Dr Andreas Mathikolonis/ MNK Risk Consulting and Financial Services Advisory
Andreas has over fifteen years of experience in strategic and operational management across corporate, educational, and non-profit sectors. This has provided him with hands-on experience with setting up organizations, project management, operational and budget planning and strong business acumen, key skills to evaluate projects and businesses for potential investment.
He is very passionate about blockchain technology, and he has been actively involved in the digital assets (cryptocurrencies) industry since 2015. His expertise includes fund management and administration, fundraising and venture capital investments, token economics design and evaluation, digital assets infrastructure development and integration. He actively manages day-to-day activities of a yield generating crypto fund. He provides trainings, consultations and business mentorship. He is Executive Director at QWM LTD which is in the process of obtaining small-AIFM authorization, and part of a single-family office, Quonota Investments, both based in Cyprus.
Andreas is a certified trainer by HrDA (ΑνΑΔ), holds Prince2, CySEC AML Compliance and CySEC Advanced certifications. He has an MBA from the University of Limassol, a PhD and a Master’s in Electromechanical Engineering from the University of Southampton, He is a frequent speaker and panellist at Digital Assets and FinTech events. Andreas has a keen interest in volunteering, education, event planning, renewable energy, sustainable cities, and he is staying updated through audiobooks. He loves culinary experiences paired with good wine.
The PROFESSIONALS
Kyriakos Parpounas/ Grant Thornton Cyprus
Kyriakos is leading the sustainability services at Grant Thornton Cyprus. He is a seasoned and multi-experienced business executive, who served in different top management positions in various organisations and different industries. He is recognized as a key figure in the environmental and waste management sectors in Cyprus and one of the pioneers in the implementation of sustainability strategies in the business sector in Cyprus. He is well connected in the European and international markets and he is a regular speaker in international events. He has 25 years of working experience, in top management positions in Cyprus. He was a founding member of the Cyprus CSR network, he is a GRI certified practitioner, an certified social auditor by Austrian Standards, a certified Data Protection Officer and GDPR Trainer by PECB and a Certified Trainer by the Cyprus Human Resource Development Authority (level 5).
In his recent business engagements he and his team have been providing support to the banking and financial sectors in Cyprus for the uptake of their Sustainability obligations, focusing on Green Financing, Taxonomy, CSRD and ESRS for non-financial reporting. The team is also supporting other commercial organizations in designing their sustainability strategies and preparations for CSRD – ESRS based non-financial reporting.
The PROFESSIONALS
NICOS PAVLIDES/NAP Regulatory Compliance Services Ltd
Nicos Pavlides studied Economics and then Law (LLB) at the University of Sydney. After two years work for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Sydney (2001-2002), he gained a Chevening scholarship and studied at the London School of Economics and the University College of London from where he obtained a Master of Laws degree (LLM) focusing on financial related legal subjects. At the same time, he was working for the Crown Prosecution Service in London, principally on cases of economic crime. He returned to Cyprus in 2003, and in 2004 he joined the CySEC legal department. In 2008, Nicos returned to the private sector, and since 2012, he is one of the executive directors of NAP, providing compliance and advisory services to issuers of listed titles and major investment firms.Nicos frequently contributes articles on legal and financial subjects published in high circulation daily newspapers. A number of his articles can be found on www.currentandlegal.com. In 2011, with the benefit of a Fulbright scholarship, he underwent further, specialized training in New York, focusing on obligations of listed issuers, and market abuse issues.
