AI in Practice: Changing the Future of Business
Connecting business leaders with the future of AI, innovation, and digital transformation.
The hype is over, and the real competitive race has begun. Join us for an exclusive, high-impact executive meetup designed specifically for C-level leaders and SME owners who want to turn artificial intelligence from a buzzword into a bottom-line driver.
Led by global innovation experts, this event cuts through the noise.
Discover how to move past mere automation and integrate AI directly into your decision-making, product development, and scaling strategies before your competitors do. Expect zero abstract theory, just real-world frameworks, live demonstrations, and actionable strategies you can implement the next day.
The event brings together business leaders, CEOs, C-Level Executives, startup founders, innovators and entrepreneurs, for an evening of learning, networking, and meaningful conversations.
What’s on the Lineup
18:00 – 18:30 Registration and Pre-event Networking
18:30 – 18:35 Welcome note by Panis Pieri, Founder at Panis.News
18:35 – 18:40 Welcome note by Dr Celia Hadjichristodoulou, CEO at GrantXpert & Director at EUC Future Skills Hub
18:40 – 18:50 Welcome note by Chief Scientist of Cyprus Demetris Skourides
18:50 – 19:10 Keynote Presentation by Sponsor
19:10 – 19:30 The AI Revolution. Why should you care?
by Monica Odysseos, Head of AI and Data Lab of Grant Thornton
19:30 – 19:50 From Business Pain Points to AI Transformation: A CEO’s Roadmap to Real Results
by George Malekkos, CEO of POWERSOFT Computer Solutions & AI-Driven Business Transformation Architect & President of CITEA.
19:50 – 20:50 AI and the Future of Business: Will Your Business Be Here in 2030?
by Paris Thomas, Executive Advisor on AI & Strategy, Founder at Rapid Visual / Strapivo
20:50 – 21.15 Q&A with Speakers
21.15 – 22.30 Networking over drinks and bites.
What’s the Talks About?
The AI Revolution. Why should you care?
Everyone says AI changes everything, but very few explain what that actually means for you. Drawing on her own path from software developer to AI and Data Lab Leader, Monica cuts through the hype and the buzzwords to show what the AI revolution is really doing to the way we work, decide and create. Expect honest stories, a few comfortable myths dismantled, and a straight answer to the question in the title: why you should care, and what to do about it.
From Business Pain Points to AI Transformation: A CEO’s Roadmap to Real Results
AI should not be seen as just another IT project. It is a business transformation tool that can reshape how companies operate, make decisions, serve customers, and grow.
In this presentation, George Malekkos will focus on a practical approach to AI adoption, starting not from technology, but from real business pain points. Where are companies losing time? Where are processes inefficient? Where can customer experience improve? And where can AI create measurable business value?
The session will explore how AI, automation, data, predictive analytics, and AI agents can be applied to everyday business operations, moving organisations from experimentation to real implementation.
The key message to C-level executives and business leaders is simple: successful AI transformation is not about following the hype. It is about identifying the right problems, selecting the right use cases, preparing people and processes, and turning AI into real business results.
AI and the Future of Business: Will Your Business Be Here in 2030?
A 60-minute keynote from Paris Thomas, AI strategy advisor to large enterprise (the likes of Nestlé, Nespresso, Saudi Telecom) and faculty at London Business School and IMD.
Designed to give Cypriot business leaders an unfiltered view of what's coming, what's already here, and what most of them are missing.
You'll leave with three things: a clear assessment of which parts of your business model are about to be disrupted; a practical framework for thinking across three time horizons (today's core, tomorrow's adjacencies, and the future you build now or lose later); and suggested actions you can implement the next day.
We'll cover the two frequencies of every AI conversation, and why "should we" without "could we" is killing companies. The three waves of AI: efficiency, quality, transformation. Why running them sequentially is the #1 mistake. The three horizons of growth, and why most Cypriot businesses are stuck at Horizon 1 while competitors move on Horizons 2 and 3. Live AI demos. Real case studies from global enterprises.
Built to make Cypriot leaders genuinely uncomfortable, and grateful for it.
