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Join us for an engaging series of fireside chats at the Cyprus Diaspora Forum 2026, where distinguished leaders, innovators and industry experts share their insights, experiences and success stories. These intimate, conversational sessions offer a unique opportunity to hear firsthand how trailblazers navigate challenges, seize opportunities and make an impact in their fields. Attendees can expect thought-provoking discussions, practical takeaways and the chance to connect directly with inspiring figures shaping business, culture and innovation worldwide.
7 MAY 2026 | 18:00 – 18:30
CONFERENCE ROOM A
Demetrios Mallios is a seasoned investor and entrepreneur with over 30 years’ experience in investment banking, private equity, venture capital, M&A and corporate finance. He is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Aeon Group, Inc., a diversified holding company operating across a range of sectors, including technology, life sciences, real estate, natural resources and telecommunications. He is a Dragon’s Den Greece alumni, having appeared on the popular television programme in which Dragons evaluate and invest in innovative start-ups. He has held multiple FINRA licences and has a proven track record of executing successful transactions in both private and public companies worldwide. His mission is to create value for shareholders, partners and portfolio companies by leveraging his expertise, network and long-term vision.
7 MAY 2026 | 10:00 – 10:25
CONFERENCE ROOM B
Dimitri Leonidas is a British Cypriot actor who has worked extensively across television and film. With a career spanning independent productions and major studio projects, he has shared the screen with renowned figures such as Anthony Hopkins, George Clooney, and Cate Blanchett, and has worked under the direction of Jon Stewart, Roland Emmerich, and Luc Besson.
Showcasing his versatility, Dimitri’s roles have ranged from portraying a German–Jewish soldier in the Second World War tasked with recovering stolen artworks across Europe in the Sony film The Monuments Men, to playing Scorpus, the greatest chariot racer in history, in Amazon’s Roman epic Those About to Die.
His stage credits include performing at London’s prestigious Almeida Theatre in a production of Ingmar Bergman’s Through a Glass Darkly, directed by Michael Attenborough.
8 MAY 2026 | 10:20 – 10:45
CONFERENCE ROOM C
On 8 May 2026, the global thalassaemia community will mark International Thalassaemia Day under the theme: “Together for Thalassaemia: Uniting Communities, Prioritising Patients.”
Join international speaker Maria Hadjidemetriou and other industry professionals for an exclusive lightning talk, as she raises awareness and support for those living with thalassaemia.
Maria is an Executive Board Member of the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation (CAF) and an Expert Patient Advisor for the Thalassaemia International Federation (TIF). She has spoken at global medical conferences and addressed the 72nd World Health Assembly on Patient Rights. Recognised for her advocacy, Maria received the CAF President’s Award in 2016 and the Patient Recognition Award in 2019.
Don’t miss this inspiring and impactful conversation.
8 MAY 2026 | 11:45 – 12:30
CONFERENCE ROOM B
Christophoros Papachristophorou is the Founder and Managing Partner of Invel Real Estate, an independent private equity real estate firm established in 2013, focusing on value-add and opportunistic strategies. The firm holds a market-leading position in Southern Europe, with assets under management exceeding €3.5 billion. Prior to founding Invel, Christophoros served as a Managing Director and Global Head of Deutsche Bank RREEF Opportunistic Investments (ROI), the private equity real estate arm of Deutsche Bank specialising in high-yield real estate investment strategies. During his tenure at RREEF, he completed and/or restructured more than 60 investments with a total gross asset value in excess of US$20 billion. Among other notable transactions, he led the corporate restructuring, refinancing and repositioning of the French department store Le Printemps; the acquisition, repositioning and subsequent sale of La Rinascente, Italy’s leading department store; and the acquisition, subsequent restructuring and sale of Newreal S.p.A., then the commercial real estate subsidiary of Enel, Italy’s largest power company.
8 MAY 2026 | 14:30 – 15:15
CONFERENCE ROOM A
Theo Paphitis was born in Cyprus in 1959. Leaving school at 16 due to dyslexia, he began his career as a filing clerk at a Lloyds of London brokerage before discovering his passion for retail at Watches of Switzerland. He later gained experience in finance and property in a customer-facing insurance role. Returning to retail, Theo revived high street names including Ryman, Partners the Stationers, Stationery Box, La Senza, Contessa Lingerie, and Robert Dyas. In 2005, he co-purchased Red Letter Days with fellow Dragon Peter Jones, turning it around and selling it in 2017. In 2011, he launched the global lingerie brand Boux Avenue. In 2015, he established Theo Paphitis Retail Group, encompassing Ryman, Robert Dyas, Boux Avenue, and London Graphic Centre, totalling over 300 stores and 4,000 employees. A passionate sports enthusiast, Theo served eight years as Chairman of Millwall Football Club, achieving promotion to the Championship, an FA Cup Final, and European qualification. He co-founded sports marketing company Movie & Media Sports and is now Chairman of MB Partners, a boutique sports management agency. Theo is well known for his eight-year tenure on BBC’s Dragons’ Den (2005–2012), returning for series 17 (2019) and 18 (2021), investing in and mentoring numerous small businesses. He continues to appear regularly on TV and radio as a business expert, including The One Show, BBC News, and LBC. Other appearances include The Boss is Back, Theo’s Adventure Capitalists, Celebrity Storage Hunters for Charity, Famous, Rich and Hungry, and The Story of Only Fools and Horses. In October 2023, Theo became the first ‘Dyslexia Empowerment Patron’ of the British Dyslexia Association, advocating for a society that empowers individuals with dyslexia to reach their full potential.
8 MAY 2026 | 16:30 – 17:30
CONFERENCE ROOM A
John Kiriakou is a journalist and former CIA counterterrorism officer, as well as a former senior investigator for the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a former counterterrorism consultant for ABC News. In 2002, he was involved in the capture in Pakistan of Abu Zubaydah, who was at the time believed to be the third-ranking official in Al-Qaeda. In 2007, Kiriakou became a whistleblower by publicly exposing the CIA’s torture programme, stating in an interview with ABC News that the torture of detainees was official US government policy and that it had been authorised by then President George W. Bush. He subsequently became the sixth whistleblower prosecuted under the Espionage Act during the Obama administration — legislation originally intended to punish espionage. As a result, he served 23 months in prison. Kiriakou is the author of eight books, including The Reluctant Spy: My Secret Life in the CIA’s War on Terror; Doing Time Like a Spy: How the CIA Taught Me to Survive and Thrive in Prison; The Convenient Terrorist: Abu Zubaydah and the Weird Wonderland of America’s Secret Wars; and The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis.