Game Changers ISSUE #34
GAME CHANGERS
DIRECTORY O1
Note from the editor
O2
Stefano Sordini
O3 O4 O5 O6 O7 O8 O9 1O 11 12 13 14 15
View from the top. 03
NETSHOP ISP. 04-06
Josh Bentley OvertEd Markets. 07-09
Global Forex Awards Mike Boydell & Archie Humphries. 10-17
GC:OPINION Paul Orford. 18-20
Gabriel Styllas 5Comply. 21-23
Speakers Corner Is London dead? 24-26
Andria Papageorgiou Andria Papageorgiou Law Firm . 28-29
Game Changers Investigates... Paul Orford. 30-31
GC:TRAVEL Visiting Pakistan. 33-35
GC: LUXURY ZELAJET. 36-39
GC: FEMME 40-43
GC: HOMME 44-49
GC: EAT 50-54
GC:FITNESS 55-57
VIEW FROM THE TOP
Hello everyone, With us baking in the mid summer heat in Cyprus, it was great to get the GC summer edition hot off the press. Sadly it looks like our summer holidays are cancelled if we are looking to get out of our respective countries, so settle back and read the new edition where we hope the fashion section can at least get you thinking of the beach if you are stuck in a colder climate :-) A big thank you to everyone who contributed to this edition, and a huge congratulations to the winners of the awards, which Mike and Archie are making an award that holds some weight industry wide. Thanks everyone and enjoy the summer!
Paul ORFORD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Game Changers
NETSHOP ISP STEFANO SORDINI CEO at NETSHOP ISP
Q We first met almost ten years ago when we both worked at the same brokerage, can you give the readers an outline of your background? Of course. First of all, I would like to thank you Paul, and the rest of your team, for giving me the opportunity to properly introduce myself through Game Changers Magazine. I like to call myself ‘a server geek with a business mindset.’ My first interaction with computers was in 1998 when I got my first computer as a Christmas present. I was immediately drawn to the magic world of mIRC where I started programming scripts for fun. Long story short, by 2001 I was earning my pocket money through scripts programming and reselling web hosting plans. In 2004 I began my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB). That same year, July 2004, I launched a website under the domain netshop-isp.com, where I advertised my website hosting services. In my spare time, I was reading tons of books about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) which helped me get netshopisp.com ranking high in Google and Yahoo’s search engines. In time, the handful of websites that I was hosting grew to 50, then 100 and by the time I completed my Master’s Degree in Surrey, United Kingdom, I was responsible for the hosting & on-going server administration of more than 300 websites. In the years that followed, NetShop ISP was active but still a side business for me. I employed a couple of people who were responsible for handling customer requests during the day, which allowed me to maintain a full-time job as a Systems Engineer at a reputable Forex broker. A great part of my salary was invested into NetShop ISP’s expansion as we were attracting the attention of a lot more businesses, thanks to the high ranking of our website in search engines. Through all of the hours that I invested during my academic years and later on while maintaining two jobs, I gained expertise which I doubt I would have otherwise.
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
Q Why did you go from the safety of a full time role to begin NetShop ISP? I never thought that my full time job was my safety net. I was fully dedicated and passionate about both my full time role as a Systems Engineer, as well as my “night shifts” at NetShop ISP. The decision to fully dedicate my time to NetShop ISP was made at a time when the volume of work grew significantly and I realized I was sacrificing more than just my time. It’s important for everyone to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle. This decision, I thought, will allow me to grow NetShop ISP even more without sacrificing my quality of life. Q So what is NetShop ISP? NetShop ISP is an enterprise hosting company, providing IT infrastructure solutions to businesses. Our global infrastructure expanded from presence in just one data center in the United Kingdom in 2004, to 15 data centers worldwide by 2020. Through our privately-owned infrastructure we provide cloud hosting, bare-metal servers, colocation and IT managed services to a large portfolio of customers, mainly in the iGaming, Forex and FinTech industries. Q Why does my business need it? Nowadays, every business needs to maintain some sort of infrastructure on the web. That can range from a small hosting space for a website or rack space in a data center for servers and network equipment, up to a large infrastructure for hosting complex web applications. This is what we do – we help businesses launch any size or type of software on the Internet, and deliver a reliable infrastructure to allow them to scale effortlessly as their business grows. Q What separates you from the other providers? Thank you for this question Paul. It’s one that I get to respond to almost on a daily basis. If the question is posed ‘Why get hosted at NetShop ISP and not choose one of the “big guys” on the market, such as Microsoft Azure or Amazon AWS?”. The answer is simple; most businesses choose to host their software on public
cloud during the early stages of their new venture. As soon as they realize that they need a trusted infrastructure partner to help them grow and listen to their bespoke needs, or even regulatory requirements, they turn to us for help. We, at NetShop ISP, have more than a decade expertise in delivering and maintaining complex infrastructure solutions for online casinos, Forex Brokers and Fintech firms, including Fortune 500 businesses. Our in-depth knowledge, along with the customer-oriented service we offer, cannot be compared to what you would get from any other competitor of ours. Q How often should you be reviewing your current service provider? Competition in our industry is quite tough and today’s customers demand service on their own terms. In my personal opinion, customers should be reviewing their service providers and technology partners frequently. Nowadays, consumers are far more technologically literate than they were 10 years ago, and so they demand a top-notch service from their providers; whether that is the ISP providing internet & telephony at their home, or their business’ technology suppliers. Keeping your providers on their toes, will definitely help your business receive a high quality service at all times. Q Which sector does most of your clients come from? The majority of our clientele are Forex brokers, iGaming operators and Software Development firms. Due to the niche locations of our data centers (like Cyprus, Singapore, Malta and Hong Kong), we also serve organizations in the oil & gas industry that seek IT & hosting services off the cloud.
Q Is it just a service for local companies? No, not just for local companies. As we speak, today, we provide infrastructure and hosting services through data centers in Cyprus, Malta, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, United States, Singapore and Hong Kong. We have international customers who host their servers in multiple data center locations of ours, for example they choose the United Kingdom for their primary infrastructure and the Netherlands for disaster recovery.
Q How can readers contact you? You can connect with me on LinkedIn or Skype (netshopisp). All of our services, additional contact numbers and e-mail addresses can be found on our website www.netshop-isp.com.cy.
Stefano Sordini CEO at NETSHOP ISP
OvertEd Markets JOSHUA BENTLEY Co-Founder & Head of Research at OvertEd Markets
Q You have incredibly impressive academic qualifications in law, why did you now pursue this? Funnily enough, I was originally studying Economic History at the London School of Economics, but I worried that the history of coinage wasn’t going to provide me with enough relevant real-world skills, so I transferred to law. I later completed a masters degree in International banking law and ended up kicking myself after graduating top of my class with a comprehensive knowledge of how coinage was eventually regulated. I was never interested in practicing law, but the academic side does interest me and in 2016 I had funding approved to complete a PhD on the impacts of EU banking law within the UK, a highly relevant topic at the time but now only slightly below the history of coinage on the relevance scale. In all seriousness though, academia is important to both myself and OvertEd Markets due to its focus on information integrity, neutrality, and quality of analysis. We are part of the City University of London LaunchLab and actively collaborate with CASS and the London School of Economics. Other team members have also contributed to work conducted at Oxford University in relation to algorithmic trading. This is not something we could do if our credentials or product didn’t stack up. Joshua Bentley Co-Founder & Head of Research at OvertEd Markets
Q Hello Joshua, can you tell us about your background. How did you start in the FX space? Sure, I was working in strategy for a London based front-end technology company in the neo-banking space when a recruiter contacted me about an equivalent position at GAIN Capital. I had knowledge of the client facing aspects of the industry but not the commercial mechanics. The main attraction to joining a brokerage was working for an institution that provided an end-end service to clients; namely, products, markets and technology. This is quite unique as many fintech sectors operate as ecosystems with companies providing very narrow services, which in aggregate, create a product. Platform brokerages have the ability to own many more aspects of the value proposition, and this creates both opportunities and challenges. I later progressed to work with four other brands in different capacities.
