Governors' Profiles

Tasos is a seasoned Executive and Director with a 26 year diversified experience in industry and finance combining strategic direction with day to day management. He has extensive exposure in the construction sector, project development, corporate restructuring and technological transformation combined with significant financial experience in banking, treasury, project finance, risk management, macro-economic analysis, credit analysis and credit trading.

He has worked extensively in Asia, Europe and the Middle East for large international organizations including London Forfaiting, Morgan Stanley, J&P(Overseas) and Avax. He has participated in numerous Boards both as an executive as well as a non-executive and Chaired committees including Audit, Risk and Remuneration. He is currently the CFO and Board Member of Avax Middle East.

Tasos holds a BA (Hons) / MA Economics from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from INSEAD.

Tanya has a background in Psychology and Education and experience working at Private Schools across the country, in positions ranging from LSA to Headteacher. She has taught Primary children (EY1-Year 5) and Volleyball to Secondary Students. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Cognitive Science from the University of Westminster (British Psychological Society Pathway) and a Diploma in Pre-School Practice. Tanya created, managed and taught at her own Kindergarten school in Nicosia, the Wishing Well Private English Nursery School, liaising with the Ministry of Education to gain full accreditation. She has also served as a member of the Junior School PTA for two years. Tanya has undergone several Training Seminars and Webinars, including:

· Governance Leadership-Building and Maintaining an Effective Governance Body

· Safer Recruitment Refresher Training for International Schools

· Designated Safeguarding Lead Training

· School Governance in International Schools-Building Capacity for Effective Impact

Tanya has a daughter at The Junior School site and a daughter at the Senior School site. She has served equally as a member of both the Junior and Senior School Committees.

Yioula Melanthiou, is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Cyprus University of Technology. She holds a PhD in Marketing (University of Manchester, UK) and has been in academia for over 20 years where she served as Head of the Department and Director of Doctoral Studies at the University of Nicosia.

Her academic experience involves teaching Marketing at all levels and supervising doctoral students. Her primary research interests are in the areas of Augmented Reality (AR), Social Media Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, presenting and publishing extensively on related topics. She is a certified trainer of the Human Resource Development Authority (Cyprus), as well as an Expert Evaluator for the European Commission. Prior to joining academia, she has worked in the industry as a Research Director and Marketing Consultant at a Multinational Company. Yioula is a Junior School mother.

Evangelos is a highly accomplished professional with a strong educational background and extensive international experience. He earned his BSc in Business Mathematics and Statistics from the London School of Economics, followed by an MSc in Computing from Imperial College London, showcasing his commitment to both analytical and technological excellence. Over the past 15 years, Evangelos has dedicated his career to Microsoft, where he has consistently excelled in leading complex pre-sales projects across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In his current capacity as a Pursuit Lead, Evangelos plays a pivotal role in driving strategic initiatives and projects, with a special focus on the Nordics and Ireland. Beyond his professional achievements, Evangelos is deeply committed to the educational journey of his children. His daughter thrives in the Senior School, while his son is shaping his educational foundation in the Junior School. Evangelos's dedication to their growth and development is evident in his proactive involvement in school matters and his genuine passion for fostering a nurturing learning environment

Vassilios Vrachimis is the proud father of a daughter and a son at The Junior School.   He is a professional with over 26 years of experience most of which was gained working for PwC in London.  He is currently the Partner in charge of Consulting at PwC Cyprus. He holds a BA(ECON) from the University of Manchester and a holder of professional qualifications (Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus and a CFA® Charterholder). 

Antonis Petrou is married and a father of two girls who have been at the school since pre-reception. He also attended the Junior School from 1979-1987, where he served as Head boy. He has been on the board of the JUSSAA -the Junior and Senior School Alumni Association for the last 3 years. Additionally, he is on the board of the Environmental NGO Enalia Physis since 2009. He holds an MSc form Kings College, University of London in Aquatic Resource Management, and a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Westminster.

Professionally he works in the private sector as a Marine Biologist and formed his own consultancy in 2003, employing around 10 scientists. His work involves working with the private and public sectors in Cyprus and with various EU bodies and NGO’s. He represents the Cypriot Small Scale Fisheries Sector in the EU, in the Cyprus Parliament and at various fora.

Arion is the CEO of Coenobium Advisors, a firm that specializes in governance, risk and compliance (GRC) consulting. He previously worked with the Promontory Financial Group (an IBM company), Booz Allen and PwC having completed engagements in 25 countries in Europe, North America and the Middle East. He holds and BA from Oberlin college and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He and his wife are parents of six children, five of whom are currently enrolled at the Junior School.

Alexia Panayiotou is an Associate Professor at the University of Cyprus in the Department of Business and Public Administration and the UNESCO Co-Chair on Gender Equality. She has undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford University, a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a Doctorate in Human Development and Psychology also from Harvard.

She has served in several contexts as a national expert on issues of gender and employment, one of her main research areas, and has consulted the Cypriot government, the European Commission and several Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Cyprus, Europe and the US on these issues. She has served on the board of several NGOs both in Cyprus and in the US and has been a volunteer for the Junior and Senior School in many contexts for the last seventeen years, including the newly founded Senior School Parents and Guardians’ Association. She is the mother of two children, one already having graduated from the School, and the other in year 12. She is passionate about education and a strong advocate of the School and its mission to create caring global citizens.