Nothing eludes a fully qualified ACCA member

How did you begin your journey in the accounting profession?

At school, we had this very inspiring accounting teacher, who was also my dad’s teacher at the same school 20 years prior. She made accounting into something magical and inspiring.

After school and two years of compulsory military service, I left Cyprus for the UK to commence ACCA from paper one – it’s been a long but ever so interesting journey.

What industries have you worked in and which are your favourite?

I worked in an approved ACCA audit and accountancy firm in my hometown in Larnaca for the first three years.

I have since worked in retail, food and beverage, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and now in the internet-marketing sector.

Each one provided valuable experiences that pushed me further and further from my comfort zone and forced me to stand up and be counted.

I would have to say my current position as a CFO for a global organisation in the internet and marketing sector has proved to be the most fruitful.

You already had extensive experience in the profession, so what prompted you to pursue the ACCA qualification?

My accounting teacher at school was the spark. My closest friend at school who is also godfather to my youngest child studied ACCA. And I liked the structure. Thus I pursued it.

What advice would you give to someone who’s considering studying with ACCA?

There is nothing that eludes a fully qualified ACCA member. So many doors open and an ACCA member can fully cope with anything that he or she is handed.

As a former learning community champion, how did you find our virtual learning community?

It’s paramount to the success of every student. They say if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go as a team. The virtual learning community is a valuable team that supports each student in every facet of their studies.

You’re now a CFO. What three concerns about the firm’s future keep you up at night?

1. Survival against fierce competition.
2. The uncertainty in global financial markets.
3. The ability of my team to adapt in a very dynamic corporate structure.

Name three essential skills in your job. Why are they important?

None that at first seem to have anything to do with accounting, and yet have everything to do with accounting:

1. Extreme ownership, to lead and to follow, to speak and to listen, to be a student as well as a teacher. Own your circumstance, do not complain, just get on with it and be a role model for your team and someone your boss can be proud of.
2. Take care of the people in your charge.
3. Be consistent, be committed, be patient and work hard.

If you could pick and choose to work anywhere in the world, without any restrictions, where would it be?

I am old fashioned and boring. Even though I was brought up in the UK, I love my country, Cyprus. I would not change it for anywhere.