a

day
in the
life

Angela
The Manager of IDEA, the Accelerator-Incubator
of Bank of Cyprus, on why she is glad to be living
in today’s technology-based era, where she loves

Panayiotou
to relax on Sundays and how, after 20 years in the
bank, she feels that she is where she was always
meant to be.

I
wake up at 6.20am
and help the chil-
dren to get ready for
school – we have
two girls and three
boys aged 5 to 18 – and I
am always at work before
8am. I have been here
at IDEA for 18 months
now and I can honestly
say that no two days have
been the same. The time
I spend here is amazing.
When I was young I was
eager to travel and meet
people from other countries and
cultures and I was fortunate to
visit many places but I’m happy
that, thanks to globalisation and
today’s technology, geographical
location doesn’t matter any-
more. All we need is a laptop
that can take us anywhere at any
minute. I think this helps us all
to develop a better understand-
ing of the world.
I chose to study business
(I have a BSc in Financial
Services, a BBA in Management
Information Systems and an
MBA), because I felt that
it opened up a wide range
of job opportunities. I
worked for 20 years in
many different posi-
tions and areas at the
bank– small business,
retail, the corporate
sector, UK opera-
tions, credit control,
everywhere – and
this range of experi-
ences has helped me
a great deal.
My love of innovation
was encouraged within
the bank, where special
intrapreneurship com-
petitions were held and I
won several awards over
the years. I feel thankful to
have been given the ability
to think differently and
an extensive imagination
Whenever someone tells
me how something is done, I
can’t help thinking, ‘How could
we do it better?’.
I love the creative aspect of my
job. I also love my country very
much and I believe that here in
Cyprus we can make a differ-
ence. We have young, well-edu-
cated people, an entrepreneurial
spirit, innovation, creativity and
a desire to improve the country.
This is what inspires me.
I try to be home by 4pm to take
the children to their lessons and
sports. Later, after dinner, I will
work until midnight. Every
Friday we have a family TV about work/
night, with popcorn and a film, life balance.
usually an action comedy such This is a turn-
as The Fast & The Furious or ing point for
the Lethal Weapon series. Pure me and I have
escapism! to dedicate
On Saturday afternoons we time to my
always make a point of going job. As a new Guaranteed to
remove stress!
somewhere for a coffee and on organisation,
Sundays I like to find myself in IDEA re-
nature, either to sit and watch quires a lot of
the sea, especially in winter with commitment
the waves crashing, or to walk in and I am
the forest. determined
I always listen to music in the to devote the
car and if a day is hectic or very next 2-3 years My favourite
place after
difficult I will maybe put my to making it Cyprus
headphones on and listen to strong.
some dance music. There are As a person
also songs that are real favour- who loves
ites such as Anoixi by Sophia change, I
Vossou or To Diko Sou Asteri am always
by Marianna Efstratiou – both thinking
I love optimistic
Greek Eurovision entries. I like about what songs
songs that are optimistic, wheth- comes next.
er in Greek or English. It’s the My career has taken a long
mood I go for. and winding course but it
I am passionate about cooking has finally brought me to the
which I consider to be an expres- area where I believe I wanted
sion of love. I cook everything to be right at the beginning:
from traditional Cypriot to in- Innovation. I feel that I am
ternational cuisine, I make very now in the sector where I
good sushi too. I like to try new belong, in an environment
things in the kitchen and I also where there is something dif-
like to travel to new destinations ferent happening every day.
but my favourite place of all is On a personal level, I would
one that I’ve visited three times: eventually like to have more
Santorini. The air, the sun, time to cook and to write – I
everything is different from any- would like to write something
where else! to help and inspire younger
Now is not the time to think people, especially, students.”

I BELIEVE THAT HERE IN CYPRUS

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
82 | Gold | The Business Magazine of Cyprus