He spent years helping businesses around the world navigate the future of technology. Now, he is helping Cyprus build its own. Demetris Skourides shares how a global career in cloud, AI and digital transformation became a mission to turn Cyprus into a place where innovation can thrive.

Demetris Skourides is the Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation, and Technology of the Republic of Cyprus and Chairman of the National AI Taskforce. He holds a BSc in Computer Science from Arizona State University and an MBA from Henley Management College. Additionally, he has been trained in digital transformation, AI, data monetization, and sales through programs at Columbia, Stanford, MIT, and Harvard. With a career spanning Oracle and Amazon Web Services, he has held executive roles across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. At Oracle, where he worked since 2006, he played a key role in driving cloud and ISV solutions transformation. He later joined AWS as Industry Strategist for EMEA, focusing on financial services, retail, manufacturing, and energy. Demetris Skourides spearheaded the establishment of Cloud Partner Centres of Excellence in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, South Korea, Kenya, and South Africa, enabling innovation and new revenue streams. He also chairs the Board of Directors of the Research and Innovation Foundation (ex officio).