She studied Law at the University of Leicester, UK, where she received the title of Bachelor of Laws (LLB Hons).
She then obtained the title of Barrister at Law from the Inns of Court School of Law in London, as a member of the Lincolns Inn in England.
She is a member of the Cyprus Bar Association and the Limassol Bar Association. She practiced law for many years, in a law firm and in companies as a legal advisor.
She is an elected Municipal Councilor in the Limassol Municipality since 2016. She actively participates in numerous committees of the Municipality and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Limassol Sewerage Board.
She was a founding member of the Limassol Youth Chamber of Commerce, President Association of Parents in Primary Education, Member of the Federation of Parents' Associations of Primary Schools of the City and District of Limassol and is an active member of public and private charities of the city. She has received honorary distinctions for her social and philanthropic work.
With its own contribution, a blockchain "blockchain" application for the electronic issuance and authentication of documents in the Municipality was carried out for the first time in the Limassol Municipality, allowing the residents of Limassol to receive quality service in a digital environment.
As of 2021, she is the first female honorary member of Europa Uomo Cyprus, where she spearheaded the campaign to raise awareness and prevent prostate cancer.
Her political activity began during her school years as an active member of the Student Movement (MAKI) of NEDISI Limassol, then in the Avant-garde of England and later in NEDISY and the Democratic Rally.
During the election campaign for the Presidential Elections 2023, she held the position of Director of the Political Bureau of the Elected President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides.
Deputy Minister of Tourism: Kostas Koumis
Kostas Koumis was born in Paralimni in 1977.
He graduated from Paralimni High School in 1995 and then served his military service.
He studied Business Administration and holds a Master's Degree in Communication.
He has served as Communications Director of the Famagusta Chamber of Commerce, Director of the Famagusta Tourism Commercial and Industrial Company and as a manager in private sector companies.
He served as Vice President of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation from 2014 to 2018 and as Vice-President of CYTA from 2019 to 2020. At the same time, he was President of the Audit Committee of CYTA.
He also worked as a visiting professor at a University Institution and a higher education institution.
In the period 2020 – 2021, he was responsible for the curation and presentation of the webcast 'Tourism in the Spotlight'.
Since July 2021 he is a member of the Public Service Commission.
He is married to Maria Synesi from Deryneia and the occupied Rizokarpaso and they have two children, Georgiana and Panagiotis.
Minister of State for Research and Innovation: Filippos Hadjizachariou
Filippos Hadjizacharias was born in Larnaca in 1975.
He is a graduate of the Pancyprian Lyceum of Larnaca. He obtained a degree in Accounting in Birmingham, holds degrees in AAT, FCCA, MA Taxation in European Law from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in London as well as a certificate of Effective Leadership from the University of Oxford.
He is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus which he served from various positions. He is a founding member of PHS & Partners based in Larnaca. He has served as a Non-Executive Director but also as a Financial – Tax Advisor to multinational companies.
He is married to Sandra Hadjizacharia, father of three children.
Deputy Minister of Social Welfare: Marilena Evangelou
Marilena Evangelou was born in Nicosia on 9 July 1975. She studied Communication and Mass Media at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and worked for 25 years as a journalist in television and radio stations, newspapers and electronic media as a reporter, political editor, editor-in-chief, radio presenter, news show host, as well as internet show presenter. She also worked in the field of Management, Public Relations and Communication in private companies.
She attended dozens of seminars in Cyprus and abroad, including on issues of Discrimination on the basis of Gender and on the basis of National Origin and Religion, Equality of Women and Men, Democracy and Human Rights, Freedom of Expression and of the Press, while she participated in workshops and conferences as a speaker both in Cyprus and in Brussels on issues related to the media, Social Media and the Cyprus problem.
She has a strong social activity and actively participates in public affairs, while she has studied music.
She comes from the Kyrenia district and lives in Nicosia. She is married to businessman Antonis Serdaris from Morphou and is the mother of two boys aged 14 and 15.
Deputy Minister of Culture: Michalis Hatzigiannis
Michalis Hatzigiannis was born in Nicosia on November 5, 1978, to parents from Kyrenia. He studied Music at the National Conservatory of Cyprus where he obtained diplomas in classical guitar and piano and at the Royal Academy of Music in London in the highest theoretical courses. For the last 25 years he has been active in Greek and foreign discography, writing music, lyrics and performing songs that were loved by the general public, ranking him among the most popular Greek songwriters.
Michalis Hatzigiannis received the "Best Selling Artist of the Decade" award in the late 2000s, as the sales of his records have reached 3,500,000 copies. During the same period, the CD single "Everyone dance" was released in Germany and the album "Michalis" with English lyrics in six European countries. She sings on big stages together and next to artists such as Dimitra Galani, Haris Alexiou, Giorgos Dalaras, Alkistis Protopsalti, Paschalis Terzis and many others. According to the official data of IFPI he is for 30 years the most commercial songwriter in Greece and Cyprus.
