CYPRUS FINTECH SUMMIT 2024 Speakers
Akis Tsekouras
Mastercard Advisors Cluster Lead for Central Eastern Europe
Akis Tsekouras
Mastercard Advisors Cluster Lead for Central Eastern Europe
Dr. Akis Tsekouras is the Cluster Lead of Mastercard Advisors for Central Eastern Europe. He is leading the largest team of specialized payments Advisors in the region, with more than 120 consultants who cover 15 countries in the region as well as global projects with a special focus on Middle East and Europe.
He holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics from University of Athens. He has more than 18 years of experience as a strategy consultant in the area of banking, having worked with Mastercard Advisors, Accenture and McKinsey & Company. During his career, he has consulted major banking institutions, across more than 20 countries, in digital and product strategy, business process and operating model reengineering as well as in the implementation of large scale IT and digital transformation programs.
Maria Leontiou
Head of Eurobank Next– Digital Growth & Future Competitiveness
Maria Leontiou
Head of Eurobank Next– Digital Growth & Future Competitiveness
Engineer by degree, Financial Services expert by profession, Innovation enthusiast by nature, Maria Leontiou heads Eurobank Next – Digital Growth & Future Competitiveness within Eurobank with the aim to ensure the Bank’s future relevance. Maria holds a M.Eng. degree in Civil Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and has over 24 years of experience in the “Fin” part of FinTech. She joined Eurobank in 2002 and has over 17 years of managerial experience with a track record in corporate innovation, business development, project management and operations. Before that Maria was a stock broker in the Athens Stock Exchange Market and a certified Derivatives' Market Maker. Her curiosity for everything new makes her love and passionately seek innovation, a trait that grew through her participation in the organizing team of TEDxAthens and was then put in practice within her role as the head of Eurobank’s Innovation Center. She is very close to the startup community which she supports in her capacity as mentor or judge in various initiatives & programs. She firmly believes in the power of community, is actively pushing the gender equality agenda and is a strong advocate of "sharing means caring". Maria enjoys both creating and sharing content on digital media to engage with like-minded professionals and initiate meaningful conversations.
Eirini Fotiou
Founder of Lifelines
Eirini Fotiou
Founder of Lifelines
Eirini Fotiou is the founder of a private CBT practice focused on transforming mindsets and cultures within individuals and corporations. Certified in managing psychosocial hazards, she specializes in fostering safety and care in workplace environments. Her experience extends to strategic roles in international companies across London, Brussels, and Athens. She holds three Master’s degrees; two from the London School of Economics on Management and International Business and one from the University of Central Lancashire on Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy.
For more on my services, visit www.eirinifotiou.com.
Denis Efremov
Principal at R136 Ventures
Denis Efremov
Principal at R136 Ventures
Denis specializes in B2B tech and fintech investments at R136 Ventures, a Mid- to Late-Stage venture capital firm primarily supporting Israeli or US-based startups. Noteworthy fintech startups in the past and current portfolio include eToro, Blockchain.com, Roofstock, Clearcover, Ladder Life, and Insurify.
In addition to his primary role, Denis serves as a mentor at Alchemist Accelerator.
Denis’s previous roles include serving as a principal at the US venture capital firm Fort Ross Ventures, a venture partner for the Swiss accelerator Seedstars, and as an investment director at a midmarket private equity firm supported by institutional investors such as EBRD, DEG, and others.
He has played a key role in 15+ deals amounting to over $120M and has contributed to the launch of several funds totaling more than $250M.
Marat Karpeko
Co-Founder and Director at InData Labs, Co-Founder at Wargaming.net
Marat Karpeko
Co-Founder and Director at InData Labs, Co-Founder at Wargaming.net
Marat is a serial entrepreneur and investor with decades of experience in both starting and running successful businesses. Marat is one of the co-founders and has been active in various roles at and contributed to the success of the award-winning online game developer, Wargaming (revenues $500m+), since 2004, spearheading its worldwide expansion during an explosive growth phase into different regional markets. His chief interest is in the online games business, as well as in information and data technology. In 2014 he’s co-founded InData Labs, a successful data science and data engineering business solutions company. Marat has also invested in various IT and tech startups around the globe, including a successful marketing agency in the Bay Area. He holds a BS in Computer Science from Belaruski Dziarzhauny University.