Q Having worked for some of the biggest names in UK FX, what made you want to do your own thing? I really enjoyed analysing industry trends, unearthing opportunities and helping teams empathise with regional nuances. This is best achieved in a non-partisan role where you aren’t constrained by existing perceptions and can have the freedom and time to critique the landscape. More importantly, to do this effectively, I needed a dedicated expert team that could build the tools and algorithms needed to provide instant and continued value to brokers that use OvertEd Markets. Our founding team has experience across strategic research, hedge fund execution and technology. They have also previously been involved in exits to listed brokerages. Q Can you explain why a client should look at Overted Markets? OvertEd Markets is the largest knowledge base on the offering and activities of retail CFD/FX brokers globally. We have data on over 100 brokers and use proprietary tools and algorithms to conduct competitor intelligence P-7
and market share analysis across time frames and regions. We also provide neutral market insight, regional insight and tools to help brokers understand why prospects choose to trade with them and their competitors and why they do not. We have no affiliation to any brand and can greatly improve client acquisition and reduce marketing costs via improved budget allocation and regional targeting, as well as driving commercial strategy via the wealth of data and insight we provide. We provide all of this functionality at a click of a mouse via a cloud-based platform. Q With marketing now being so region specific with its message, can OvertEd Markets help make your message more laser focused? Absolutely, I think one of the key benefits of the OvertEd Markets platform is that it provides brokers with real-time data on regional markets and informs them which other brokers are targeting these regions, as well as which brokers are successfully converting prospects into clients and how they are achieving this. Importantly, as all our regional data is generated using the same algorithms, like-for-like comparable analysis is possible.
Q How can OvertEd Markets help a brokerage improve its profits? OvertEd Markets can reduce marketing costs, improve client acquisition and ensure commercial and product strategy is driven by what works well in the market. Collectively, this could have a significant impact on profitability. You would also have more informed and knowledgeable teams as a by-product. Q What’s the best way for someone to learn more about your service? You can email us at info@overtedmarkets.com or connect with me directly on LinkedIn and we can arrange a call to see how we can best unearth instant value for your broker. Visit our website for more information www.overtedmarkets.com
Q In the world of marketing there are many new technologies that are often a solution looking for a problem to solve. How is yours different? This is a great question and in the early days of building OvertEd Markets we possibly focused on features that attempted to solve problems that although existed, were not of high priority. In order to overcome this, we listened to brokers when they told us what their most important challenges were and used our data to build a solution. By accepting that the client is best placed to understand their own challenges and that our job is to come up with the right solution we are able to offer a product that we know works and adds value. We even had a client say wow on a call last week! Hopefully, this wasn’t a yawn that I misinterpreted! Q Can OvertEd Markets reduce time and improve the marketing intelligence a brand has? Absolutely, it is the most cost effective and time efficient way to power your marketing based on top quality, data driven, market intelligence. Q Is it hard to use or integrate with my existing technology? Absolutely not, OvertEd Markets is a standalone web application that simply requires an email address and password. In fact, you don’t even need to remember your password, as we provide a reset button! P-9
Winners of the Global Forex Awards 2021 - B2B Are Revealed
Holiston Media has unveiled the winners of this year’s Global Forex Awards 2021 - B2B, with leading businesses across the industry named top of their sectors. Now in their second year, The Global Forex Awards 2021 - B2B are a celebration of forex and related businesses from around the world who are pushing the boundaries of innovation in B2B forex trading solutions. The awards champion the best performing providers of liquidity, CRM, customer experience, execution, partnerships, platforms and performance, as well as other crucial elements of the B2B forex trading ecosystem. There were 21 categories in this year’s awards, with winners voted on by their peers. “What sets these awards apart is that the independent nomination and public voting processes mean that all Global Forex Awards 2021 - B2B winners have one thing in common, they were chosen by real forex trading businesses and customers from around the world,” explains Mike Boydell, Director of Holiston Media. “Winning a Global Forex Award 2021 - B2B is a benchmark of success that will not only impress potential new customers, but will also boost existing client comfort and loyalty.” The public voting process for the awards took place throughout April 2021 with over 9000 votes cast from over 3400 unique voters. This year’s category winners are as follows: • • • • • • • • •
Best All-Round Liquidity Provider - Finalto Best Bridge Provider - Gold-i Best Client Experience Broker - TopFX Best CRM Provider - Finalto Best Crypto CFD Liquidity Provider - B2Broker Best Electronic Money Institution - BREINROCK Best Fintech & Solutions - PLUGIT Best Hosting & Connectivity Provider - PrimeXM Best Institutional Forex Broker - ATFX Connect
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Best Mobile Trading App - RoboForex Best Multi-Asset Trading Platform - MetaTrader 5 Best Payment Solutions Provider - B2BinPay Best Prime Trading Broker - IS Prime Best Public Relations Company - Wigwam PR Best RegTech Reporting Solution - Muinmos Best Retail Forex Broker - XM Best Risk Management System - Centroid Solutions Best Stocks Broker - RoboMarkets Best Technology Provider - Match-Trade Technologies Best Trade Execution - CMC Markets Connect Best White Label Provider - Exclusive Capital
This year’s Global Forex Awards 2021 - B2B were sponsored by: ATFX Connect, B2Broker, Centroid Solutions, Exclusive Capital, PLUGIT and RoboMarkets. “We’d like to congratulate all of this year’s winners who have been chosen by real investors, traders and business customers from around the globe. They have proved that their hard work in the industry has truly paid off,” adds Mike. Founded in 2018 to celebrate creativity, innovation, effectiveness and customer service in the retail and B2B financial industry, today Holiston Media hosts five international awards. To find out more about the awards, the winners and the voting process go to www.globalforexawards.com If you would like more information about this topic, please email Archie Humphries (Director) at archie.humphries@holiston.com For more information on Holiston Media visit www.holiston.com
We are delighted to receive the 2021 Global B2B Forex Awards winning the category “Best White Label Provider 2021”. Our vision at Exclusive Capital was and will always be to put our clients and partners at the forefront of everything we do. We strive to constantly enhance our technology, support, and operational offering for our White Label Clients, and winning this award is a testament to that. In 2021 we will continue to expand our offering to add more features, add-ons, and dedicated support for our White Label partners. From the entire Exclusive Capital team, we would like to simply say “Thank You” Viktor Madarasz & Lambros Lambrou Exclusive Capital
We are thrilled and proud to have won the 2021 B2B Global Forex Award for The Best Technology Provider. Our team has put a lot of effort into developing our own Broker Solutions HUB to guarantee the maximum performance of the tools we provide. We’re pleased to see that our technology is appreciated not only by customers but also by the industry. We provide turnkey solutions and consulting services to help Forex Brokers boost their business, and we’re constantly expanding our offer. To meet the needs of our institutional clients, we have included in our system regulated liquidity available through our partner Match-Prime Liquidity. Stay tuned to see what’s yet to come. Michael Karczewski COO and Chris Dankowski CBDO Match-Trade Technologies
P - 11
B2Broker has experienced solid growth and made great strides into extending its global reach, reaffirming its position as one of the leading technology and liquidity providers to the B2B market. To have been selected first-choice provider in two competitive sectors: Best Crypto CFD Liquidity Provider and Best Payment Solution Provider for B2BinPay was a great outcome for us and testament to the world-class products we have. As a partner, the Global Forex Awards has helped us increase our brand visibility, and align with a company who shares our ethos of building a successful and transparent business environment. B2Broker
“We are honoured to have been awarded the Best Fintech & Solutions at the Global Forex Awards 2021 - B2B. This is a much appreciated acknowledgement of our brand and of the years we’ve spent on the industry’s frontlines committed to developing solutions that are innovative, cost-efficient, and offer exceptional user experience to our clients. We thank everyone who cast their vote choosing PLUGIT as their trusted technology partner” Yulia Tereshchenko Operations Manager at PLUGIT
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
