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Nicosia, Cyprus – Christiana Kyriacou, the Country Manager for Cyprus at Pedersen & Partners speaks to "Eurokerdos Magazine" about the advantages of Executive Search.

When did Pedersen & Partners come to Cyprus?

The Cyprus office of Pedersen & Partners Executive Search opened its doors in Nicosia in 2007. Areas of particular focus in terms of senior executive placements include Financial Services, Media & Entertainment, Retail, Hospitality and Technology sectors. Our local team is very well integrated with our global organisation, and thus, the assignments we work on are often across borders and continents with multiple colleagues around the world using their know-how and expertise to successfully execute projects.  

How is a woman to assume the position of Country Manager in a company with a presence in over 50 countries?

Our global team of Executive Search consultants comprises nearly 60 nationalities across 55 offices around the world. In our firm, we have four female Partners, eleven female Client Partners, and in addition to a large proportion of women consultants, nearly twenty Country Manager positions held by women. Within our firm, the focus is not on gender, but rather on the leadership qualities, business acumen, expertise and in-depth knowledge of our colleagues and we are successful in working as one big team across our global footprint. 

What are the objectives of Christiana Kyriacou in the new position?

As a firm, we are trusted partners and close advisors to clients and candidates in Cyprus and in the region. We are very fortunate that our country has a pool of highly educated and talented individuals. My first and foremost goal is to link these experts with the potential career opportunities that will enhance their development and contribute to the improvement of the companies that they will join. I am also keen to educate and encourage Cypriot companies to engage in using Executive Search services, because once companies experience our unique approach, they will fully understand and appreciate the added value in using our services and how this directly impacts and improves business outcomes.
 
What are the company's strategic expansion plans? Can Cyprus be used as a financial centre?

Recently we opened our first office in the U.S., and we will continue to further increase our presence across not only the emerging markets, but the developed economies. In addition, we always aim to maintain the quality-focused approach, with all of our capital and management resources fully dedicated to serving our clients’ and candidates’ needs and requirements. And to answer the second part of your question, yes, with the appropriate management and growing professional focus on developing local talent, our country can experience significant growth.

Give us some examples of the company's clients…

At Pedersen & Partners Executive Search we are aware that accurate knowledge of specific industries and functional verticals is the key in placing top leaders in executive jobs for our clients. We have developed cross-border, industry Practice Groups to ensure our Executive Search team members have the requisite experience from specific sectors to guide them throughout the Executive Search process. Below I will highlight just a few clients for each Practice Group:

Consumer Products: PepsiCo, Colgate Palmolive, Adidas, Nestle, etc.
Financial Services: ING, AIG American International, Raiffeisen Bank, etc.
Industrial: 3M, General Motors, Volvo, etc.
Media & Entertainment: McCann Erickson, Ogilvy, Bennett Coleman & Co, etc.
Life Sciences: AstraZeneca, Actavis, etc.
Private Equity & Venture Capital: Intel Capital, AMUN Capital Advisors, Mid Europa Partners, etc.
Professional Services: Accenture, E&Y, Deloitte, etc.
Real Estate: IKEA Properties, Colliers International, NG Real Estate, etc.
Retail: McDonald's, Nike, Hugo Boss, etc.
Technology: Apple, Microsoft, Vodafone, etc.

From the past experience you see that there is a future and opportunities for our young people in the Cypriot market?

We have to have a positive and professional approach in order to succeed.  Nowadays, young people have many possibilities and opportunities to develop themselves and to cross boundaries. I would like to believe that our firm’s presence in the market would be an incentive both for young professionals to aspire to become successful managers and for companies to give more opportunities to local talented individuals.

Cypriot companies have a very dynamic, extroverted and open-minded approach towards doing business and at the same time, they have great potential with regards to leadership and expertise. As an Executive Search firm, we exist to find the best talent and we are ready to partner with them and supply the best executive solutions to help them reach their targets within their local, regional and international markets.

Christiana Kyriacou is the Country Manager for Cyprus at Pedersen & Partners.  Ms. Kyriacou brings over 15 years of experience in Human Resources, Talent Acquisition & Performance Management. She has acquired strong functional Executive Search expertise while serving in key positions with several leading international and local boutique consultancy firms and has a proven track record in developing effective recruiting strategies, implementing training & development programs and completing reputable projects on succession planning. Prior to joining Pedersen & Partners, Ms. Kyriacou worked as the Recruitment Manager for a global Human Resources Consulting and Advisory company, and was responsible in establishing the Cyprus Branch of a leading international Recruitment Group where she managed the full recruitment process and was responsible for developing and delivering recruitment strategies within Western and Central Europe and the Middle East.

Pedersen & Partners is a leading international Executive Search firm. We operate 55 wholly owned offices in 51 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia & the Americas. Our values Trust, Relationship and Professionalism apply to our interaction with clients as well as executives. More information about Pedersen & Partners is available at www.pedersenandpartners.com

If you would like to conduct an interview with a representative of Pedersen & Partners, or have other media-related requests, please contact: Diana Danu, Marketing and Communications Manager at: diana.danu@pedersenandpartners.com