In his welcome speech, Stavros Pantzaris, EY Cyprus Country Managing Partner, said:

“I feel truly honoured to stand here tonight, on behalf of all the EY partners and staff in Cyprus, and to have the privilege to continue building on the success of previous partners and the hundreds of people that have been members of the EY family in the past and who have helped shape our firm into what it is today.”

Throughout the last 80 years, EY Cyprus has been at the forefront in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory providing services to a broad range of clients from private individuals and entrepreneurial businesses to major public companies and large multinationals. The organization has grown from a handful of professionals back in 1937, when the Russel & Co. partnership was formed, to a leading organization in Cyprus with more than 300 people in Nicosia and Limassol, and a member of the EY global network.

Stavros Pantzaris, continued: “We are proud of our 80-year history, which is also closely related to the history of Cyprus. As a firm, we have been here, through all the good times and the bad, and we have managed to overcome obstacles and challenges, growing and developing in the process. We’ve had 80 great years and we look forward to the next 80!”

EY’s Central Southeast Europe (CSE) leadership team and regional partners attended the reception. CSE Regional Managing Partner, Jacek Kedzior believes that:

“Having 80 years of history of EY in Cyprus is truly impressive, and we very much appreciate the relationships we have built here over the years, both in business and friendship. We look forward to continuing our cooperation in the years to come. Together we will all contribute to transforming businesses and industries, growing the economy and enhancing communities of Cyprus.”

The anniversary event was also honored by the presence of the Minister of Finance, Mr. Harris Georgiades, who also made a short address congratulating EY on reaching this great milestone of 80 years of successful business in Cyprus.

At a time of unprecedented change and new challenges arising every day, EY chose to celebrate this special anniversary not only by looking back with pride over the past 80 years but also with curiosity and anticipation of what lies ahead, highlighting the close relationships between EY, the business community, the society and the future.

Under the theme “Take hold of the future”, the event brought together several thought provoking attractions to actualize what the future holds, including Doris, a life-sized humanoid robot with a portfolio of talents and a sense of humor, who managed to entertain the guests during an on-stage conversation with Mr. Pantzaris.  The highlight of the evening was the insightful keynote presentation delivered byDr. Patrick Dixon, Europe’s leading futurist and one of the most influential business thinkers alive, who offered some really interesting messages on the future of people and technology.

In celebration of EY’s 80th anniversary in Cyprus, and as a tangible sign of commitment to its purpose of building a better working world, EY announced that it will be donating €15,000 to ACET, a charity founded by Dr. Patrick Dixon, which delivers HIV prevention, care and support programmes all over the world, with a focus on the poorest nations. 

Following the presentations guests enjoyed a cocktail reception with live music by the Concordia String Quartet.