Non-Executive and Executive Director Search for Cyprus and International Boards.
Independent Non-Executive Directors, Executive Directors, Chairs and committee members for regulated financial services, FinTech, crypto, payments, iGaming and holding companies. Real, engaged directors who understand the business, sit in the meetings and take the decisions. Not names on a register.
Sourced and headhunted through 25 years of direct relationships in Cyprus, London, Dubai and across EMEA. Also DFSA and VARA appointments in Dubai.
Two ways to strengthen a board.
Most boards come to us for one of two reasons. Either the regulator, the shareholders or the tax position require a specific seat to be filled properly, or the business has outgrown the board it has. We handle both, at the level of a specialist executive search firm, not a corporate services desk.
We are a recruitment and executive search consultancy licensed in Cyprus. We do not form companies, hold shares or supply signature-only nominees. We find and assess the individual, and the appointment is between you and them.
Non-Executive Director search
Independent NEDs for CIF, CASP, EMI, Payment Institution, AIF and AIFM boards, and for private holding and investment platforms that need a Cyprus tax-resident board majority or stronger independent oversight. Chairs and audit, risk, remuneration and investment committee members included.
Executive Director search
Executive Directors and Managing Directors for regulated entities, including the two full-time Cyprus-resident executives a CySEC licence requires under the four-eyes principle. CEO, Executive Director, CFO, CCO and Head of Risk appointments where the person also sits on the board and carries regulatory responsibility.
Regulators and tax authorities now look past the title.
CySEC board composition
A Cyprus Investment Firm needs at least two executive directors and two independent non-executive directors, with the majority of the board resident in Cyprus and every director passing the fit and proper assessment. The board is also expected to be collectively competent across MiFID, risk, compliance and technology. A weak independent seat is visible at licensing and at every review after it.
MiCA, EMI and payments
Under MiCA, members of a CASP management body must be of good repute, have the right knowledge and experience individually and collectively, and be able to commit sufficient time. CySEC has tightened what good repute means. EMIs and Payment Institutions under the Central Bank of Cyprus face equivalent scrutiny of who sits on the board and what they actually do there.
Cyprus tax residency from 2026
The 2026 tax reform made management and control a fact-based test. Where the majority of directors live, where board meetings are held and where strategic decisions are genuinely taken all count. A director who signs papers prepared abroad adds little to a substance file. A resident director who understands the business and takes part in decisions is what holding and investment platforms now need on the board.
Common mandates.
New licence application
A CIF, CASP, EMI, AIF or Payment Institution application that must present a complete, credible board to CySEC or the Central Bank of Cyprus before the file is reviewed.
Independent director replacement
A NED has resigned, retired or exhausted their capacity. The seat needs filling quickly with someone who meets regulatory expectations and fits the existing board.
Executive Director and four-eyes cover
A second full-time resident executive is needed for licensing, or a departing CEO or Executive Director leaves a regulatory gap that cannot stay open.
Cyprus tax-resident board majority
A holding, investment or group platform needs a resident, independent director with real gravitas to secure the residency majority and sit on investment or strategy committees.
Board refresh for scale
The company is entering new markets, adding regulators, preparing for investment or an exit, and the board needs sector, financial or governance depth it does not currently have.
Chair and committee strength
An independent Chair, or an audit, risk, remuneration or investment committee member with the standing to challenge management and satisfy shareholders and regulators.
A director pool built over 25 years, in Cyprus and beyond it.
Most of the people below are not looking for work. They are serving executives, recent leavers and established independents we know personally. Access comes from relationships and direct headhunting, not job boards.
- Former CEOs and Executive Directors of CIFs and international groupsBoard members of CySEC-authorised firms and Cyprus-resident former chief executives of international businesses, including leaders with emerging-markets and African P&L experience.
- Group Chief Compliance and Chief Risk OfficersSenior compliance and risk leaders with CySEC Advanced certification, multi-regulator exposure and audit committee experience.
- Former regulatorsIndividuals who have held positions within regulatory authorities and now operate independently.
- Ex-Big Four partners and senior advisorsFinancial services audit and advisory backgrounds, strong on governance, internal controls and financial oversight.
- Sector veteransFifteen or more years leading FX and CFD brokerage, crypto and digital assets, payments, fund management and iGaming businesses.
- Returning and international executivesCypriot leaders coming back from London or Dubai, and international directors willing to relocate or already resident, for boards that need a wider lens.
Real directors, available now.
A selection from our active network, anonymised. Each is a real individual we can introduce once a mandate is defined and confidentiality terms are agreed.
Serving Independent NED, regulated FX broker
Holds an Independent Non-Executive Director seat at a CySEC-authorised brokerage. Established NED capacity, comfortable with regulator engagement and board dynamics.
Former Group Chief Compliance Officer
Board-level regulatory leadership across several jurisdictions, now active in non-executive and advisory work. Suits boards needing regulatory weight and audit committee engagement.
Cyprus-resident former CEO, international group
Led an international business with operations across EMEA and emerging markets. Cyprus tax resident with time for a statutory board. Suits holding and investment platforms needing an independent director with commercial gravitas.
CIF CEO with technology depth
Executive Director of a CySEC-regulated investment firm with engineering and data science credentials alongside financial services leadership. Cypriot national, fit and proper approved.
Serving NED with legal and fraud credentials
Legal qualification combined with fraud examination credentials, currently an Independent NED at a Cyprus regulated entity. Strong where the board needs legal depth, AML oversight or governance rigour.
Returning Cypriot executive, London financial services
Senior leader relocating to Cyprus after a career in London regulated financial services. Brings FCA-grade governance expectations and an international network to a Cyprus board.
Executive Director, CIF and investment firm experience
Current Executive Director at a regulated investment firm, fifteen years across operations, business development and regulatory interface. Open to executive and non-executive appointments.
