Anna Homenko’s energy, drive and “can-do” attitude inspires everyone working around her. Not surprisingly, she has run several high powered businesses in her career. In an exclusive interview with Premiere, she reveals some inspirational and motivational advice for our readers.

Anna is the owner of Fiduciana Trust (Cyprus) Limited, a forward thinking “boutique” trustee and fiduciary services company based in Cyprus, offering tailor-made solutions related to the incorporation, maintenance and administration of local and offshore companies.

Anna brings to the table 15 years of tax, compliance, trust, corporate and fiduciary experience. She is proficient in dealing with all aspects of immigration and global residency matters and spends most of her time advising high net-worth individuals and their families on residency and passport solutions within all the most popular and prestigious jurisdictions.

Anna graduated from Keele University, UK, with a dual Bachelor’s Degree in Law and International Politics, subsequently completing a Legal Practice Course (LPC) in Chester, UK. She had previously studied International Law at the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv Taras Shevchenko University, Ukraine. She is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and ITPA.

Do you feel that you have made sacrifices in your personal life for the development of your career?
Life works in such ways that there is no success without sacrifice. Every person who has achieved any success in life has made sacrifices along the way. When you have no responsibilities, you can do relatively anything you want. Once you take on responsibility, you start to experience limitations in what you can do. The more responsibility that you accept, the fewer options you have. Back in 2007, when my career was progressing to a different CEO level, I would spend ten days in one month travelling and had little social life. I recall spending days and nights at the office creating, reporting, brainstorming, visualising etc… For a long time, there was no such thing as a “night out” or an “afternoon off”. ll that was interested in was working and creating.

I feel that the really interesting time begins when a business woman becomes a mother. When I was giving birth to my son 3 ½ years ago, the delivery room was equipped, literally, with all the necessary IT support and my office IT was a call away, so I could be connected to the office at all times. In fact, my Blackberry was with me!

A great client who has also become my dear friend said: “There are 24 hours in a day. You have your family life, social life and career to balance and you have only this number of hours. If you decide to cut some time from one of them, the other one will suffer and the decision becomes which one will it be?”
When I think about taking on more responsibilities, I always think back to that advice and reflect on which area of my life I would need to cut that extra time from.

The real difference when it comes to challenges and beauty in a woman is that she can combine being a leader, a businesswoman, a mother and a home maker.

What advice would you give to other women launching a new business in Cyprus?
Find what you love doing and try to build your business around it. Put your heart and soul into your work. Don’t be afraid and believe in yourself. All you have to acknowledge is who you really are and that there is no such thing as failure.

You may take several paths that end up on what may appear to be a dead end if you have not found your real calling yet. Make realistic business plans and set financial limits on what you can afford to lose, just in case something unexpectedly goes wrong. What always works best for me as a motivation to progress is the advice that I was given, which was to buy a house or business slightly more expensive than you can afford. This will motivate you to excel financially and work harder in reaching greater targets. When establishing a new business in Cyprus, aim to build helpful connections and resources in Cyprus. National networks are preferred and will help you to understand the psyche of the local business community.

What does Cyprus have to offer new corporate businesses and investors?
Cyprus has proven to be a resilient and competitive economy and an attractive destination for new business and investment, especially now being part of the EU. A lot of positive changes have been made since the crisis of 2013 and the change is evident. Banks now operate under the new management framework with more strict and reliable supervisory boards implemented. The Cyprus competitive tax system remains one of the main competitive advantages. Further incentives have been introduced, including the introduction of the non-domicile status, with tax discounts for managers and professionals who choose to settle in Cyprus.

The government understands today’s commercial realities and is doing all that is necessary in order to ensure tax stability and competitiveness. At the same time, we cannot underestimate the importance of human resource capital. Cyprus offers a hub of expertise on business and financial services at more competitive prices than other European financial centres. After all, Cyprus is a very attractive destination to live, work, perform business and invest. I am pleased to say that Cyprus has been considered the 5th best place in the world to relocate by Knight Frank, which, in itself, speaks volumes.

Are the corporate company administration and registration systems in Cyprus fundamentally different to that of other countries?
Post 2013 has seen some solid progress made with respect to improving the work of the Registrar of Companies and introducing electronic filing for returns and registration forms. This has enabled faster and less time consuming company formation and less waiting time. Having said this, the services of the registrar of companies remains one of the most expensive in Europe and the introduction of a governmental levy has increased the costs of maintenance for Cyprus companies, thus making them somewhat less competitive. Having said that, the benefits of well-trained, experienced, professional and cost efficient human capital in Cyprus works well to compensate for the shortcomings of an expensive and time consuming company registration system. The level of service of administration one can get in Cyprus is at a fraction of the cost of the Netherlands or, for instance, the UK, which is excellent and creates a great competitive advantage.

How do you see yourself and your company in 10 years?
10 years from now, I see my business still steadily helping our clients to become more successful in building and managing their wealth. Ideally, the firm will double in size and offer more services with respect to global residency, immigration, post immigration services in Cyprus and abroad and lifestyle management. Cyprus, as a financial hub, has great potential and I am a firm believer that, with the right approach and alliances, things can only get better. Personally, I see myself spending more time investing in human capital development and growth within the firm and devoting some of my time to several social and charitable projects in Cyprus and abroad that I support and admire.

Do you have a favourite place that you like to travel to?
I am a big fan of Italy. The culture, the atmosphere, the people, the food and, of course, the shopping are all wonderful there. I always feel re-energised, driven and ready to create after a few days in Rome or Milano. I also happened to be in Dubai quite a lot during the last several years and I like it a lot as a spot for family travel or as a solo traveller. Dubai is like an eighth wonder of the world, where things are constantly happening. As part of my New Year’s resolutions, I resolved to visit at least one new and amazing place every year. I hope that I will manage to stick to this!

Do you like to cook at home and, if so, is there a particular dish?
I am afraid that I do not score any bonus points in this department. It is rare for me to be at home to cook on a weekday evening, so my housekeeper normally takes control with respect to the dinner. On the weekend, I do have more time. This is when it is my turn to impress, although I rarely do anything fancy. If I am cooking for myself, then it will probably be preparing interesting salads with fresh grilled fish. I also know how to create delicious soups. They are light, healthy and easy to make. When I am entertaining, I arrange catering services and often select a variety of salads and some beautiful steaks for my guests.

What and who is your foundation of inspiration?
Interesting question! Professional inspiration comes in many forms, whether it is important people in your life, such as career mentors and influential family members, or, perhaps, the thrill of building something you are passionate about. For me, tell me that I “cannot be”, “cannot do” or “cannot have” and this is the surest way to inspire me into action. Challenging myself totally inspires me. I am equally inspired by other people’s stories of creating the possible from the impossible. If I hear a story of someone who has overcome the odds, worked hard, focused, fulfilled the commitment of his or her word and has been persistent in changing the world to make it a better place (in the smaller or bigger sense of this expression), I feel unbelievably inspired and uplifted. On a more personal level, my family is my generator of inspiration. I love to do well and offer a great life to my loved ones.