Demetris Skourides
Chief Scientist, Chairman of Research and Innovation Foundation
Demetris Skourides
Chief Scientist, Chairman of Research and Innovation Foundation
Demetris Skourides is the Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology of the Republic of Cyprus.
Demetris Skourides holds a BSc in Computer Science, with an emphasis on Software Engineering, from Arizona State University, USA, and an MBA from Henley Management College, UK. Among other things, he has been trained in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, data monetisation and sales, in programs at Columbia, Stanford, MIT and Harvard Universities respectively.
Demetris Skourides has worked with technology giants Oracle and Amazon Web Services. He joined Oracle Cyprus in 2006 after two years at the Cyprus Organisation for Standardisation and has since followed an international career with Oracle, taking on management roles across South East Europe and Commonwealth countries. Among others, he held executive positions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia-Pacific countries, as a Cloud & ISV Solutions transformation leader.
Demetris Skourides spearheaded the establishment of Cloud Partner Centres of Excellence in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, South Korea, Kenya and South Africa, which enabled partners to innovate, create new solutions and bring them to market, creating new revenue streams.
In his most recent role, he worked at Amazon Web Services, Dubai, UAE, as Industry Strategist for EMEA Commercial Sales, driving innovative solutions for the financial services, retail, manufacturing and energy sectors.
The Chief Scientist chairs, ex officio, the Board of Directors of the Research and Innovation Foundation.
Vanessa Antoniadou
Modern Workplace Senior Specialist - Microsoft
Vanessa Antoniadou
Modern Workplace Senior Specialist - Microsoft
Vanessa Antoniadou is the Modern Workplace Specialist at Microsoft Greece, Cyprus and Malta. In her role Vanessa is working closely with Enterprise Customers, mainly in the FSI, Government and Manufacturing industries, on their AI transformation journey and helping them drive employee productivity and experience. Vanessa has been with Microsoft for 15 years, holding different roles in Enterprise and Public Sector.
Prior to Microsoft, she worked at Computacenter in London for the Central Enterprise Team, in pre-sales role.
She holds an MSc in Business Systems Analysis and Design from City University and a BSc from the National University of Athens in Informatics and Telecommunications.
She lives with her family in Nicosia.
Vitaly Kirshchenya
Senior Territory Account Executive at Cloudflare
Vitaly Kirshchenya
Senior Territory Account Executive at Cloudflare
Vitaly Kirshchenya is a Senior Territory Account Executive at Cloudflare, the leading security and performance company helping to build a better Internet. Vitaly focuses on helping companies become more secure online and be on the right track for their digital transformation journeys. He enjoys discussing technology in its entirety and has a particular interest in edge network security services.
Pavlos Kleanthous
Founder & Managing Director at Parsectix
Pavlos Kleanthous
Founder & Managing Director at Parsectix
Pavlos Kleanthous is the CEO of Parsectix, leading a team specializing in cloud-native architectures, platform engineering, CI/CD, and advanced cybersecurity. With a strong focus on DevOps and software delivery, Pavlos helps organizations adopt modern technologies while maximizing ROI for clients through optimized software investments.
Theodoros Loukaidis
Director General at Research & Innovation Foundation
Theodoros Loukaidis
Director General at Research & Innovation Foundation
Theodoros Loukaidis is the Director General of the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF), the national funding agency for research, technological development and innovation in Cyprus. He has extensive experience in technology and commercial roles in Cyprus and abroad, having led multi-million technology and business transformation programmes, launched new lines of business and taken new services to the market. He started his career in Cyprus where he worked in local telcos and then moved to London, where he held strategy and business development roles in large multinational corporations, including CKHH and Colt. He holds an MBA from Warwick Business School (UK), an MSc degree in Communications and Signal Processing from Imperial College London and a BEng (Hons), First Class, in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from UMIST (UK).
