John Joannides, an LSE trained economist and former Chief Executive Officer of the Cyprus Development Bank (CDB), played a leading role in promoting the evaluation and survey of enterprises and contributed to the internationalization of the Cyprus economy. As the CEO of CDB, a position he assumed in 1975 right after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, he played a key role in the rapid reconstruction on the devasted economy. A visionary, who was at the helm of CDB for thirty years, he left his indelible imprint in many sectors of the economy, finance, education and culture. He established the Cyprus International Institute of Management (CIIM), which offered the first accredited MBA and MPSM programs in Cyprus.

He played a pivotal role in conceiving and shaping the original idea for the creation of the Cyprus Research and Educational Foundation (CREF) and The Cyprus Institute (CyI). The original comprehensive study for the creation of CREF and CyI (2000-2002) was conducted and funded under the auspices of CDB. Joannides made seminal contributions to the early development of our Institute and was awarded by CyI an honorary Doctorate in recognition of his contributions.

Our sincerest condolences go to his family. The Cyprus Institute and the Cyprus Research and Educational Foundation are profoundly grateful for the time, energy, vision that he has so generously contributed to our organizations.