Gold Magazine February - March 2013, Issue 23 | Page 34

COVER STORY

EMILY YIOLITIS

MANAGING PARTNER, HARNEYS
ARISTODEMOU LOIZIDES
YIOLITIS LLC 

Women are making unprecedented strides
in the legal world but are still underrepresented in the top echelons of law firms
(equity partner level). Significant obstacles
remain before we achieve real gender equality in the legal workplace but women’s different perspective can contribute to a more
balanced and holistic approach to business.
CHANGE: I would facilitate and stimulate foreign direct investments into Cyprus
by streamlining application procedures,
reviews and approval to a single governmental authority which is efficiently run,
expertly staffed, electronically accessible and
business-friendly.

ELENA MICHAIL
DIRECTOR, IOANNIDES
DEMETRIOU LLC

Law is amongst the most common subjects
women choose to study and Cypriot law
firms usually have a majority of women lawyers but they have to prove their professional
abilities to higher standards than their male
colleagues to gain the client’s trust. Women
directors are still rare here. If you are a
professional in your field, being a woman
or a man should not make any difference.
CHANGE: To improve things I would say
that good manners are as important as effectiveness.

IRENE CHRISTODOULOU

SENIOR MANAGER, HEAD OF
CORPORATE DIVISION, KINANIS LLC

In the private sector many women now
either hold senior management positions
or are actually the owners of successful
businesses. Gender distinctions have been
eroded, particularly in the legal profession.
Moreover, most employees in the professional services sector are women and they
are contributing at all levels of the hierarchy. Gender is not the deciding factor. It is
each individual’s commitment, passion and
knowledge. CHANGE: I would change
the approach of both the public and private
sectors to the industry to make Cyprus the
ultimate international business centre.

GENDER

DISTINCTIONS HAVE CHRISTINA SARRIS
SENIOR PARTNER, POLAKIS
BEEN ERODED,
SARRIS & CO LLC
“a
but women are
PARTICULARLY IN THE It is still up man’s world”senior partner of
making ground. As a

LEGAL

PROFESSION.

MELINA KARAOLIA
PARTNER, M. ELIADES &
PARTNERS LLC

In the past two decades, women have redefined what used to be a male-dominated
profession. The world has moved away
from the stereotypes of the past and
women today have greater opportunities
to reach the top of their profession. An
example of this is the increasing number
of women judges in Cyprus. Women naturally have many of the leadership attributes valued most for success in the professional services sector today. CHANGE:
It should be easier and faster to start a
business in Cyprus.

YIOTA KYTHREOTOUTHEODOROU:
MANAGING PARTNER,
PAMBORIDIS LLC

Men have traditionally held more senior
posts in law firms but the current picture
is much more balanced. Female lawyers
occasionally come across prejudices but
ultimately it is the quality of the lawyer
that counts. What differentiates one from
another are attributes such as expertise
and experience, an ability to think outside the box, professional integrity, etc.
These attributes do not depend on gender. CHANGE: We are at a disadvantage
against competing jurisdictions due to bureaucracy. The public sector must improve
its efficacy, speed and effectiveness.

my firm, I have experienced first-hand what
the experts say about gender diversity in the
workplace. Some 45% of our firm’s lawyers
are men and 55% are women.My conclusion is that a healthy and successful work
environment needs a happy marriage of
genders. CHANGE: We need to clarify the
country’s the political and economic direction and once that is done I believe that we
shall see substantial growth in our sector.

MELINA PYRGOU

DIRECTOR, PYRGOU LAW FIRM
Our profession is definitely a man’s world.
Even though many women qualify as lawyers, few remain in the profession to pursue
a career. This requires dedication – many
hours at the office, sacrificing family life
– which many women are not prepared to
accept. M en and women are all bound by
the same professional code of conduct and
it is up to the individual to decide how he/
she deals with clients. CHANGE: The public sector must upgrade services, modernize
legislation, use technology and support
government departments serving international businesses.

ELOIZA SAVVIDOU

CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR,
VRYONIDOU & SAVVIDOU LLLC;
CHRYSALIS LEAP LTD
Professional women are now competing
on an equal basis with men at lower level
positions but the boardroom and senior
management positions are still -unfortunately - male-dominated. Women have
their own unique qualities, talents and
strengths which can increase an organisation’s profitability and efficiency. As the
number of women seeking financial and
legal advice increases, organisations with
more women in senior positions will find
themselves exposed to a world of opportunities. CHANGE: We should copy best
practices from abroad and adjust them to
our culture.

32 Gold THE INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT, FINANCE & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES MAGAZINE OF CYPRUS

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