Dinos Michaelides
Director at DGM Tech Solutions
Dinos Michaelides
Director at DGM Tech Solutions
Pierre A. Manseau
CEO / CIO at Chain Insights
Pierre A. Manseau
CEO / CIO at Chain Insights
DevSecOps SRE for 35+ Years with extensive experience with Kubernetes Infrastructure, Architecture, Security, Networking, Blockchain, and AI training.
Chain Insights is Indexing and steaming data from ETHEREUM, BASE, TRON, BINANCE BNB, POKLADOT, ARBITRUM, OPTIMISM, POLYGON, and many more blockchains
Indexing the flow of transactions on DEX (Decentralized Exchanges) like Uniswap and DeFi apps provides traders insights of funds movement on chain.
Using AI & Machine Learning with Advanced Algorithms we detect Anomalies, frauds, hacking, community louvain, whales movements of funds on real-time even before transactions are confirmed on the blockchain.
Yuriy Romanyukha
Managing Partner at ICLUB Global
Yuriy Romanyukha
Managing Partner at ICLUB Global
Yuriy is a venture capital professional with over a decade of experience, ranging from founding his own startup to managing corporate development programs for industry giants such as Uber, L'Oreal, and Walmart. Currently, as the Managing Partner at ICLUB Global, Yuriy leads Ukraine's largest angel investor community, which boasts over 1,000 members. Under his leadership, the community has facilitated $50 million in co-investments across 86 startups, achieving 9 successful exits and generating $15 million in returns.
Panis Pieri
Founder of Panis Media
Panis Pieri
Founder of Panis Media
Panis is the founder of Panis Media, a growth marketing agency helping startups and tech-enabled organisations to grow.
Panis Media runs Panis.News. Panis.News is an AI-driven media portal that covers the latest stories in startups, technology, innovation, research, entrepreneurship, and societal advancements.
Its mission is to provide insightful AI-generated content that inspires and informs our audience, fostering a community of forward-thinkers, change-makers, innovators and disruptors.
In addition to that, he hosts and produces the podcast Live with Panis.
At #PanisLive podcast we discuss tech, innovation, startups, inventions, entrepreneurship, founder stories and how technology affects society.
Furthermore, he runs a weekly newsletter at #PanisNewsletter and the social feed #PanisOnTour where he shares interesting moments from events he attends.
Furthermore, he organises the #PanisMeetups gatherings, connecting startup founders, entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs and investors.
His message is ”Keep innovating”
Connect with Panis at https://linktr.ee/PanisPieri
Monica Ioannidou Polemitis
Founder and CEO at Hybrid ConsulTech
Monica Ioannidou Polemitis
Founder and CEO at Hybrid ConsulTech
Stefano Sordini
CEO at NetShop ISP
Stefano Sordini
CEO at NetShop ISP
Eric McLean
Director at Ellyx
Eric McLean
Director at Ellyx
Eric McLean is a seasoned business strategist and change consultant with a diverse background in Financial Services, Banking, Emerging Payments, Telecommunications, Technology, Retail, and AI. His expertise spans multiple sectors, making him a versatile and impactful leader in navigating complex challenges and driving transformational growth.
Eric is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and has a passion for 'all things people' within organizations and industries. His work reflects a commitment to understanding and enhancing the human element of business, fostering cultures that empower individuals and promote effective change.
Over his extensive career, Eric has contributed to a wide array of companies, and functions, including notable names such as IBM, Orange, Oracle, BNP Paribas, Exness, and others. And key areas like Marketing, Business Development, Operations, People, and Procurement, allowing him to bring a holistic perspective to every project he undertakes.
Eric currently consults as an AI and Business Strategist for a small number of Fintech companies.
Recently, he built and launched a Digital Assets Start-up in Kharkiv, Ukraine that offered a Digital Time Capsule function to the user.
