I joined the AAL in 1975-76 from Aradippou Primary School and I must confess in the early years I was not very comfortable with the city climate. Gradually I became more active on the social front and did champion volunteer work both at our school and across secondary schools in Larnaka and beyond. Although I was not amongst the very top performing students, I did enjoy popularity amongst the community of students and staff, and thus repeatedly I was elected the president of my class. It has been a great honour and privilege to be twice elected as President of the Student Brotherhood Council, serving for two consecutive years 1980-81 and 1981-82 ; that is during the sixth and seventh grade.
Today I am a Professor of Entrepreneurship & Family Business and the Rector at UCLan Cyprus, Chair of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development Alliance and Research (CEDAR); and Fellow at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, working with the Economics and Policy Group on Circular Economics and Entrepreneurial Development Models.
More specifically, as a family business expert, I have been delivering a 2 day module – Enterprising Families and Family Offices- as part of the Executive MBA at Cambridge Judge Business School as well as contributing with specialised workshops on governance, growth and succession planning for families in business as part of customised / open executive development programmes geared for private banks, owner-managed family business leaders and next generation heirs.
As the Rector of UCLan Cyprus I strategically direct the Schools and support academic initiatives across curriculum, professional training, research, innovation and engagement with stakeholders locally, regionally and internationally. As the founding President of CEDAR, I have been leading several European funded projects supporting ‘entrepreneurship in education and education in entrepreneurship’.
Finally, as an approved Human Resource Development Authority trainer and expert, I have been delivering executive development seminar workshops, under Zateon Consulting in partnership with the Cyprus Chambers of Commerce and Industry, including: Family Business Succession Planning toolkit for family business owner-managers-directors; Innovation toolkit for next generation entrepreneurs leading growing ventures – SMEs.
As you climb the socio-professional ladder, increasingly you appreciate the impact that the holistic educational model that the AA offers; helping its students realise their growth potential.
We have enjoyed superlative learning experience acquiring diverse knowledge and the right arsenal of transferable skills, building strong foundations for university studies, as the primary goal in my case has been to meet university admissions criteria. Of course, another great advantage of the AA is that through the fantastic extracurricular activities we have been building our values – ethos and vital social skills which have helped us to build all rounded personality ready to master the challenges of life: purpose, passion, confidence, communication, team working, enterprising…
Parallel to my studies I was the chief treasurer of the group of students who managed then, under the guidance of Mrs Maro Pambou, the school canteen. This entrepreneurial act did empower us to develop leadership, to appreciate the difficulties to ‘earn the daily living’ but also to seize the opportunities for advancement by developing peer relationships, social and commercial skills. The canteen income was invested in the unforgettable trip to Greece which we always refer to when we get together.
Graduating in 1982 was the end of the beginning in terms of academic advancement. As a graduate I was bestowed with the Rotary Award for exhibiting leadership and strengthening relationships and collaboration between students and teachers. Moreover, I was also awarded a scholarship — in the form of an interest-free loan– to support my university studies.
As graduates of the AA, we belong to purpose inspired community, eager to work together to perpetuate the legacy. As we climb the stairway to success, we cherish our values and remember our roots. As active citizens we epitomise the dictum To Grow and to Serve by extending our support to our School and to society at large. In the social sphere I have led the establishment of the Demetrakis Koumandari Foundation to honour our late teacher and friend who left us tragically in a car accident. The main activities of the DK Foundation are to offer bursaries & scholarships to postgraduate students and to support the Open University of the Municipality of Aradippou. Another activity which I have led was the Inter-generational Family Tree Competition, an initiative that we need to continue to support, as I believe it is our duty to promote communication between seniors and next generation. so that we enthuse them to respects our roots and values and axiomatically continue to carry the baton forward.
Another great tradition of the American Academy alumni is that we nurture our offspring to follow our steps. I am proud of my son Zacharias Panayiotis Poutziouris who graduated in 2021 with merit and is now ready to join the University of Manchester to study Accounting and Finance in conjunction with PwC Flying Start programme.
In conclusion, I am grateful to the American Academy family as it has been my compass as I have been navigating my journey to Ithaca. It provided us with gnosis, praxis, ethos and purposeful path cherishing principles and honouring the virtues of the ancient Greeks. Let me offer my disposition in a few poetic verses:
“The creativity of the human being,
is not born but cultivated,
Land is our society,
Seed is the Idea,
Water springs from Education,
Oh my God, I am so thirsty!”
