Doctor of Law
A leader who helped shape commerce, industry and banking in Cyprus.
Michael Erotokritos graduated with distinction from the Greek Gymnasium of Limassol, before moving from Cyprus to the UK to study at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú College of Technology where he was elected President of the Students’ Union. He went on to obtain a BSC in Economics from the University of London.
As a lecturer at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Highbury College, he read Law at the Greys Inn of Court. He then earned a Postgraduate Diploma in International Economics and, a decade later, would complete a Master’s in International Relations at the University of Southern California.
In 1970, Michael was appointed Commercial Officer at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and was posted to London as Commercial Counsellor.
He returned to Cyprus in 1979 to become Director of Industry at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The next year, he was appointed Commissioner for Cooperative Development and assumed responsibilities as a troubleshooter in the Cooperative Movement in Cyprus.
He was appointed Director General of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in 1981 and remained in that position until 1989, when he became Director General of the Ministry of Finance. In 1991, he participated as a representative of Cyprus in the deliberations which led to the establishment of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
In 1995, he moved back to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism as a Permanent Secretary. And in the same year, he participated in deliberations held in Geneva which led to the establishment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). He retired from civil service in 2000, joining the Cyprus Popular Bank as Group Chief Executive where he remained until 2006.
With considerable banking experience, Michael served as an alternate director of the World Bank for 6 years. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Cyprus, the Cyprus Popular Bank and the Cyprus Development Bank for more than 20 years. From 2003 to 2006, he was Chair of the Cyprus Association of Commercial Banks and he was a member of the original Cyprus Negotiating Team in connection with the European Union.