“We’ve received this award for the second year in a row, and it not only confirms the efficiency of our work but also shows that a lot of traders all over the world use our products on the stock market and highly value the trading experience they get. We do not rest on our laurels – RoboMarkets is constantly improving investment conditions and expanding the list of available assets. We have great plans for developing in this area and will consistently turn them into reality.” Konstantin Rashap Chief Business Officer at RoboMarkets
CMC Markets Connect is now pursuing an ‘institutional-first’ agenda as we look to grow our position as a provider of tier one liquidity and an innovator in the B2B market. Although this transformation has been underway for some time, earlier in the year we rebranded to ensure we could deliver a clearly differentiated service to the banks, hedge funds and other brokers we work with. To have won the Best Trade Execution category in the annual B2B Forex Awards which are voted for by our peers illustrates that our abilities here are already well recognised. Ross Newell CMC Markets
P - 13
We are so grateful to our clients who have voted for us. We feel that this award came at the right time to seal our continuous efforts for improvement. We commit to keeping our motivation high and work even harder to earn our clients’ trust. We promise that we will keep delivering exceptional trading experiences, with transparent and honest trading conditions. Constantinos Zenenos TopFX
“Winning this award for the second year in a row confirms our position as a RegTech leader and we are thrilled that Muinmos has been recognised globally for having the Best RegTech Reporting Solution. At Muinmos we believe that our proprietary technology truly stands out for its innovation, ease of use and ability to address a real pain point for financial institutions – how to onboard clients quickly and stay compliant 24x7 when operating across multiple jurisdictions in an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. Through our products we play a major role in helping financial institutions to mitigate the risk of regulatory fines and reversal of trades and we also alert them to new sales opportunities which they can pursue with clients, within regulatory guidelines.” Remonda Kirketerp Moller, Founder and CEO, Muinmos
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
We are honoured that our risk management system, Centroid24, has won this year’s Best Risk Management System award, as it reflects the dedication our team has put in to create this unique risk management software. We always strive to provide best solutions to help our customers overcome challenges and maintain an edge and will continue to do so with our exciting new developments across all products.” said Cristian Vlasceanu, CEO of Centroid Solutions Elston Rodrigues Centroid Solutions
“The award for Best Institutional Broker confirms ATFX Connect’s crucial role as a service provider to the companies that are part of the B2B forex trading community, as well as independent businesses that require the institutional fintech services provided by ATFX. Our services are built on innovative technologies such as the proprietary price aggregator that powers its ATFX Connect platform as well as our world renowned customer service. ATFX remains committed to developing our Institutional forex offering and have recently added our bespoke Prime Broker Agency service that leverages our direct market access to Tier 1 Banks and Non-Bank liquidity providers.” Matthew Porter ATFX (UK) Head of Operations Institutional Desk.
“We are thrilled to have won Best Bridge Provider at the Global Forex Awards 2021 in recognition of the market leading capabilities of our bridging technology for our MT4 Bridge, MT5 Gateway and Matrix. This was a highly competitive category and the fact that it was voted for by our industry peers provides a strong endorsement of the quality of the software Gold-i has produced for the retail broker market over the past 12+ years. “Gold-i specialises in multi-asset liquidity management, advanced risk management tools and business intelligence software. Our products include our MT4 Bridge, MT5 Gateway, MAM Pro for MT4 and MT5, Matrix and Crypto Switch 2.0 ™ liquidity management platforms, and Visual Edge for risk management and business intelligence.” Tom Higgins CEO, Gold-i
“As part of the ISAM Capital Markets Group, we see IS Prime’s award as very much a team effort. The combination of the Group’s multi-asset liquidity, technology and risk management services stands out in this industry. Over the last year we have experienced significant global growth and we are very proud to have been recognised as having an award-winning offering. We would like to thank everyone who voted for us. IS Prime provides institutional clients with full service brokerage and execution via our cutting edge proprietary technology. The ISAM Capital Markets Group also includes IS Prime Hong Kong and IS Risk Analytics (ISRA).” Raj Sitlani Managing Director, ISAM Capital Markets
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
“Wigwam began working with Gold-i - our first client in the retail FX sector - in 2010 and we are very proud of the fact that they are still a client today. Over the last eleven years we have built our industry knowledge and contacts, representing a number of market leading firms in this sector. We are a UK-based marketing communications consultancy, with a particular focus on media relations and content generation. We are thrilled to have won the Global Forex Award for Best PR Agency. Thank you to everyone who voted for us. We really appreciate it!” Vanessa Green Director, Wigwam
To win this award was a real privilege as it vindicates all the hard work that my team has contributed over the past year. A big thank you to everyone who voted for us, it means the world to win this award. Zoran Radovanovic CEO Breinrock
P - 17
GC:OPINION Living like Joe Rogan for 60 days. After the last GC:OPINION (is your life one big KPI), I thought I would turn things to the positive and see if it is possible to live my life for 60 days according to the edicts of the world’s biggest podcaster Joe Rogan. For those who are unaware, comedian Joe Rogan has achieved global success by having the world’s leading podcast, with such a wealth of different guests ranging from politicians, comedians, to some of the planet’s greatest minds. It’s fair to say that Rogan has usurped the old traditional talk show host, with the ability to have a long form discussion along with not being under the pressure from any network to follow a certain message. By taking on this challenge there were a number of constraints of living in Cyprus, hindering me from taking on the full Rogan lifestyle experience. Sadly I did not have the ability to have access to eat huge amounts of elk/ Moreover, with regards to sauna it is
already incredibly hot here, and jiu Jitsu as I fear I will end up with some form of mild physical disability by getting strangled and twisted on a daily basis. Having watched a huge amount of his shows he seems like a decent person who has not gone down the dark well of celebrity madness. With this in mind, I thought there is no better person to follow for the next habit forming 60 days…. There are several central pillars to Rogans ethos which struck me while researching this. Firstly ‘be the hero of your own movie!’. If you are currently finding yourself in a tough situation, draw a line in the sand and say this is day one of a new future. You can apply this to any aspect of your life, such as being in a rut in your professional or personal life,or you want to change your health. You always have to start somewhere, so design a plan and get to it today. The second law is very important after you have made your plan. Initially you will be excited and pushing ahead in the first week or so based on adrenaline and excitement. However when you start meeting some form of resistance, the voice in your head starts telling you to take it easy or go back to your old non performing ways. This is when it is key to do what Rogan calls ‘quieten your inner bitch’. We have this in all of us, where we have a voice in our heads that maybe tells us not to go to the gym today, or maybe put off that call until tomorrow. This leads to a slow long term decline. You may not see the results of it today, but by giving yourself permission to not operate at 100% it leads to either personal or professional catastrophe. The third iron law of Rogan, and perhaps the most curious, is to get uncomfortable and try new things. Rogan and fellow high performers who have appeared on his podcast have always stressed that it is good to get uncomfortable. By doing this, you are constantly testing yourself and not accepting that this is all there is to life. Like starting any new regime I had to embrace a couple of the Rogan tenets to start the daily exercise regime. At the time of beginning to write this, we were still on the lockdown so I had to quieten my ‘inner bitch’ and get down to it.
I found exercising from home is without doubt one of the most tedious things to do,and don’t let anyone tell you any different, it is very hard to apply yourself. So having to knuckle down and get to it was just pure will power before we could return back to the gym.
improve your performance you can clear your mind on what you want to do and how you are going to get there.
By using the Rogan staple of the kettlebell and Youtube experts in breaking my soft lockdown body into something that will resemble an aesthetically pleasing appearance. (Yes I am vain). Although it was hard work, it did help me get my strength up to speed pretty quickly, and serve as a good base when the gyms reopened.
Like anything in life, I always knew there would be positive results if I just took focused action. Regardless of the consequences, things will not be the same once you step up and make the choice to make effective change.
