The Late George Michael of 80s band Wham! to Be Honoured posthumously among other notable Greek Cypriots of the Diaspora
The Cyprus Diaspora Forum is proud to announce the nominees for the CYDIA Awards 2025, a prestigious annual celebration that honours the outstanding contributions of Cypriots in the diaspora. This year, the event will spotlight exceptional individuals across multiple categories, including the highly anticipated Lifetime Achievement Award.
We are delighted to reveal that the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to two remarkable individuals: Dr. Theodoros Potamitis, a renowned Cypriot ophthalmologist, surgeon, and vitreo-retinal specialist, and George Michael, the legendary Greek Cypriot musician whose global influence continues to inspire generations. The award for George Michael will be presented posthumously, recognising his extraordinary contributions to the music industry and his lasting impact on the global cultural landscape.
Dr Theodoros Potamitis
George Michael
Other important categories include the prestigious Diaspora Ambassador Award, which will be given to Loucas Pouroulis, a prominent mining and metallurgical magnate, and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry Diaspora Entrepreneur Award, which will be awarded to Demetrios Constantinides, Chairman of Bioland Energy, for his exemplary achievements in the energy sector.
Loucas Pouroulis
Demetrios Constantinides
In the remaining 14 categories, the public is invited to vote for their favourite nominee. Public voting will close on Sunday, 20 April 2025, offering an opportunity for the global Cypriot community to have their say in recognising individuals who have made a significant impact in their respective fields.
CYDIA Awards 2025 Nominees and Categories
Contribution to Society
George Georgiou
Lucy Loizou
Natalia Kardash
Phanos Theophanous
Culture and Arts
Aliki Chrysochou
Halime Özdemir-Larusso
Marios Joannou Elia
Michalis Pantelidis
Education
Andria Zafirakou
Andrie Steliou
Elpidoforos Anastasiou
Sophia Petrides
Finance and Commerce
Christina Achilleos
Professor Christos Droussiotis
Maria Zavrou
Paul Nearchou
Film, Television, Theatre and Music
Ellpetha Tsivicos
Nick Kounoupias
Simon Kassianides
Yiana Pandelis
Health
Dr. Maria Neofytou
Dr. Panteli Theocharous
Dr. Peter Loizou
Dr. Stavros Nicolaou
Hospitality and Tourism
Elisabeth Villiger Toufexis
Farah Shammas
Tonia Buxton
Yannis Dinapoyias
Literature
Adrianne Roy
Anna-Maria Athanasiou
Costantia Manoli
Despo Pavlou
Media
Andrianne Philippou
Christos Joannides
Laura Neroulias Bisiotis
Savvas Agathangelou
Movement for Change
Anna Gubareva
Charalambos Toumazis
Costa Constanti
Martin Zarian
Real Estate
Anastasia Yianni
Demetrios Comodromos
Giorgos Michael Georgiou
Mustafa Afşaroğlu
Social and Philanthropy
Andrey Dashin
Kyrenia Nautical Club
Mandy Yamanis
Sistema Cyprus
Sports
Alexander Tofalides
James Demetriou
Karolina Pelendritou
Sophia Papamichalopoulos
Startups and Innovation
Cyprus Seeds
Elia Go!
Placy AI Real Estate Assistant
The Mighty Kitchen
The CYDIA Awards 2025 ceremony and gala dinner will be held at the Amara Hotel in Limassol, Cyprus, on Saturday, 10 May 2025. The event will feature a spectacular entertainment programme with performances by Vasiliki Hadjiadamou, Batukinio, Shakallis Dance School, Aliki Chrysochou, Sophia Patsalides, Ciara, and internationally renowned Greek Cypriot artist Loukas Yorkas. The evening will be hosted by Emilia Papadopoulos and Christos Kyriakides.
This momentous event will celebrate the achievements of the global Cypriot community and serve as a reminder of the impact Cypriots continue to have worldwide.