Olga Milko
Business Development Director at Freedom24
Olga Milko
Business Development Director at Freedom24
With over 18 years of experience in finance, Olga Milko is a driven leader who serves as the Business Development Director at Freedom24, a leading fintech company that offers innovative solutions for online trading and investing. She is responsible for expanding the company's presence and partnerships in the European market, while ensuring compliance with regulatory and legal frameworks. Olga holds ACCA and FСCA credentials, as well as an advanced examination certificate from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
Drosoula Hadjisavva
Chief Marketing Officer at Squared Financial
Drosoula Hadjisavva
Chief Marketing Officer at Squared Financial
With over a decade of experience in the financial services and fintech sector, Drosoula has held marketing leadership roles across several leading fintech/FX and Telecom firms. As a certified Chartered Marketer with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and an MBA, Drosoula has a rounded experience in heading global marketing organizations, including high-performance digital marketing, branding, media & PR, as well as product marketing.
Drosoula, currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer at Squared Financial, a multi-regulated financial services firm, established in 2005.
Andreas Ioannou
Founder and CEO of Everneed AI
Andreas Ioannou
Founder and CEO of Everneed AI
Andreas is the founder and CEO of Everneed AI, an artificial intelligence SaaS for content creation.
Everneed AI can assist users on different types of content creation like text generation, image generation, speech-to-text conversion, coding and more.
Andreas also publishes the weekly newsletter AI Growth Hub 💪. In his newsletter that is published on LinkedIn he shares the latest news and insights about artificial intelligence.
Prior to the launching of his AI SaaS, he was a B2B blogger and social media influencer. He has a worldwide social media following on various social media platforms, with the total number of his followers exceeding 90000 followers.
He is also the book author of the digital marketing book Entrepreneur Makeover. In his book he shares his knowledge of different aspects of digital marketing, like SEO, social media and branding.
In addition to that, he hosts the podcast Smart but Lazy Business Podcast. On his podcast he discusses various topics about entrepreneurship, technology and marketing.
Spyros Darzentas
Chief Marketing Officer at Raykore
Spyros Darzentas
Chief Marketing Officer at Raykore
Spyros' journey in the world of marketing began unconventionally. He dropped out of University at the last course to prove that you can accomplish anything. In his 23 years, he moved to Belgium without money, connections, or resources to start a marketing career. Sold lighters on the streets, lived in a loft with mice, and ate rice for weeks until having an income. He attended the Emium Academy Growth Hacking Bootcamp, where instructors from Meta, Google, and Adobe shared their knowledge with people around the globe, and finally, he got hired by a startup. He moved to Italy 1 year later in a Digital Marketing Position, but something needed to be added... That's how he started PPC projects with his supervisor, Jacopo, and handled the first hundreds of thousands of euros in ad spend on PPC campaigns. He rejected a dream job in Switzerland, rejected a CEO position on a blockchain app in Milano, and finally, at 24, started freelancing in Performance Marketing. Abandoned from friends and family, with no night outs, no holidays, and no personal expenses, after a year, he started his 1st business in Cyprus. After 5 successful years of performance on his marketing agency "Digital Hounds," Spyros is a Conversion Marketing Consultant and Performance Marketing Instructor on in-house teams & freelancers. Spyros spreads the vision that you can make money the way you want. Raykore's core product is the innovative approach to advertising and trading (and not only) that sets the end of an era in the digital world as we know it.
Andreas Orphanos
CEO & Co-founder at novusalpha
Andreas Orphanos
CEO & Co-founder at novusalpha
Andreas brings over 15 years of extensive experience in the financial and fintech sectors, having played pivotal roles in leading companies within the industry. As the co-founder of novusalpha, a boutique consultancy firm, he specializes in delivering tailored support services to financial institutions aiming to enhance their market reach and boost revenue. Connect with Andreas to explore innovative strategies that can drive your business forward in today’s dynamic landscape.