Once the reopening had occurred, it made it a lot easier mentally as I could leave the house and change the regime to keep it fresh. If it was just swinging the kettlebell like a mad monkey for 60 days, that would have been tough on keeping the momentum going and gaining long term success. The interpretation of getting uncomfortable I believe can be applied to not mean quitting your job and making a living from your street poetry. One suggestion I would make is to really assess your daily goals to push your performance. With this you really can see huge differences and you can move away from the safety of an average performance from one that is not going to get you fired, however it does leave you stagnant professionally Moreover, by taking the challenge to
The Result.
With regard to exercise. I found that this also fed into positive self talk and happiness. Once I got over the first week of torture and pain, having a non negotiable 3 times a week minimum of sessions at the gym it became a habit. Although every time my brain was saying that I had better things to do with my time, afterwards you really do thank yourself for making the effort and the results do show pretty quickly. A Lot of people who read this are working full time along with other commitments, which no doubt lead to time restriction. A way to solve this if you cannot attend a gym is to purchase some weights and go use a Youtube channel.I know it’s not my favourite, but you can get started and gain that valuable primary momentum.
P - 19
On a professional level I would say that there have been a lot of improvements. By being self employed you always have to be proactive in feeding yourself. So the mantra I use when you just start to take your foot of the gas, is to do something today that you’ll thank yourself for in one month. I have always found that in a B2B level there is a longer pay off, so you have to keep pushing in what sometimes can seem like a dark tunnel, So you really do have to get uncomfortable and keep the momentum going forward. This had a net positive effect on me as I now have a regimented structure between non negotiable work time, and non negotiable exercise time. With this there is a lot more focus to get your tasks completed. To help this make the list, goals and more importantly rewards from taking these positive steps. In a quantifiable assessment I would say that there is a difference in earnings from having this structure and mindset, based upon the deals that had started post the new regime. That in itself has been a huge reason to continue this.
Moreover, honourable mentions must also go taking a look at eradicating some of the more negative elements to your life, whether these are people or practices. I can guarantee you that these will come once you start the program and you are making tangible change, you will experience the passive aggression of those who fear change in themselves. Try to surround yourself with people who are also more forward thinking. I am not saying join some happy clappy positive cult where people can only talk on positive mantras, just try and keep the majority of your day in the positive. Believe me, this helps tremendously. One final note, I found that by having outside projects, it helps you if you do not find your day job to mentally stimulating. This can offer you a mental escape from the daily grind by taking one hour every night to get things moving. Take a look at how much time you waste every night staring aimlessly at your phone, this is a golden time to use for building your new empire! Get it started, get it done and welcome to your new life! You can watch all of Joe Rogans podcasts on his Spotify channel
5Comply GABRIEL STYLLAS CEO & Founder at 5Comply
Becoming a Crypto Asset Service Provider in Cyprus; Everything You Need to Know Crypto asset service providers is a new concept that was introduced in Cyprus with the transposition of the Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive into national legislation. The amended AML legislation was introduced on 25 June 2021 and regulates the digital registry of crypto asset service providers. The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) that is the financial regulator in Cyprus, will be regulating the operation and supervision of the crypto-registry as well. Q How is this new legislation important for cryptos? This recent regulatory development is considered of paramount importance because, licensed crypto-asset providers will be able to provide amongst others, regulated cryptocurrency exchange services. This is a very positive step for Cyprus in becoming a key jurisdiction for crypto service providers. We believe that, this development will attract crypto service providers
from all over the world, as registered crypto-providers in Cyprus will be considered credible institutions. So far in Cyprus and in Europe in general, the lack of regulations and guidelines in the crypto-field has imposed legal and regulatory risks for investors, due to inadequate AML/CFT policies adopted in relation to cryptos. The regulation of cryptos marks the beginning of a new era towards the acceptance of digital cryptocurrencies in Cyprus. This will play a critical role on the way Cyprus banks treat cryptos as well. Q What are the requirements to apply for a crypto-asset licence? Initially, to apply for the crypto-licence you need to have an entity incorporated in Cyprus. In addition, four directors will be required; two of them acting as executive and two as non-executive directors. At least three of them must be Cyprus residents. CySEC will
P - 21
perform an assessment of their knowledgment and experience in order to evaluate whether they satisfy the ‘fit and proper’ test. It is further required for the crypto-provider to have a fully operational office located in Cyprus where local resident staff members need to be hired on a full-time basis to fulfil the key functions of the company. There is a minimum number of personnel that needs to be hired, based on the type of licence selected. The application to become a crypto-asset service provider is expected to take approximately 6 months and there are currently two options of licences based on different capital requirements; the €125,000 licence and the €150,000 licence. Based on the €125,000 licence, the crypto provider will be able to provide (a) Reception & Transmission; (b) Execution of orders on behalf of clients; (c) Portfolio management; (d) Investment advice;
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
(e) Exchange between cryptocurrencies and fiat money; (f) Cryptocurrency asset exchange; (g) Participation and / or provision of financial services on distribution, supply and / or sale of cryptocurrencies, including the initial offering; (h) Placing of crypto-assets without a firm commitment basis. With the €150,000 licence, the crypto provider will be able to offer all the above along with (i) management, transfer, retention, and / or safekeeping, including the depositary of cryptocurrency assets or cryptographic keys or means that allow control over cryptocurrencies; ( j) Underwriting and/or placing of crypto-assets on a firm commitment basis; (k) operation of a multilateral trading facility in which interested parties for buying and selling crypto assets may interact in a way that results in a transaction. We can see that CySEC has provided different options in order for the crypto-provider to be able to choose according to his business model.
Q Can you currently apply to become a crypto-asset provider? CySEC is yet to announce the official procedure for applying to become a licensed Crypto Asset Provider but based on CySEC’s press release in March regarding the Cyprus Capital Market, this is expected within 2021. Q What do crypto-asset providers need to have in mind in terms of legislative obligations, once they register?
However, the valuations in the crypto market are determined by demand and supply and if any overreaction in the market occurs, will be corrected in the long term. Whatever the case, its acceptance by the government authorities is implied among others, by the issuance of relevants laws and by the fact that several countries have already launched their own cryptocurrencies. Q How can FiveComply assist crypto-service providers?
We need to remember that, the rationale of the competent authorities for including cryptos under the European AML framework is to mitigate and prevent the risks that arise from cryptocurrencies, especially in relation to ML. Hence, the crypto-registry will oblige the crypto-providers to adhere to the AML rules and procedures that apply to traditional financial institutions i.e. apply due diligence procedures, monitor and report suspicious transactions, provide ownership transparency, etc.
Our team can provide you with full support, guidance and assistance in applying for a crypto-licence. As this is a newly-established regulatory area, we believe that our expertise and knowledge in the field can play an important role in yielding positive results with your CySEC application. We can also provide continuous support after acquisition of your licence, in order for your firm to remain compliant and up-to-date according to the latest legislative and regulatory provisions.
Q What do you believe about the future of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology?
We understand that questions might be raised concerning the crypto-field and we are more than happy to discuss with interested parties about their options and any questions they might have about the crypto-licences. We always aim to give priority to each client’s individuality and needs by providing tailored-made advice.
In my opinion cryptos are here to stay. As a technology — blockchain and its lubricating cryptocurrencies will transform finance and the internet towards centralisation. Blockchain and cryptocurrency will be a major platform of innovative disruption in the upcoming decades.
P - 23
Speakers Corner Is London dead? ANONYMOUS I am probably going to come into some flak here for not following Boris Johnson’s example of wrapping myself in the flag, along with jingoistically talking up the country and city that I work in. My reason for this is, over the last several years a constant thought has been on my mind when I think of our industry in London, namely how much longer can the London retail market sustain itself? Now before anyone starts frothing at the mouth, let me explain my thought process. I do not mean the long established spread betting companies that also added on a metaquotes solution to their service. These can no doubt be classified as world leading in their field, having been developed in the halcyon days of the city. Further to this, they have developed their own world leading software which has no doubt led to them being leaders in the spread betting market. However, what about the next two levels of retail FX shops, such as the start up and the brand that is around for say five years.