Michalis Hatzigiannis is a member of the "ELPIDA – Association of Friends of Children with Cancer", an action for which he was named "Artist of Hope 2019-2021".
Director of the Office of the President of the Republic: Charalambos Charalambous
Charalambos Charalambous was born on September 30, 1983 in Athens and grew up in Limassol. He is a refugee from the occupied villages of Masari, Morphou and Vatyli, Famagusta.
He graduated from the Lyceum of Apostles Peter and Paul and served his military service as a Reserve Infantry Officer. He holds a bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, specializing in Statistics and Operational Research, a master's degree (MSc) from Warwick University, Warwick Business School, in the field of Financial Mathematics and the professional title ACA, Associated Chartered Accountant, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, as well as the professional title Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). He also holds the certificates of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission Advanced and AML and since 2014 he is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus.
He has fifteen years of experience in the private accounting and financial services sector of Cyprus. He started his professional career in one of the major auditing firms of Cyprus, as a certified accountant, specializing in the tax field. He then worked as an executive director in corporate and investment services companies with a presence both in Cyprus and internationally specializing in the field of regulatory compliance. He also collaborated with the University of Nicosia as a special scientist in the field of teaching finance. He was a member and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Housing Finance Corporation for 4 consecutive years, a member of committees of professional associations and a member of the Board of Directors of the Anorthosis Association of Famagusta. Finally, he was a member of the Athens Avant-garde, as well as a member of the Supreme Council of the Democratic Rally. During 2022 he was the head of the election campaign of the President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides.
He is married to Christia Karsera, who together have three boys, Kyriakos, Giannis and Andreas Epifanios.
If. Government Spokesperson: Doxa Komodromou
Doxa Komodromou comes from Athienou in the Larnaca District. He has been working at the University of Cyprus since 2007. She is the Spokesperson and Head of the Office of Planning and Implementation of Official Ceremonies at the Rectorate of the Higher Academic Institution, organizing, coordinating and presenting all Graduation Ceremonies and Proclamation Ceremonies. In addition, it organizes the inauguration of the building facilities and stone foundations on the University Campus and cooperates closely with the respective State for the hospitality of prime ministers and presidents of foreign countries, as well as European officials in Cyprus. On the plus side of her achievements are the events of many actions outside Cyprus, such as the recent Ceremony of the Proclamation of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as an Honorary Doctor of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Cyprus. In fact, as head of mission, Doxa Komodromou organized, curated and accompanied students to Brussels and Luxembourg to participate in international competitions.
She was a personal collaborator of the Member of Parliament and later President of DISY. and MEP, Yiannakis Matsis for 15 years in both the House of Representatives and the European Parliament (Brussels, Strasbourg).
For the last 20 years she has collaborated with radio and television channels (Cyprus Radio Foundation and Dias Group-Sigma Television), presenting news bulletins and talk shows. For the last six months, she has been presenting cyBC's groundbreaking show "University Treasures", with the participation of all academic institutions in Cyprus. As a journalist, she also delivers seminars on Speech Education and Orthophony to the students of the School of Journalism and the Law Department of the University of Cyprus.
She holds a Master Degree from the University of Cyprus in "Political and Social Sciences". From the University of Nicosia she secured her first degree in Journalism and Public Relations "Communications", (Bachelor Degree), with a grade of excellent distinction (3.72).
She is the author of the book "Kyriakos Matsis, the figure of a thinker who sided in the Struggle of EOKA", AFI publications. She is currently working on her doctoral dissertation entitled "The role played by the Cyprus Radio Service in the Struggle of EOKA", under the supervision of Petros Papapolyviou, Associate Professor of the Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Cyprus. Only last January, she successfully passed the last stage of her research scientific proposal.
She is married to George Komodromos and they have two children, Andreas and Spyros.
Environment Commissioner: Maria Panayiotou
Maria Panayiotou was born on June 5, 1982 in Larnaca. She studied History and Archaeology at the University of Cyprus from where she graduated in 2004 with honours. In 2006 she completed her postgraduate studies at the University of Birmingham where she received the title Mphil (B) in Modern East Mediterranean History. In 2017 she was awarded a PhD in Modern and Contemporary History from the University of Cyprus. From 2004 until today she has worked in more than seven research projects of excellence, co-funded by the European Development Funds, the University of Cyprus, the Research Promotion Foundation and the Anastasios G. Leventis Foundation, where she gained significant experience in archival research and in the management of research programs. She singles out her employment as a member of the Scientific Team of the University of Cyprus for the Cyprus Dossier project for the period 2007-2010. From March 2016 until today she had the honour to be the Head of the Press Office of EDEK and the Spokesperson of the party. From 2017 to 2022 she worked as a Special Scientist with duties of teaching economic history at the Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Cyprus.
