EY announces the appointment of four new partners in Cyprus

EY Cyprus has announced that its leadership team has been strengthened with the addition of four new partners.

According to a press release from the company, the four new partners are:

Antonis Karaolis, Partner, Corporate, Commercial and Digital Law

Eleni Papachristodoulou, Partner, International Tax and Transaction Services

Pantelis Pavlou, Partner, Financial Accounting Advisory Services

Riginos Polydefkis, Partner, Immigration Services, People Advisory Services

Commenting on the promotion of the new partners, Ronald Attard, Country Managing Partner of EY Cyprus, said, ‘‘In this dynamic era, our leadership plays a vital role in addressing our clients' changing needs and driving our growth. We congratulate our four new partners, and we look forward to seeing them create new value for EY, our people and our clients.’’

New partners’ bios:

Antonis Karaolis

Karaolis is the Head of the Corporate, Commercial and Digital Law Department at EY Law | Koukounis, Karaolis LLC. He joined the EY Law practice in 2021, bringing with him over a decade of experience from a leading Cyprus law firm. With a strong focus on corporate, digital, technology, banking & finance law, and intellectual property, Karaolis has advised clients across a broad spectrum of industries, including financial services, real estate, construction, pharmaceuticals, shipping, and aviation. He is particularly experienced in Cyprus company law and corporate governance, regularly supporting clients on complex legal matters, including corporate restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, and cross-border reorganizations. Karaolis is a qualified advocate and a member of the Cyprus Bar Association since 2011. He currently serves on the CBA’s Companies Committee, actively contributing to the development of corporate legal practice in Cyprus.

Eleni Papachristodoulou

Papachristodoulou joined EY Cyprus in 2009 and has over 15 years of experience in Cypriot corporate tax matters. Papachristodoulou is part of the International Tax and Transaction Services department and specializes in international tax and transaction tax services. Papachristodoulou participated in numerous cross-border tax advisory projects for a diverse range of clients, advising on the Cypriot tax implications aimed at enhancing the tax efficiency of multinational operations. Her expertise extends also to the application of the Pillar Two rules, where she has worked with multinational clients to optimize their tax positions while ensuring compliance with international standards. Papachristodoulou holds a BSc in International and European Economic Studies from Athens University of Economics and Business and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Cyprus (ICPAC). She has obtained also an Advanced Diploma in International Taxation (ADIT) from the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

Pantelis Pavlou

Pavlou (re) joined EY Cyprus late in 2021, within FAAS (Assurance), focusing on Corporate Reporting. In his capacity, he contributed to supporting the audit teams on technical (primarily on IFRS Accounting Standards) issues and he led projects aimed at assisting EY’s clients in addressing financial reporting and sustainability reporting challenges and enhancing their corporate reports. He is actively involved in international expert groups within EY’s Corporate Reporting network, is a member of the expert groups of Accountancy Europe (AE) and serves as the Vice-Chair of the Accounting Committee of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC). Before returning to Cyprus, Pavlou had an international career. He contributed to policy and standard setting at European and international levels, as a member of AE’s team, and he led professional teams in finance and risk functions for a major international financial conglomerate, based in Brussels. Pavlou holds a degree in Public and Business Administration from the University of Cyprus and is trained as an external auditor (EY). Additionally, he holds the Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) and Business Finance Professional (BFP) titles. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and ICPAC.

Riginos Polydefkis

Polydefkis joined the TAX practice of EY Cyprus in 2018 as a Manager, after spending 11 years at the Migration Department of the Republic of Cyprus. He is a well-known immigration expert, with deep knowledge of Immigration policies both on the local and EU level. He has served clients in a wide range of sectors, including companies operating in the Pharmaceutical, Oil & Gas, and Technology sectors. Polydefkis holds a BA degree in History and Archeology and an MA in Modern and Contemporary History both from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.