The Cyprus Diaspora Forum is proud to announce the nominees for the CYDIA Awards 2025, a prestigious annual celebration that honours the outstanding contributions of Cypriots in the diaspora. This year, the event will spotlight exceptional individuals across multiple categories, including the highly anticipated Lifetime Achievement Award.
We are delighted to reveal that the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to two remarkable individuals: Dr. Theodoros Potamitis, a renowned Cypriot ophthalmologist, surgeon, and vitreo-retinal specialist, and George Michael, the legendary Greek Cypriot musician whose global influence continues to inspire generations. The award for George Michael will be presented posthumously, recognising his extraordinary contributions to the music industry and his lasting impact on the global cultural landscape.
Dr Theodoros Potamitis
George Michael
Other important categories include the prestigious Diaspora Ambassador Award, which will be given to Loucas Pouroulis, a prominent mining and metallurgical magnate, and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry Diaspora Entrepreneur Award, which will be awarded to Demetrios Constantinides, Chairman of Bioland Energy, for his exemplary achievements in the energy sector.
Loucas Pouroulis
Demetrios Constantinides
In the remaining 14 categories, the public is invited to vote for their favourite nominee. Public voting will close on Sunday, 20 April 2025, offering an opportunity for the global Cypriot community to have their say in recognising individuals who have made a significant impact in their respective fields.
CYDIA Awards 2025 Nominees and Categories
Contribution to Society
George Georgiou
Lucy Loizou
Natalia Kardash
Phanos Theophanous
Culture and Arts
Aliki Chrysochou
Halime Özdemir-Larusso
Marios Joannou Elia
Michalis Pantelidis
Education
Andria Zafirakou
Andrie Steliou
Elpidoforos Anastasiou
Sophia Petrides
Finance and Commerce
Christina Achilleos
Professor Christos Droussiotis
Maria Zavrou
Paul Nearchou
Film, Television, Theatre and Music
Ellpetha Tsivicos
Nick Kounoupias
Simon Kassianides
Yiana Pandelis
Health
Dr. Maria Neofytou
Dr. Panteli Theocharous
Dr. Peter Loizou
Dr. Stavros Nicolaou
Hospitality and Tourism
Elisabeth Villiger Toufexis
Farah Shammas
Tonia Buxton
Yannis Dinapoyias
Literature
Adrianne Roy
Anna-Maria Athanasiou
Costantia Manoli
Despo Pavlou
Media
Andrianne Philippou
Christos Joannides
Laura Neroulias Bisiotis
Savvas Agathangelou
Movement for Change
Anna Gubareva
Charalambos Toumazis
Costa Constanti
Martin Zarian
Real Estate
Anastasia Yianni
Demetrios Comodromos
Giorgos Michael Georgiou
Mustafa Afşaroğlu
Social and Philanthropy
Andrey Dashin
Kyrenia Nautical Club
Mandy Yamanis
Sistema Cyprus
Sports
Alexander Tofalides
James Demetriou
Karolina Pelendritou
Sophia Papamichalopoulos
Startups and Innovation
Cyprus Seeds
Elia Go!
Placy AI Real Estate Assistant
The Mighty Kitchen
The CYDIA Awards 2025 ceremony and gala dinner will be held at the Amara Hotel in Limassol, Cyprus, on Saturday, 10 May 2025. The event will feature a spectacular entertainment programme with performances by Vasiliki Hadjiadamou, Batukinio, Shakallis Dance School, Aliki Chrysochou, Sophia Patsalides, Ciara, and internationally renowned Greek Cypriot artist Loukas Yorkas. The evening will be hosted by Emilia Papadopoulos and Christos Kyriakides.
This momentous event will celebrate the achievements of the global Cypriot community and serve as a reminder of the impact Cypriots continue to have worldwide.
Beyond the Prompt: Solitics’ VP Product, Guy Shemer Exposes ‘Traditional’ AI Flaws and Reveals New Product: the AI Expert
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