Meet the Minds Behind the Mic
Monica Odysseos - Head of AI and Data Lab of Grant Thornton
Monica Odysseos began her career as a software developer in the UK. She then spent seven years at PwC, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant (ACA) with the ICAEW. In 2024 she founded the AI and Data Lab at Grant Thornton Cyprus, which she now leads, helping businesses make sense of their data and use artificial intelligence in smart and ethical ways.
Alongside this, she trains professionals on AI and serves on the ICAEW Ethics Standards Committee and its Data Analytics Community Advisory Group.
She holds a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Bath and an MSc in Risk Management.
George Malekkos, CEO of POWERSOFT Computer Solutions & AI-Driven Business Transformation Architect & President of CITEA.
George Malekkos is an AI-Driven Business Transformation Architect, technology entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and President of the Cyprus Information Technology Enterprises Association (CITEA).
He is the Founder and CEO of POWERSOFT Computer Solutions Ltd, established in 1993, with more than 30 years of experience in business software, cloud computing, retail technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
Today, George focuses on the practical application of Artificial Intelligence in business. His approach starts with real business pain points and uses AI, automation, data, and intelligent software to improve productivity, customer experience, decision-making, and business performance.
Through Powersoft, he leads the development of AI-powered solutions in ERP, retail, fashion, business intelligence, predictive analytics, automation, and AI agents.
As President of CITEA, George is actively involved in discussions around Cyprus’ digital future, AI adoption, skills development, innovation, and the competitiveness of the technology sector.
He remains active in national and international advisory groups, business missions, technology forums, innovation initiatives, mentoring, judging, and keynote speaking.
His core message is simple: We should not view AI as another IT project. AI is a business transformation — redefining how companies operate, compete, and grow.
Paris Thomas, Executive Advisor on AI & Strategy, Founder at Rapid Visual / Strapivo
Paris Thomas helps the C-suite move from AI talk to AI traction. As Executive Advisor on AI & Strategy, CEO of Talent Hacks, and Co-Founder of RapidVisual.ai, he operates at the intersection of frontier AI tooling and corporate innovation strategy, and has been there long before most boardrooms knew the conversation existed.
Paris teaches Strategy with AI at London Business School and IMD, was among the first practitioners certified in Strategyzer's toolkit, and is a contributor to the global best-seller Value Proposition Design. He has guided 300+ founders each year and Fortune 500 innovation teams to market success across pharmaceuticals, financial services, FMCG, high-tech, government, real estate, and cleantech, on every continent.
Paris doesn't talk about AI in the abstract, he builds with it. Through RapidVisual.ai, he's pioneering how organizations use generative AI to compress weeks of customer discovery into hours. Through Talent Hacks, he's reinventing corporate learning for a world where the half-life of skills keeps shrinking. Through his Prototype Concierge service, he's helped global brands de-risk bold ideas before they ever reach a customer.
A serial entrepreneur, passionate communicator, and unapologetic tech geek, Paris is known for his "sleeves-rolled-up" approach, making complex strategy actionable, and AI tangible, for the people in the room.
As Keynote Speaker, Paris is eloquent, challenging, and quick to read the room. He weaves complex ideas into stories that resonate, ensuring executives leave with sharp insight, clear next steps, and the kind of clarity that turns a conference into a catalyst.
As Trainer & Facilitator, he cuts through the AI hype to deliver hands-on learning that sticks, turning passive audiences into people who can actually use the tools the next morning.
Organiser: Panis.News
Co-Organiser: GrantXpert Consulting, Future Skills Hub at European University Cyprus
Silver Sponsor: Growth Hacking Cyprus, RSEVEN, Mel's Digital
Supporters: Cyprus Computer Society, XValley Tech, Business Society Accelerator, Startup School Cyprus, Carierista
Community Partners: EIT Community Hub Cyprus, CYENS, Women in Tech, Startup Greece, ECECT
Media Partners: Cyprus Mail, DigitalLife.com.cy, CyprusNews.eu, Moneymatters.cy, Strategist.cy, Afentiko.eu, Scinews.eu, Ink.com, Digital Tree, FFWD
*The event is part of the #PanisMeetups series and Startup Week Greece