Cabinet reappoints senior regulatory figures at CBC and CySEC

The government has renewed appointments at two of the island’s main financial regulators and named an academic to the casino watchdog, following decisions taken by the cabinet on Wednesday. Ioannis Charilaou has been reappointed as a non-executive member of the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) board for a further five years, from October 21, 2026, until October 20, 2031. A chartered certified accountant, Charilaou has served on the board since October 2016, making this his third consecutive term. He previously served as president of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) between 2013 and 2015 and was a member of Hellenic Bank’s board from 2005 to 2014, where he also held positions on its audit and risk management committees. Meanwhile, Marios Papageorgiou has secured another five-year term as a member of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) board, having first joined the regulator in October 2021. A chartered accountant and University of Manchester economics graduate, Papageorgiou has a background in international taxation and corporate advisory services, including previous positions at PwC, EY and Renaissance Capital. He also holds a tax management position at Melco Cyprus and has served as chairman of CySEC’s audit committee. His reappointment comes just over a month after changes to the regulator’s leadership, with George Karatzias taking over as chairman and Loukas Lagoudis becoming vice-chairman on September 15. The commission oversees investment firms, funds and crypto-asset service providers, with responsibility for regulatory compliance and investor protection. In a separate decision, the cabinet appointed Michalis Sirivianos to the Cyprus gaming and casino supervision commission, with his term running until June 7, 2027. Sirivianos is dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at the Cyprus University of Technology (Tepak) and an associate professor specialising in cybersecurity, digital identity, blockchain technology and online safety. He also sits on the board of the CYENS Centre of Excellence and serves as scientific coordinator of the Fact-check Cyprus Centre against Disinformation. His appointment brings a technology and cybersecurity background to the casino regulator, which is responsible for supervising Cyprus’s licensed casino operations, ensuring compliance with licensing requirements and protecting players. Unlike the National Betting Authority (NBA), which supervises the betting market, the casino commission oversees the island’s integrated casino resort and online casinos.