Christina Orfanidou
Director, AI & Data , Deloitte Cyprus
Christina Orfanidou
Director, AI & Data , Deloitte Cyprus
Christina Orfanidou is a Director in Deloitte Cyprus, where she leads Artificial Intelligence & Data services. In her advisory role, she supports organizations in the private and public sectors in developing AI strategies and leads technical teams to develop tools that leverage AI to support decision-making in a wide range of business areas. As an expert in the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its Ethical Adoption, she has collaborated extensively with public sector bodies in Cyprus, the European Union and the Middle East, successfully delivering studies, strategy work and AI policy development work related to the adoption of Artificial Intelligence. At the same time, she has worked extensively in an advisory role with European Commission institutions, leading projects around the adoption of AI in the public sector and on the development of evidence-based policies for the European Union with organisations such as HaDEA, ACER, DG CONNECT, EFSA, DG SANTE and DG FISMA. Christina holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Oxford, UK.
Thekla Paschali
CTO at Payabl.
Thekla Paschali
CTO at Payabl.
As the CTO at payabl., Thekla Paschali spearheads payabl.’s technological vision and infrastructure. With an impressive educational background, she holds an MBA from CIIM and a Master’s Degree in Internet Technologies and Enterprise Computing. As CTO, Thekla continues to propel payabl. into the future, focusing on innovation, strategic partnerships, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance. Her leadership ensures that payabl. remains at the forefront of technological excellence.
Andreas Livadiotis
CEO at XValley Technologies Ltd
Andreas Livadiotis
CEO at XValley Technologies Ltd
I am the founder of XValley Technologies Ltd, a firm with vast tailor-made services, focused on developing and trading software for diverse global clientele within the financial industry. Upon completing my education of BSc in Computer Science and MSc in Finance in London, I acquired an excellent track record for developing financial technology projects. I am an entrepreneur at heart, with extensive expertise in the industry for over 12 years. Prior to that, I worked in various major companies, including, but not limited to, FxPro, PrimeXM and FBME Bank with projects in MT4, MT5, and cTrader. With a deep passion for innovative technology and career growth, I founded my own company in 2015. Since then, I have been significantly successful in forex, blockchain, banking and equity markets projects, raising the bar for innovation limits to new heights.
Tanya Romanyukha
General Manager - Techisland
Tanya Romanyukha
General Manager - Techisland
Tanya is the General Manager of TechIsland, leading the organization's strategic and operational initiatives. She has over 12 years of experience in operations management, business development, and venture capital, contributing significantly to various sectors globally, including in Ukraine, the USA, Europe, and the Middle East. Tanya's expertise has benefited startup accelerators, venture capital, investment groups, and non-profits. Tanya is also actively supporting the Ukrainian community in Cyprus since 2022 through Cy4Ua, and directs the Women In Tech Cyprus Chapter, empowering female professionals in tech. Her accolades include the Forbes Women in Tech Cyprus Award in late 2023 and the CYDIA Award for Startups & Innovation in 2024, recognizing her contribution in the tech and innovation scene.
Marijana Gligoric
CEO and Co-Founder at brigit.dev
Marijana Gligoric
CEO and Co-Founder at brigit.dev
Marijana is a software engineer and the driving force behind brigit.dev, a software engineering and product development agency. The team’s core areas of expertise are FinTech, SAAS, and AI. They focus on developing dashboards, analytics platforms, payment systems and transaction solutions, and operate worldwide.
Andrey Krasovsky
Senior VP, HR at the Soul Publishing
Andrey Krasovsky
Senior VP, HR at the Soul Publishing
Andrey has more than 16 years of experience in Human Resources & Sales in such industries as Social Media, FMCG and Oil&Gas. In the end of 2021, Andrey moved to Cyprus and was appointed as VP, HR in TheSoul Publishing, worldwide leading social media powerhouse, where he managed HR Partnership, HR operations, automatisation and migration questions. Starting from 2024, Andrey leads overall HR and Office administration departments in TheSoul.
