Everyone in business talks about risk. Far fewer are genuinely prepared to take it. Fewer still know how to distinguish calculated risk from an expensive gamble.
That fine line will be at the heart of the Leadership Fireside Chat with John Christodoulou at the 17th Limassol Economic Forum. At a time of war, high borrowing costs, geopolitical disruption and market volatility, the conversation will examine how entrepreneurs identify opportunities, protect their investments and create value over decades — rather than simply focusing on the next quarter.
Entitled “The Entrepreneur’s View: Where to Take Risk and Build Value in an Uncertain World,” the discussion will be moderated by presenter and broadcast journalist Emilia Papadopoulos. The objective will not be to offer a comfortable account of entrepreneurial success, but to explore the thinking behind difficult decisions: when to move, when to wait and when to walk away.
Christodoulou knows that major investments are rarely made under ideal conditions. As Chairman and sole owner of Yianis Group, he has spent four decades building one of Europe’s largest private property investment and development businesses, with a particularly strong presence in the United Kingdom. The Group owns and asset-manages its portfolio of hotels, residential properties, commercial investments and retail sites.
Its portfolio includes prominent properties such as Canary Riverside Plaza in Canary Wharf, Marriott London West India Quay, Hilton Manchester and Radisson Blu in Liverpool. Behind those names lies a strategy requiring capital, patience and the ability to recognise value where the market primarily sees uncertainty.
The discussion carries particular weight at a time when investors face more expensive financing, evolving regulation and rapid shifts in market demand. The traditional formula of buying, developing and selling is no longer enough. The real challenge is to build resilient assets and businesses capable of preserving their value across different economic cycles.
Entrepreneurial success, however, is not measured solely in square metres and financial returns. In 2016, Christodoulou established the Yianis Christodoulou Foundation, which supports children in need through projects and investments in Cyprus, the United Kingdom and other countries.
At the Limassol Economic Forum, that experience becomes a question relevant to every entrepreneur and investor: how do you build something that is not merely profitable today, but will still hold value tomorrow?
Uncertainty may frighten the market. For those who know how to read it, however, it may also be where the next major opportunity begins.
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CONFERENCE INFORMATION
Organisers: IMH and IN Business magazine
Platinum Partners: Bank of Cyprus, bbf:, Deloitte Cyprus, Elias Neocleous & Co LLC, Finstella
In association with: Cyprus LSE Alumni Association
Mobility Partner: TOYOTA
Supported by: Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), Invest Cyprus, National Betting Authority, Cyprus Shipping Chamber
Media Partners: Alpha Cyprus, Cyprus Business News (CBN), GOLD magazine
For further information and registrations, please contact IMH:
Telephone: 77777741
Fax: 22679820
Email: events@imhbusiness.com