My way of logic extended to looking at the standard MT4/5 brokerage that as a brand was started here, not the brands from far off shores who obtained an FCA license to operate in the city. Having seen how these often operate, they appear to have the standard FX consultant who talked the owner into getting a UK license and installing him as the CEO. More often than not, they often implement their whole technical ecosystem based upon kickback arrangements from the various providers, rather than based i[on the sophistication of technology and whether it is a good fit for their brand. What is the real point in having an FCA license? Well it is good for your banking solution, which we all know is getting harder by the day to solve. From a client perspective, the license adds ‘credibility’ despite in all probability they will not fall under this regulatory umbrella. That’s pretty much it. With regards to a lot of other international brands that have come over here. I believe that they have always
seen the license as just a step up from sponsoring a good football team in marketing terms. Of no real use to anyone, but only to a certain subset of clients who think that this is the gold standard...which sadly it isn’t.. Let’s be very honest here. 95% of FX brokerages in London run on a B Book, which the chances are they are executed in one of their many offshore entities. The only way most of us can survive is by operating on this model, where on the one hand we laugh at what we claim are banana republics, yet on the other we should be pledging allegiance to their flag every morning for giving us the ability to keep our business running. It would be a fair assumption to make that you cannot start off as a brokerage and believe you can exist 100% on UK based clients, unlike our spread betting predecessors of yesteryear. They are not that profitable on our bottom line when we add in the sky high marketing costs in generating one UK lead, you need an owner with very deep pockets and a lot of patience to make this viable. I think that the local brokerages can learn a lesson from our international competitors. When I attend expos both in Europe and in Asia, I am always amazed at how innovative and adaptable other smaller countries offer real solutions by way of technology that actually adds something to the service. Further to this,
any online marketing needs are streets ahead when you use the proven professionals from these regions. The last fifteen years we have been far outstripped for talent, for knowledge, marketing expertise and even compliance knowledge. We had every competitive advantage over countries such as Israel and Cyprus and they have blown us out of the water when it comes to making and developing start up brands into mature profitable businesses...where did it all go wrong? London appears to have a misplaced self confidence from a long history of English exceptionalism, which may be correct when we look at the real institutional business conducted regarding billion GBP transactions. However, I believe that like many other industries we have priced ourselves out of the market, with high salaries that do not give much bang for their buck (or Pound in this case), exacerbated by sky high real estate prices for a tiny office space. When I started just over twenty years ago in financial service sales, people did seem to be more hungry as sales was a great way to start a career off. This is not meant to be a rant of a middle aged person jealous of the youth coming through. I think this shows that we have lost the dynamism that once made this city great. We had many retail sized stock brokerages that would run along the same lines as their retail FX brokerage
P - 25
cousins. Why did they never transfer that buccaneering spirit into FX? By taking this easy money of setting up what is effectively a skeleton organisational structure made solely to appease the regulator. It will inevitably lead to the slow asphyxiation of an industry that had every chance to be the world leader. It would be easy to say that the other countries may appear to have the upper hand in being legally ‘flexible’, however we could also have opened a brand there and reaped the rewards. Moreover, having dealt with and have many connections in the compliance industry in Cyprus. In some aspects it is more stringent than the UK. The government is not supporting the local business in a way that can make it grow. We appear to be going more towards the framework in the United States rather than the more business friendly approach that we are often told we are going to get, but is sadly never delivered. My real fear is that Brexit will lead to the loss of more business, as we have already seen with Amsterdam out performing London for share trading. Further to this,
the UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has admitted that the UK’s discussion with the EU have come to an end with no resolution being found with regards to financial services, which will inevitably lead to a less competitive environment. What will be the point of LDN? Will we just become a clearing house for the corrupt and a lowering of standards? Sadly I think this will be the case,as we need to be working in ever closer unions and transnational partnerships to win the new business, and not cheering our leaders when they announce a new trade deal for tariff free deal with Vanuatu! Although I am not advocating the death of London as one of the world’s leading financial hubs, I definitely think that the clock is ticking on us for the retail FX space if we don’t get some help in the form of a regulator that is there to help business rather than kill it. Perhaps the best analogy is the old UK car industry where we have just too many middle managers who are playing it too safe, which inevitably leads to the slow managed decline of an industry. We need to offer an environment where we can have the future Elon Musks of retail FX, not the designers of the Austin Allegro!
Andria Papageorgiou Law Firm ANDRIA PAPAGEORGIOU Founder and CEO
Q Congratulations on starting your own legal practice (Andria Papagerogiou Law Firm), what made you go out on your own? Thank you, Paul, it is a great pleasure for me doing this interview with you, giving me the opportunity to be expressed and heard. From a very young age, I always wanted to be independent and my own ‘boss’. Probably this mindset was developed by the fact that I was raised by two workaholic entrepreneurs, my mum and dad. I remember my younger self during the summer months, when school was closed, always working at my parents’ family business (unrelated to the legal practice) to earn my pocket money. Spending so much time closed to them is a memory I will always cherish. Years ago, I had the idea of going out on my own at some time, but I was not courage enough to take the decision to make the first step, until recently when my daughter was born and I started thinking about it every single day. Suddenly, I started planning in my mind how some things could change and be better, how to make things in a different way for the general good, how to create an impact so others can follow. All I was thinking about was how achieve things from zero, so I can hopefully be my daughter’s hero one day. So, this is how my childish goal slowly became an idea and then a plan and today, this is, thankfully, my reality. I’ve had quite few jobs in my life, both in legal practice and financial services sector, but my favorites have been the ones where I’m working for myself. The others… not so much, although I am always thankful for the knowledge, experiences and wisdom gained out of them. Whenever I’ve had a “real” boss, I always found myself thinking that I could do things better, more efficiently or for less money. Usually, these ideas and suggestions were frowned upon by my supervisors. I guess no one wanted to hear ideas from the new ‘guy’, especially when you are a lady. It is tough to have your hard work and time rejected, especially when you only wanted to do what’s best for the client and of course the best interest of the business. Eventually this breeds resentment which in turn leads to plain ‘ol not-giving-a-damn. That is the worst
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
employee you can have. I never wanted to be that employee, so I decided to put my own ideas to work and do things my way. I took the decision to start my own business, ready and willing to face all the ups and especially the downs. Q With so many high quality local firms out there, what are you adding to the ecosystem? The sky has infinite space for all the stars; hence I believe that there is space for everyone. Of course, what makes each one of us special and unique is how we handle our clients’ matters, because it is not only B2B and B2C; it is also H2H (i.e. human to human). Our practice is structured in such a way so as to offer our clients the opportunity to get a tailored and robust legal support with legal insight and a business instinct, where appropriate. Our target is to always meet or even exceed the clients’ expectations and always be at their disposal, providing them with less headaches. Q Is there a specific area you are focusing on? Currently, we are focusing on Corporate, Business, Banking and Finance, Employment, Real Estate, Intellectual Property matters, Corporate and Forex Litigation, Data Protection, Regulatory consulting (i.e. general compliance, AML etc.) and Licensing in EU and offshore jurisdictions. Q Having worked in FX for many years for various FX brands, do you think this helps you understand the FX legal framework better? Definitely. During the time I was working in various FX brands, I have the chance to cooperate with a lot of external lawyers (both local and international) who were struggling to understand how the general forex industry works. Working solely in legal practice, you tend to see things from a quite different angle, l acking sometimes significant business and operational insights; I used to be in that position once. Instead, if you experience things from both the in-house perspective and from the external lawyer’s angle, you end up with a growth mindset and you see things in a more spherical way, looking ahead to the bigger picture of matters.
