Haris Ioannides
Managing director
Haris Ioannides was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, in 1972. He completed his first undergraduate degree in Albany, New York in the field of journalism in 1995 where he had his first real experience with publishing. He served as the assistant editor in chief and later, editor in chief of the school's magazine and newspaper. In order to avoid the cold, he completed his double BSc with concentration in International Business and Marketing from Hawaii Pacific University in 1997, from where he also obtained his double MBA in International Business and Marketing in 2002.
Ever since his repatriation in 2002, he has been employed by Armida Publications, a company he now manages. The stated goal of the company, of its general manager and of all working there, is to 'put Cyprus on the global literary map', a task that is closer at hand. Through his efforts, the company has become an innovator in the local publishing industry with a great many successes in its name, namely, European Union literary awards, multiple local awards, and growing fan base all over the world. He is also often called upon in an advisory role to the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Cyprus with regards to matters concerning the publishing industry and government policies to that end.
Realizing early on the logistical problems of running a publishing firm with global reach from an island, he has secured alternative distribution channels, alternative production channels, and has adapted innovative marketing techniques in order to create a customer base that is mainly situated in the US and the UK.
His strongest ability is the maximizing of all available synergies provided among others by social networks so as to advance his business and its stated goals.
Additionally, he serves as the Secretary of the Board as well as the Chief Operating Officer for the newly formed, ground-breaking NGO, the Cyprus Space Exploration Organization. CSEO was instrumental in driving the lobby for Cyprus' full accession into the European Space Agency. In addition, he has been central in the design and execution of the policies of the Organization in the areas of business development both on a local and global scale.