Podcast “Open Executive Boardroom” (10/7/2025),
Episode 9
In the new episode of the Open Executive Boardroom, Nestor Vassiliou hosts Antonis Antoniou, Executive Chairman of Vassiliko Cement Works and former President of OEB. A man with incredible experiences in the business arena unfolds his story from his difficult childhood in London to top positions in companies including giants such as Nielsen. She believes in luck and indirectly but clearly admits that it challenges her, saying that “you have to dare to get out of your comfort zone to find the opportunities”.
How did a biochemist and systems analyst find himself at the helm of a cement company? It reveals the story, which began with a meeting with the late Archbishop Chrysostomos II and brought him to undertake the difficult task of merging the Vassiliko Cement Works with the Cyprus Cement Company. How did they deal with the crisis caused by the vertical fall in consumption after 2008 and how did they manage to survive when production fell to 1/4 of capacity?
He explains how his experiences – from the Middle East where “the handshake is everything” to the complexity of European partnerships – shaped his leadership philosophy.