Nicolas Evrard
Regional Director EMEA, India, LATAM at G2 Risk Solutions
Nicolas Evrard
Regional Director EMEA, India, LATAM at G2 Risk Solutions
Nicolas Evrard is the Regional Director of EMEA, India, and LATAM at G2 Risk Solutions. He is responsible for managing clients and the sales team across those regions, initiating the strategy and the sales process while understanding account requirements. Having worked across multiple sectors such as IDV, acquiring, and chargebacks, he has gained a high-level understanding of risk, focusing on consultative selling, and has high competency in relationship management for key customers and global accounts.
Daniel Elsawey
Head of Europe & UK, at Bitpanda Technology Solutions
Daniel Elsawey
Head of Europe & UK, at Bitpanda Technology Solutions
Daniel Elsawey has nearly a decade of experience in digital assets, with a strong background as an executive at major UK and US-based exchanges. He also held a key leadership role at CoinShares, the world’s largest digital asset manager, and brings extensive experience in traditional finance (TradFi) in structuring and trading.
Vicky Christophidou
AMLCO at ECOMMBX
Vicky Christophidou
AMLCO at ECOMMBX
Vicky is a Fellow Chartered Accountant, member of the ICPAC and CAMS member. She joined ECOMMBX as the Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer on April 1st, 2021 after being with PwC Cyprus for a total of 15 years. During her career, Vicky serviced a wide range of financial services clients including credit institutions, EMIs and investment firms, offering advisory services in the areas of risk management, regulatory compliance, governance and internal controls.
Jaymes Payten
COO at XValley Technologies
Jaymes Payten
COO at XValley Technologies
Jaymes has been working in the FX industry since 2007 and in that time has built up a wealth of experience as a marketer, brandologist, and COO.Having helped over 10 different brokerages launch in his time, Jaymes is known as the launcher of forex brands. Using his marketing, branding, and FX knowledge, he has the playbook on how to successfully launch and sustain a brokerage, and since moving into the fintech space, has taken that on even further.
Demos Katsis
Lawyer / Managing Partner at Katsis LLC / Deputy Mayor of Limassol
Demos Katsis
Lawyer / Managing Partner at Katsis LLC / Deputy Mayor of Limassol
Demos Katsis was born in Limassol, Cyprus on the 1st of October, 1979. He is a founding partner of KATSIS LLC, Law Firm, with offices in Limassol and Nicosia and associated offices worldwide He was a partner in an international law firm before establishing KATSIS LLC. He is the elected Deputy Mayor of Limassol since the 1st of July 2024.
He graduated with honours from the University of Bristol with a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws. He also holds a Diploma in Professional Legal Skills from City University and MA from the University of Malta (awarded with a full E.U. scholarship ). Mr. Katsis is also a licensed insolvency practitioner. He was admitted to the Cyprus Bar in 2003 and is a member of the Cyprus Bar Association, among others. A number of his articles appear in several magazines. He is also a regular speaker in various seminars organised by various organisations. In addition, he holds the position of a professor in various universities.
Mr Katsis was assistant National Rapporteur for Cyprus for the EU Project on Unfair Commercial Practices in the new Member States undertaken by the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. He was also assistant National Rapporteur for Cyprus for the EU Project on Legalisation of Public Documents undertaken by the British Institute of International and Comparative Law
Evdokia Pitsillidou
Partner |Risk & Compliance Director at Salvus
Evdokia Pitsillidou
Partner |Risk & Compliance Director at Salvus
Evdokia, a partner at SALVUS Funds, is actively advising and working on all matters related to licensing, regulatory compliance and internal audits for Investment Firms, Crypto Providers (CASP), Investment Funds and Payment Institutions.
Noam Levi
Co-Founder & CEO at Excela
Noam Levi
Co-Founder & CEO at Excela
Noam Levi is the CEO of Excela Secure, bringing a wealth of experience in cloud computing, security, and AI to his third business venture. With a background focused on serving fintech and security-driven companies, Noam is dedicated to advancing innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of the digital landscape.