Q What plans do you have for your brand over the next two years? Currently, my Law Firm is a newborn business. Therefore, I hope that in two years’ time from now, it will grow efficiently and consistently, keeping its values and ethics unaltered. Q Is there a specific type of client that uses your services? Every Client (whether a physical or legal person) has a story to tell and a case to be handled with respect, professionalism, due skill, care and diligence. Q The local FX industry is continually going through changes on a legislative basis, will it become more challenging to open a brand here over the next five years? Everything changes and change is good; without change, there is no progress. Any industry, FX in this case, has its challenges. These challenges are what make us grow and improvise as well as enhance our practices and broaden our horizons and knowledge so as to be in parallel with the new ‘trends’ and therefore assist our Clients in the best efficient and practical way. Q What’s the best way for people to learn more about your services? They can visit the Firm’s website (https://apapageorgiou.com) or even contact us directly (i.e. via Social Media/ Email/Telephone) to discuss further.
Andria Papageorgiou Founder and CEO of Andria Papageorgiou Law Firm
GC:Investigates
Ohio Dad Booked 6 Flights Just to Join His Flight Attendant Daughter During Her Christmas Shifts
As GC spends an unhealthy amount of time on Linkedin, we decided it is time to investigate the real* story behind some of the most viral posts that you see on the platform. In this edition we saw a huge amount of people posting this image on their feeds...but what is the real story behind the image?**...Let GC dig for the truth!
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
Poor Stuart Doorhandle had the misfortune of suffering from pistanthrophobia, which the medical profession has labelled for the phobia of getting emotionally hurt, or not being able to trust your partner in a consenting adult relationship. In his younger years, Stuart was gainfully employed as a baggage handler at Les Dennis International airport,
where he developed quite an attraction to flight attendants based on their deadeyes smiles and having the wonderful ability to add every makeup product featured within the flight catalogue to their face.. For Stuart his job was a match made in heaven,with Friday nights spent with a different maiden of the air. Both his physical and emotional attachment to air hostesses, sadly led to a long track record of various whirlwind romances, followed by relationship break down and finally divorce from these mile high mavericks of food service. As the years passed, Stuart found solace in his life with his daughter becoming a flight attendant. Although initially he was incredibly happy that she had graduated to serve both hot and cold drinks at over 10,000 feet, sadly Stuart’s pistanthrophobia reared its ugly face again, leading him to project his personal fears and develop wolf-like in his protection of his daughter. On a monthly basis, Stuart could be found booking multiple flights to cover Emily’s roster taking him to many of Europe’s premier third and fourth tier airports. By taking a look at his Instagram profile, his followers could see tired eyed selfies holding his latest e-ticket to clarify to the viewer that he had moved from A to B. From Stuart’s valuable aerial experience, he knew that he could annex that valuable extra legroom by breaking the absolute no go fourth wall of travel by making extended discussions with the person sitting next to you. With the wheels going up, Stuart took this as his cue to aimlessly drift beyond the internationally agreed chat demarcation lines, and could often be
found exposing vast and elaborate conspiracy theories about the popular air miles program being nothing more than a tracking device for the global elite. Sadly due him being destroyed financially by multiple divorces from the flying femme fatalles, Stuart encouraged Emily to work for a low cost airlines as the multiple daily flights were eating into his meagre savings. With that Emilys dream of representing one of the major flag carriers disappearing faster than her ankle shape from fluid build up from too many flights, she claimed her future and treasured every moment with her father who became affectionately known as ‘crazy Stu’ to his fellow travellers. Sadly this is the last known picture of Stuart and Emily before his health deteriorated from a 16 year dietary existence of aeroplane food, and washing himself with baby wipes within the restricted confines of the onboard toilet. The lessons we can learn from this tale is that it is perfectly fine to impose and project your way of life, and possibly your crumbling world view /sanity on your children. Even when they leave home and have a job that geographically aims to put as much distance between the two of you.You must be like a lead weight around your child’s dreams at all costs! We salute you Stuart! *None of this is true and should not be treated as such. **Seriously, this is all made up..
Game Changers Magazine
Lifestyle
GC:TRAVEL Must-Visit Places In Northern Pakistan PAULA CABILDO Travel Writer
My taste in traveling is a bit unique and more on the adventurous side. While people enjoy extravagant travels, I enjoy the simplicity of camping sites. People see beauty in luxury hotels, but I feel at peace with ruins. I feel happy to visit different temples regardless of my religion. So when people asked me what is next on my travel list, people would usually be in disbelief when I say “Pakistan”. Contrary to popular belief, Pakistan is a safe country to visit, and even solo female travelers proved it on their social media handles. Moreover, it’s a relatively peaceful place, unlike what was presented in the news and circulating in the online world. Before the pandemic, my dream is to travel Northern Pakistan. I’ve seen the beauty of Pakistan on Instagram. I’ve done my research and also watched blogs and read reviews online. And with the assurance from travel vloggers and wanderlust, I’m convinced that Pakistan should be on my list. According to some of the most famous travel vloggers, no words can describe the beauty of Northern Pakistan. Some even call it “the New Zealand of Asia”.
Pakistan is blessed with majestic mountain views covered in snow during the cold season (Yes! it snows in Pakistan!) Although my Pakistan trip was pushed back due to the Covid-19 situation, allow me to share with you the places included in my itinerary. Check out these places, and hopefully these will convince you to visit Northern Pakistan at least once in your life! Fairy Meadows Also called “heaven on earth,” Fairy Meadows are wide grassy meadows sitting on 3,300 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by dense alpine forest and a backdrop of snowy Nanga Parbat, the 9th highest mountain in the world. But before you can set foot on this majestic place, you need to have a brave heart to conquer a windy and narrow mountain road. This is the only way to reach Fairy Meadows. So if you are adventurous and looking for a breathtaking view after crossing the 2nd most dangerous road in the planet (as ranked by World Health Organization in 2013), then these beautiful Meadows should be included in your travel list.
Skardu It is a city located in the Gilgit-Baltistan region and is the capital of the Skardu District. It’s located at an elevation of over 7,300 feet. You literally have a bit of everything — blue skies, clear waters, magnificent mountain views, and greens that cover almost the entire place. The most iconic place in Skardu is the Shangrila Resort, Skardu. It was established in 1983 and is the first resort hotel ever built in Skardu. It offers an enchanting view of Upper and Lower Kachura Lake. The heart-shaped lake is covered in lush greens during summer and coated in snow during the winter. Whatever season it is, Skardu gives you the best nature view.
Photo Credit: www.kpkhotels.com
Lake Saiful This mountainous lake is located at the northern end of Kaghan Valley. Its crystal clear waters present a picturesque reflection of the mountains whose beauty is sure to bring out the poet in everyone.
Photo Credit: www.ifsqn.com
Hunza Valley It’s a mountainous region that lies in the northern part of Gilgit-Baltistan and in the border of Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor to the north, and the Xinjiang region of China to the northeast. Hunza Valley supports agriculture and is blessed with every piece of nature mountains, valleys, fertile lands.
Kunjerab Pass Known as the highest international border, Kunjerab Pass connects northern Pakistan and China at an elevation of 4693 meters. The stunning border is covered in snow during the winter and is a popular tourist destination and an Instagram-worthy place.
