Mr Charilaos Stavrakis has been appointed Minister of Finance of the Republic of Cyprus as from 29 February 2008. He succeeds Mr Michael Sarris, and thus also becomes EIB Governor for the Republic of Cyprus.

Born in 1956, Mr Stavrakis has a Double First in economics from Cambridge and an MBA from Harvard. He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (ACIB).

Mr Stavrakis has more than 20 years experience in the banking sector. At the Bank of Cyprus he held various positions, including the post of Head of Strategic Planning and Business Development and Senior Manager of Treasury and International Services. From 1998 to 2004 he served as Group General Manager International Banking. From June 2003 until 2008 he was also General Manager of the Cyprus Investment & Securities Corporation Limited (CISCO). He has served on the Boards of the Cyprus Oil Refinery, the Bank of Cyprus Australia, the Bank of Cyprus (Channel Islands) Ltd., the Bank of Cyprus (AEDAK), the Bank of Cyprus Mutual Funds Ltd and BOV Ventures Ltd.

In January 2005 he was appointed Chief Executive Officer - Cyprus and Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer, also responsible for management of the Group’s subsidiary companies: Bank of Cyprus Factors, Bank of Cyprus Finance Corporation, Eurolife, General Insurance of Cyprus, the Cyprus Investment and Securities Corporation Ltd. (CISCO), BOC Mutual Funds Ltd., and Bank of Cyprus UK and the setting up of banks in Russia and Ukraine. He served in these posts until his appointment as Minister of Finance.