Senior CIF executive, multi-role background
Former CEO and Executive Director across several Cypriot regulated entities, with compliance, operations and corporate governance experience. Explicitly seeking NED and advisory appointments.
The pool is refreshed regularly and additional profiles, including Dubai-based directors, are available on request. Introductions are made only after a mandate is defined and confidentiality terms are agreed.
Two tracks, one standard.
A regulated NED seat with a clear brief can usually be filled from our network within two to four weeks. A Chair, an Executive Director or a board seat on an international platform is run as a retained search with market mapping. Either way, every director is assessed for fit and proper standing, regulatory history, existing commitments and genuine time for the role before you meet them.
Brief and terms
A confidential conversation on the entity, the regulator, the reason for the seat and the board it joins. We agree the remuneration and time commitment up front, because it is disclosed to candidates at first approach.
Mapping and long list
Network sourcing for standard seats. For retained searches, a mapped long list within three weeks, with strict off-limits so nobody connected to your group is approached without clearance.
Scored shortlist
Two to five assessed candidates with a written case for each, plus current market compensation data so the offer lands first time. Anonymised disclosure in two stages where the mandate is sensitive.
Appointment support
Introductions, referencing coordinated with your counsel where needed, regulatory notifications and documentation through to the first board meeting.
The strongest board pool in the Cyprus market, and the discipline to use it well.
We have placed Executive Directors, CEOs, CFOs, Heads of Compliance and Risk and board members across CySEC, FCA, DFSA and VARA frameworks for more than two decades. That is why the people who could hold your board seat already know us, and take our call.
Discuss a board mandate- Search firm, not a services providerNo bundled company formation, no paper directors. The individual is assessed, introduced and appointed on their merits.
- Cyprus and international reachResident directors for substance and regulatory seats, international executives when the board needs a wider view.
- Pay transparency built inRemuneration and time commitment are agreed before approaches begin and shared with every candidate at first contact.
- Assessment against the briefEmployment history and delivered work, not titles, decide who is shortlisted.
- Confidential by defaultBoard changes are sensitive. Mandates run under NDA and disclosure is staged.
- Replacement guaranteeRetained board searches carry a replacement guarantee and candidate protection on advisory appointments.
Available for a board seat?
If you are a serving or former executive, a senior compliance, risk or finance leader, a former regulator or an experienced independent director, and you have capacity for a Cyprus or Dubai board, register your interest confidentially. We approach you only when a specific mandate fits, and the terms come with the approach.
Frequently asked.
Is this a nominee director service?
No, and the distinction matters. A nominee director is usually a name supplied by a corporate services firm alongside company formation, with limited involvement in governance. Regulators and, since the 2026 reform, the Cyprus Tax Department look past that title to what the director actually does. We source independent and executive directors who understand the business, attend the meetings and take part in decisions. If you searched for a nominee director because your licence or tax position requires a board seat to be filled, this is the service that fills it properly.
What does a CySEC-regulated board need?
A Cyprus Investment Firm needs at least two executive directors, employed full time once authorised, and two independent non-executive directors, with the majority of the board resident in Cyprus. Every director must pass CySEC's fit and proper assessment and the board is expected to be collectively competent across the firm's services, risk, compliance and technology. CASPs under MiCA, and EMIs and Payment Institutions under the Central Bank of Cyprus, apply comparable suitability standards to the management body.
Do you place Executive Directors as well as NEDs?
Yes. Executive Director, Managing Director and CEO appointments for regulated entities are core executive search work for us, including the second resident executive required under the four-eyes principle. These run as retained searches with market mapping and structured assessment.
Can you help a holding company secure Cyprus tax residency?
We source the director. Under the management and control test, the residence of the majority of directors, where meetings are held and where decisions are genuinely taken all count, and a signature-only appointment is not enough. We introduce Cyprus tax-resident directors with the standing to sit on a statutory board, attend quarterly meetings in Cyprus and contribute to investment and strategy committees. Tax and legal structuring stays with your advisers.
What do independent directors in Cyprus expect to be paid?
It is tiered. Standard local regulated seats sit at the bottom, local corporate boards in the middle, and international groups with a pivotal Cyprus presence pay substantially more depending on the gravitas required. We provide current compensation data for the specific seat before you approach anyone, and we recommend agreeing the figure up front because it is disclosed to candidates at first contact.
How long does it take?
A regulated NED seat with a clear brief: typically two to four weeks from first call to appointment, drawing on the existing pool. A retained board search with market mapping: a long list within three weeks and a scored shortlist one to two weeks after that, then interviews, referencing and regulatory filings.
Are the profiles on this page real?
Yes. Each is drawn from a real individual in our network who has indicated interest in board appointments. Names and current employers are withheld to protect confidentiality and are shared only once a mandate is defined and NDAs are in place.
Do you cover Dubai and other jurisdictions?
We source independent and executive directors for DFSA and VARA regulated entities in Dubai; the pool is smaller and more selective than Cyprus. For other jurisdictions we can usually make introductions and work with a local partner on the appointment itself.
How are fees structured?
Network sourcing for a standard regulated seat is priced as a placement fee. Retained board searches are staged, with a replacement guarantee. Both are agreed at the outset and tailored to the mandate.
Is the service confidential?
Yes. Initial conversations can be held under NDA. Candidates are approached only after the brief and terms are agreed, and sensitive mandates use two-stage anonymised disclosure so neither side is exposed before there is mutual interest.
Discuss a board mandate.
Board appointments start with a direct conversation, not a form. All initial conversations are confidential and an NDA is available on request.
Donna Stephenson
Founder and Principal, Emerald Zebra
donna.stephenson@emeraldzebra.cy
For Dubai DFSA or VARA appointments, use the same address.