GC: LUXURY ZELAJET If you are operating at the apex of any industry, then in the opinion of GC there is no better way of travelling than by private jet. If you believe that travelling in a private jet is just reserved for billionaire Tik Tok stars, then you are completely wrong. Imagine this scenario.You’re close to pulling off the perfect negotiation for your business when the clock reminds you that it’s nearly time to catch your return flight home; you hurry your decisions, and you are less likely to strike a favourable deal. Such a scenario won’t apply to you if you are a private jet traveller for the simple reason that time will be on your side...why would you not fly private? Not only does flying private make business sense, but it can make you healthier as well. Air travelling can be daunting with many suffering from the so-called “airport stress”, which is caused by long queues, the uncertainty of procedures and crowds. Private jet companies work against “airport stress”, enhancing privacy and making airport procedures fast and hassle-free. When you are allowed to board away from the crowds, bring your liquids on board and travel with your cat or dog in the cabin, your “airport stress” will drop significantly giving you a chance to actually enjoy travelling. Here are the reasons why GC loves to fly private... You are in charge of your schedule. Take off and landing times, unlike any commercial flight, can be rescheduled at short notice to suit unexpected longer meetings or accommodate possible changes of plan. Flexibility for passengers is maximal, and it’s not uncommon to reroute to an alternative destination than initially requested. Boarding procedures last only 15 minutes from arrival to take off: Passengers fly on a private jet because of the high schedule flexibility ensured by smoother boarding procedures, faster journeys, and no risk of flight disruptions caused by strikes. Private Jet Terminals: Once at the airport, private jet passengers don’t share terminals with commercial airline passengers. On the contrary, they head through dedicated private-jet terminals also called Fixed Base Operators (FBOs). At the FBO passen-
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
gers are welcomed by the desk staff and can usually make themselves comfortable by grabbing a coffee or a magazine. Thanks to record boarding times, however, passengers don’t often spend long lounging at the FBO. All transfers are taken care of upon arrival: As the aeroplane hits the tarmac, there is always a limousine, taxi or helicopter ready to escort passengers to their next destination. You can increase your productivity by 150% Business Aviation drives an increase of about 150% in productive working time thanks to the absence of layovers in-between airports, which prevents employees from having to work intermittently. Private jets also recreate the perfect conditions for silence and concentration when this is needed. By flying in a private jet, it goes as far as allowing your
four-legged friend to nestle around you while flying, recreating the same productive environment of your home office. Fewer restrictions on board and more tolerance for carry-on baggage and liquids also contribute to creating efficiencies for passengers. When passengers fly on a multi-trip journey for business, they can visit multiple customers on the same day, thus leveraging costs. Although prices for flights are still higher than business class tickets, apart from empty leg flights, companies and individuals can invest in productivity. You travel safe and sound. By nature, private jets favour privacy and confidentiality. A quiet place on board a private jet can encourage concentration and the discussion of confidential matters when travelling as a team. Passengers on their way to their destinations can discuss sensitive topics and prepare for their next meetings. FBO airport procedures are designed to avoid intrusive questions from security staff, and passengers don’t have to station in crowded places, which are more likely to become the target of terrorist attacks. You have more time for you and your family Business Aviation can save up to 2 hours of travel time on each trip, giving you the chance to travel faster and help achieve a healthier work-life balance. You have more time for yourself and can successfully invest in the preparation of your next meeting as well as having more time to spend with your loved ones. With all these reasons to do it, you will kick yourself
with all the time you have wanted in your life by not doing this before! Game Changers spoke with leading private jet hire brand, Zelajet, who offer a large selection of private jets and helicopters that can take you in style to any location that you need. With Cyprus businesses experiencing a rise in demand for a local service facilitating private jet travel, Zelajet is offering individual private luxury flights to some of the most popular destinations on the planet. Further to this, the Zetajet service gives you access to turbo props, light and heavy jets, all the way up to 150 seat executive airliners to cater for your every need. Chairman of Zelajet Andreas Christodoulides has a future vision for Zelajet that offers a more tailored service to incorporate the modern health challenges that international travel will now operate within. “Exclusivity is essential to our approach, as we seek to offer efficient and reliable responses to specific needs at competitive pricing and based on a range of aircraft.” An additional service to offer a truly bespoke travel experience, is to take a helicopter transfer once you land at your destination.Using either their twin or single engine helicopters you can access any location by just making one call to Zelajet. With FX volumes booming over the past two years, it’s now the era of private travel!
For more information please contact Konstantinos Zoulias by email kz@zelajet.com or via the website zelajet.com
GC: FEMME
Guide to summer 2021!
Summer is GC’s favorite time of year where we can unwind on a beach bed, and feel the ocean lap against our feet. Grab your favorite cocktail and have a read of our summer 21 must haves!
Model Ashley Rossi. Instagram: ashleyrossixo
BRAND: Inamorata NAME: Amara - Top COST: € 94 NAME: Amara - Bottom COST: € 94 www.inamoratawoman.com
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
BRAND: Fendi NAME: Beige Raffle Slides COST: $6500 HKD www.fendi.com
BRAND: Fendi NAME: Fendi Sunshine Medium COST: $21,800 HKD www.fendi.com
P - 41
BRAND: Brunello Cucinelli NAME: Woven boating hat COST: € 690 www.brunellocucinelli.com
BRAND: Saint Laurent Eyewear NAME: Loulou heart sunglasses COST: € 358 www.ysl.com Photo credit : Farfetch
BRAND: Missoni Mare NAME: Embroidered beach shorts. COST: € 301 www.missoni.com Photo credit : Farfetch
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
BRAND: Nodaleto NAME: Bulla babies Mary Jane pumps COST: € 710 www.nodaleto.com PICTURE CREDIT: Farfetch
BRAND: Missoni Mare NAME: Embroidered beach shorts COST: € 301 www.missoni.com PICTURE CREDIT: Farfetch
P - 43
GC:HOMME SUMMER 2021
RAND: Ermenegildo Zegna AME: Capri slim fit mid ngth printed swim shorts OST: 210GBP ww.zegna.com
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
BRAND: Paul Smith NAME: Mid length printed swim shorts COST: 126 GBP www.paulsmith.com
BRAND: Emporio Armani NAME: Logo print beach towel COST: €156 www.armani.com
BRAND: Supreme NAME: Gucci Mane print t shirt COST: € 1.160 www.streetwearofficial.com Picture credit: Farfetch
BRAND: Stussy NAME: Graphic print cotton t-shirt COST: € 940 www.stussy.com Picture credit: Farfetch
BRAND: Tod’s NAME: Crew neck sweater in linen and cotton COST: € 448 www. tods.com Picture credit: Farfetch
BRAND: Valentino NAME: Camou7 print logo backpack COST: € 890 www. valentino.com Picture credit: Farfetch
P - 47
BRAND: Thom Browne NAME: RWB stripe six panel baseball cap. COST: € 414 www.thombrowne.com Picture credit:
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
BRAND: Briston Watches NAME: Clubmaster GMT traveller stainless steel watch COST: € 1.250 www.briston-watches.com Picture credit: Farfetch
BRAND: Giorgio Armani NAME: Square frame sunglasses COST: € 196 www.armani.com Picture credit: Farfetch
BRAND: Persol NAME: Tortoiseshell frame COST: €264 www.persol.com Picture credit: Farfetch
P - 49
GC:EAT WOLFGANGS STEAK HOUSE 6 Amathountos Avenue, Moutagiakka, 4531 Tel.: 25 944 004
Echoing my favorite podcaster Tim Dillon, I cannot beat the alluring siren song of the corporate steakhouse. I consider myself to be a remarkably predictable person, and when I eat steak I want it to be predictable. As I view it as king of all the food stuffs, I am not looking for new and innovative ways of cooking steak, I am just looking for a good cut of meat, grilled to the perfect reddish pinkness of medium rare, at a temperature that can give me the ability to push it into the hole in my face as fast as possible.
With that being said, for this edition of GC:EAT we paid a visit to the granddaddy of the local corporate steakhouses Wolfgang’s SteakHouse, opposite Guaba in Limassol. I had driven past many times over the years and had never ventured over the threshold, for fear of breaking the heart of my beloved Columbia Steakhouse. I have always loved Columbia, perhaps like the many who are reading this who have spent countless hours in its wonderfully lit interior, on an expense account getting slowly inebriated on the company dime.
