Christis Christoforou is the Chief Executive Officer of Deloitte Cyprus, an economist and a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. With over 30 years of experience, Christis serves as the Lead Client Service Partner for key strategic clients of the firm. He is the Vice-President of the Nicosia Chamber of Commerce & Industry-Finance, a member of the Board of Directors of Transparency International-Cyprus and an ex-President of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus.

What drives and motivates your leadership?
I started my first term as Deloitte Cyprus CEO back in 2009, acknowledging that Deloitte is an exceptional organisation. When you talk about being exceptional, you need to do two things: You need to clearly answer the question, “Who are you?”, in order to define your purpose and you need to answer a second question, “Where are you going?”, which will define your aspirations.

Deloitte’s purpose is very clear and that is to “make an impact that matters”. It’s not just social impact, though this is important. Our firm’s impact is encompassing four elements. It includes our clients and the way we serve them, the people that we hire, mentor and develop, the communities that we work and live in and the profession that we practice in. Deloitte’s aspiration is to be the undisputed leader in professional services.

Like myself and the rest of my partners, as well as all our professionals, we are motivated by our commitment to the being the best. Building on our network’s leading capabilities, trusted reputation, multidisciplinary services and national and international reach, Deloitte is positioned to redefine how the professional services industry serves clients and the public interest.

Do you have a training policy for new staff?
At Deloitte, we recognise that joining a new organisation can be daunting, especially in the first few weeks. We, therefore, have in place a structured Induction Program, aiming to support our new hires to effectively acclimate them into our culture and to provide them with the critical skills required to hit the road running. Our Induction Program has a total duration of 6 months and includes, among others, an exciting Welcome Event, during which our new joiners have the opportunity to meet key people in our firm and get an insight into our business. There is provision for technical training in the form of e-learning and classroom training and a “You at Deloitte (YaD)” training programme, so as to gain experience working in teams, learning the processes and standards of the audit function and acquiring fundamental auditing skills. They are being partnered with a “buddy” who serves as their contact person during the first months of their employment.

What strategies do you apply for team ethos?
Our people will readily tell you “we are a team” and that “each of us has a role in many sub teams”. Empowering individuals within teams with real responsibilities is a clear component of our ethos, as we truly believe that this allows people to flourish and achieve their potential, which is in everyone’s best interests (individual, team, firm, client and other stakeholders).

Furthermore, we perform our roles with the spirit of togetherness and will step up to challenges and offer assistance even outside of our comfort zone. We build and encourage, from within, the ethos of “present your view as if you are right and listen as if you are wrong”.

What has being recognized as Cyprus Tax Firm of the Year for 2016 by International Tax Review meant for your company?
We are very proud that our firm won the International Tax Review “Cyprus Tax Firm of the Year” award for 2016. Actually, this is the third time in the last four years that our firm has achieved this great accomplishment. The continuous recognition, on behalf of the ITR, reflects the consistency of the high quality tax services we offer to our clients.

How do you face global challenges within your industry, which are ever changing?
In the last few years, we have been faced with a business environment that’s changing more dramatically than ever before. Our profession is being impacted by a number of significant external dynamics, including increasing and complex regulatory challenges, instability in the regions in which we have an interest, intense competitive threats by new and sometimes unexpected players, more and more companies entering “the surviving game” and the role of technology, to name only a few. In this environment, as we’ve done throughout our history, we’re responding with a strategic plan, which aims to maintain a leading position in the market.

We are confident, however, that by focusing on delivering exceptional service, quality and added value to our clients via our talented and engaged people, we can truly stand out from the competition.

How has the digital era enhanced your business?
The digital era has changed, dramatically, the way we interact and build business relations with our clients and our other stakeholders. Our digital transformation has introduced new, more efficient and less costly ways of communicating information. Webcasts, webinars and videos have increasingly become an integral part of our communications with the firm’s stakeholders. We are very glad to see our stakeholders sharing our content online and acting as brand ambassadors. As an organisation, we acknowledge that industries are being disrupted by digital trends and, therefore, we act proactively by revising our strategies accordingly; always aiming to meet and satisfy the increasing digital needs of our clients and other firm’s stakeholders.

What future plans for expansion and for further improvements do you have at Deloitte?
At Deloitte, we are always looking ahead. We are always prepared to take advantage of the best opportunities, aiming to be the best in all what we do. Deloitte combines global capabilities with deep knowledge of local markets. With global revenues in FY16 of US $36.8 billion, we are the largest professional services network. Our growth plans for our local practice primarily include generating more business via targeted selling of legacy services, while, at the same time, exploring new international markets to promote Cyprus and bring more international businesses to our island. At the same time, we place greater emphasis on new services and we continue to invest in innovative products and practices.

Finally, do you enjoy an active leisure life or have a passion for sport?
Like everyone else, I also have a few hobbies that keep me busy during my very limited free time that are unrelated to my job. My favourite sport is football, where I am passionate in supporting my team, Manchester City.