She has published more than 16 scientific articles in mixed volumes and international scientific journals (such as the European History Quarterly) on the subject of economic history, while she has already participated in a large number of international scientific conferences, most recently the International Conference of the Modern Greek Studies Association in Toronto, Canada (October 2022).
She comes from Agios Sergios Famagusta and lives temporarily in Larnaca. Her parents are Michalis Panagiotou and Ifigeneia Kossifos. She is the mother of an eight-year-old boy, Achilles Ioannou.
Commissioner for Gender Equality: Josie Christodoulou
Josie Christodoulou is an expert on issues related to women's rights and the promotion of gender equality, migration and the fight against trafficking in persons. From 2004 to 2018 she worked as a Policy Coordinator at the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS) where she had an active role in the development, monitoring and implementation of the Institute's policy and strategy. She participated in various boards such as the Cyprus Women's Lobby and contributed to the creation of the Brussels-based European Network of Migrant Women. She also participated in expert groups of the European Commission and the Council of Europe on issues related to the fight against trafficking in persons.
From 2019 to January 2022, she served as Advisor to the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, on gender mainstreaming in foreign policy. Ms. Christodoulou, developed and implemented the framework for action on gender mainstreaming in foreign policy.
She has contributed to the creation of bills on women's rights and the fight against trafficking in persons. She has also contributed to publications, including research reports and books, conducted seminars and trainings, and participated in international and national conferences. Ms. Christodoulou holds a BSc in Psychology, University of Indianapolis, USA and a Master's degree in Racial Equality Studies, Middlesex University, H.B.
Director of the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic: Marilena Raouna
Marilena Raouna was born in Larnaca in 1983. She comes from Famagusta.
She is a graduate of the American Academy of Larnaca. She studied law at the University of Oxford (BA in Jurisprudence) with postgraduate studies (LLM) in Public International and European Law at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. She holds a diploma in French language and culture from the Sorbonne University.
From 2007 to 2010 she worked at the European Commission, in the Directorate-General for Justice, Freedom and Security, as head of the European programme to combat violence against women, young people and children ("Daphne III").
From 2010 to 2014 she served in the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the European Union (issues of EU-Turkey relations, enlargement policy, as well as issues related to the Turkish Cypriot community). During the first Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU (2012) she was the national representative of Cyprus in the Council Working Group on Enlargement as well as a member of the negotiating team of the Council of the EU in trilogues with the European Parliament and the European Commission on the establishment of a new Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance.
From 2014 to 2018 she worked in the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic (IGTC) as coordinator of a private office of the Director of the ICTY and advisor on EU affairs. She participated in negotiations for a settlement of the Cyprus problem, as well as in a special negotiating team on EU issues.
From 2018 to 2021 she worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a special advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
She is married to Seth Rosenbaum and is a mother of two children.
Secretary of the Council of Ministers: Penelope Papavassiliou
Penelope (Poly) Papavassiliou was born and raised in Nicosia. She attended the Lyceum of Kykkos A'. She studied Economics (BSc Industrial Economics) at the University of Warwick (UK) and Business Administration (MSc in Business Administration - MBA) from City University Business School (UK).
She has many years of professional experience as a career technocrat in positions of responsibility in both the Cyprus Public Administration and the European Commission, in matters of economy, development, labour, European issues, coordination and planning of policies and reforms and in project management.
She began her career in public administration in 1997 as an Officer at the Planning Bureau (now General Directorate of Development, Ministry of Finance) in the technocratic coordination team of Cyprus' EU accession negotiations where she worked until 2004. She then served in the Permanent Representation of Cyprus in Brussels (2005-2006), on research and innovation issues, and promotion of the Digital Agenda representing the Republic of Cyprus in the respective groups of the Council of the EU. She also served as a senior member of the coordination team of the government's work and implementation of the Cyprus Economic Adjustment Programme (4 - 2006) (Directorate General for Development) and Head of the Project Team for the Insolvency Framework (March 2010 - August 2010). She also participated as coordinator in the Ad Hoc Group for Preparing the Implementation of the Acquis Communautaire, in the context of the negotiations on the Cyprus problem (September 2013 – March 2013). Since April 2014 she has been working at the European Commission, the Directorate General for Structural Reforms (DG REFORM) in Athens, as project leaders on business environment issues and in the project appraisal team.
Her partner is Phidias Vardakis.
Director of the Press Office of the President of the Republic: Victor Papadopoulos
He was born in Limassol. He graduated from Lanitio Gymnasium and obtained a B.A in Business Administration with a specialization in Accounting and Finance from the Athens School of Economics and Business (ASOEE - today Athens University of Economics and Business).
He obtained a master's degree in Accounting and Finance from East London University in the UK.
He worked for 26 years as a journalist, political editor and news and news anchor. From 2013 to 2018 he served as Deputy Government Spokesman, while from 2018-2022 he served as Director of the Press Office of the President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades, his advisor and associate.