I would always dismiss any discussion of Wolfgangs being the superior establishment, despite having never visited, and I would enact a steak based fatwa on anyone who claimed differently. So without delay, and with everyone in Limassol deciding to eat out that night, fortune favoured Wolfgangs leading me to book a table, as it appeared to be the last place in the city not to be booked up. Placing myself under a micro food fast from midday until the sizzling hot plates of bespoke cut cow, I was ready for a taste sensation. With this being the first visit to the establishment by myself and my glamorous dining companion, we were very impressed as soon as we walked in. A warm welcome, nice lighting and not an arctic blast of cold air from the AC. I was planning to sit inside as I was looking to regain the sensation of a real dining experience, however, the weather was beautiful and the outside decor looked aesthetically very pleasing. If I had one criticism, and this is probably aimed at myself being too vain and needing to wear glasses more than the establishment itself, I did find the
menu very hard to read. I had to put it by the low light on the table and try to read it. Based upon the confused looks my dining companion was giving me, it appeared that she thought I had several psychiatric issues with my many many angles i held the menu to see if it would reveal its secrets to me... After we had navigated my visual deficiencies we ordered 2 fillet steaks (on the bone) along with side orders of garlic spinach and steak fries. Normally, you can order lots of sides when you go to a steakhouse, and you do have the huge choice here. However, the waitress was kind enough to let us know that the portion size was large so just two would do easily. We began with the Beverly Hills salad, which was a great fusion of sweet and salad, and weirdly came with no leaves. WIth the sizzling meat filled plates being placed to the right of each of us, the server sliced the steak with surgical precision and the tender meat slid from the central pillar of meat and slid down the angled dish to collect the juice from the steak ...a very promising start.
The wine was a fantastic bottle of white from Santorini, where it was chosen in coordination between my dining partner and the Sommelier. Normally this can result in financial ruin, however a very nice accompaniment to a great meal. I can count the number of times that I have drank wine with a meal, and this matched the dish very well. For those who are wine fascists out there, please refrain from sending me your grape based rage via email, we were drinking white instead of red as we were both not into it, moreover it was a hot night and the wine was ice cold.
There is a great choice of deserts, however we were both slipping into a meat based delerium with our bodies going into standby mode in an attempt to digest the food. With that we left Wolfgangs very happy, very full and nicely buzzed from whe wine. There are those of the persuasion that might claim that it is a little overpriced (and they have probably never visited), I wouldn’t agree with this. When you factor in the professionalism and knowledge of the service, along with some of the best steak I have ever eaten it is worth every penny. We will return!
P - 53
GC:FITNESS Physiotherapy Tips : 5 Ways To Give Your Body New Life LUIS RIBEIRO Founder of Club Health www.clubhealth.uk
Wisdom and knowledge only work when they are shared. At Club Health, we have no inhibitions in sharing physiotherapy tips that will give your body new life. Today, we put a list of ways you can instantly change your routine, mindset and body instantly. Read carefully and get some quick wins that your body will thank you for.
Physiotherapy Tip #1: Listen To Your Body We know this might sound vague and idealistic, but
GAME CHANGERS Issue #34
this is actually one of the most important skills you need to develop. Listening, in general, is indeed a skill and listening to your body also falls under that realm. Our body is always talking to us. Think about it for a sec: hungry, thirsty, sleepy. These are all ways in which our body is letting us know that it’s in need of something. The reason we listen to our body in the aforementioned scenarios, is because we actually can’t afford to turn the other way. Food, sleep and water are kind of important when you want to stay alive. The thing is, those are not the only cases that our body is talking to us.
Here are some instances our body is reaching out to us but we don’t necessarily do something about it: • • • • • •
Sore neck Stiff lower back Lack of mobility in arms/legs Pain from bad posture Minor discomfort in the way you sit Exhaustion at work/gym
We’re pretty sure you can identify yourself in some of the examples listed above and we’re even more confident that you skip past these warnings, these messages your body is trying to tell you. There’s no need to feel bad about it. We all do it. We live in a world where we have to get so many things done on a daily basis. We have to be professionals, friends, brothers, sisters, spouses, athletes and if there’s time left, ourselves, that we’ve learned to push through. Minor discomforts, soreness and tiredness seem as the natural price to pay in order to get things done. While we fully understand and admire the mindset, we do feel there needs to be a better balance between mental toughness and the damage we exert on our body.
At Club Health, we think of a workout as the time you need to set aside in order to connect with your body. The time you devote to listen and engage with your vessel of existence.
Listening is a preservation mechanism. Addressing these messages from your body will not only fix the problems in the shortterm but it will allow you to have full control and use of your body into your later years.
A workout routine could be either of the following: • Breathing exercises • Exercises to improve your posture • Or even visit your physiotherapists for a session of remedial massage therapy
When you wake up tomorrow morning sit on the bed for a minute and listen to your body. What’s bothering you? Do your joints, muscles, neck and back feel ok? Do the same thing at night. Listen. What is your body trying to tell you?
What we are looking to establish here is consistency – the keyword in the title is routine. Workouts come in all ways, shapes, forms and intensities that is up to you and your physiotherapist to decide on what’s best for you.
Physiotherapy Tip #2: Implement A Workout Routine Don’t let the word workout spook you. A workout is not necessarily referring to lifting weights, running sprints or doing burpees.
What’s important is to understand the importance of giving your body the time it deserves on a daily basis.
Physiotherapy Tip #3: Hydrate On Schedule, Not Need If you only drink water when you are thirsty, you are doing it wrong. Drinking water at the right intervals and right quantities could do wonders for you.
Here are a few of the main hydration benefits: • Assists cardiovascular health • Allows muscles and joints to function better • Keeps your skin healthy • It helps internal organs maintain their capabilities
Switch up the type of exercise you indulge in, get more rest and be more selective with the quality of food you choose to fuel your body with. Age should bring adjustments. It’s not a stop sign, but merely a hurdle and what do we do with hurdles? We jump over them.
We do understand that running to the kitchen to get a glass of water can be difficult to maintain or keep up.
Physiotherapy Tip #5: Use Your Physio As An Advisor
Thankfully for you, there are a multitude of hydration apps to choose from in order to keep your hydration levels high. Carry a bottle with you and don’t you skip any reminders.
Physiotherapy Tip #4: Don’t Let Age Discourage You This is more of a piece of advice rather than a tip, but we couldn’t keep it out of the list since we come across it on a daily basis at the Club. Age has nothing to do with trying to better your life. That’s a life-long pursuit. It’s never too late to start, it’s never too late to improve. Whether it’s changes in your nutrition, your workout, stretching, breathing or sleep, they are always welcome and will always yield results. Optimizing your body’s output and living a life worth living is not a young man’s sport. Life gets busy and there are periods we can’t do as much for our bodies as we ought to. That’s absolutely fine as long as we pick ourselves up and get back on the horse. The pursuit of feeling great physically is not made up of singular activities. It is an amalgamation of mini-projects that are tied to each other and have flow and continuity. Exercise, sleep, stretching, massage, nutrition and hydration are all cogs of a large wheel we call healthy life. The one pushes or pulls the other. It’s important to understand that while you might naturally have more power to exercise when you are younger, that doesn’t mean you need to stop when you are older. What you need to do is adjust, not stop.
Issue #34
Let’s start with a few statements: • Physiotherapy is not just for athletes • Physiotherapy is not only related to injuries Now that we’ve established what physiotherapy is not, let’s tell you what physiotherapy is and how you can use it to your advantage. Physiotherapists are knowledgeable about the body in general. Not just joints and muscle groups. Instead of merely relating physiotherapy to a massage table and manual work, you should think of it as a library of information that you can learn from. Call you physiotherapist and bounce ideas off each other. Talk about the nagging pains, the uncomfortable sleep patterns. Their expertise in nutrition, kinesiology, and overall well-being can infuse seemingly minor changes to your daily routine that can yield humongous results. Stop considering your physiotherapist as the person you reach out to when there is absolute need and start thinking about them as someone who can contribute more often and in ways you didn’t think it was possible.
ISSUE #34
THE JOURNAL FOR INDUSTRY LEADERS
www.gchangersmag.com info@gchangersmag.com
