In Cyprus, senior-level recruitment works differently.
Most C-level appointments: CEO, CFO, COO, CTO, Directors are not often advertised. They’re handled quietly through board networks, shareholder recommendations, or in-house headhunters. For an employer, this creates discretion and control. For candidates, it creates opacity.
Yet our inbox at Emerald Zebra tells a different story.
We receive direct approaches from senior professionals, both local executives and repatriating Cypriots, who trust us with their next move. These are leaders who are not applying on job boards, not broadcasting their CVs across LinkedIn, and not “open to work” in public. They want discretion. And they know we can provide it.
Why candidates come to Emerald Zebra
For a senior executive, moving role in a market as small and interconnected as Cyprus is rarely straightforward. Every conversation feels exposed. A CV landing in the wrong inbox can travel far.
That’s why executives choose us as their first port of call.
- Repatriating Cypriots — professionals returning from London, Amsterdam, Dubai, or further a field often want a trusted local partner to discreetly carry out their search for good, relevant career opportunities in Cyprus.
- Local leaders — already embedded in the market – want confidentiality. They don’t want their current employer, competitors, or networks aware of their plans.
- Sector specialists — particularly in FinTech, Tech, Regulated Financial Services and iGaming — know we understand the niche hiring dynamics that matter.
We’ve built that trust over decades of operating in Cyprus. Our value lies not just in sourcing candidates for employers, but in being the trusted partner candidates choose for discretion.
What this means for employers
If you’re hiring at the senior level, there’s a simple reality:
The talent may already be with us before you’ve even decided to hire.
Executives who want discretion come to Emerald Zebra first. They confide in us because we represent them quietly and responsibly. That means when your company needs to make a strategic hire, it’s not just about advertising a role or briefing an in-house recruiter — the talent may already be in our network or known to our team: Donna Stephenson, Terri Neofitou, Georgia Michaelides, Margarita Savva, Katy Savvides, Stavri Christodoulou.
We don’t compete with in-house teams. In fact, we complement them.
Where in-house teams excel in managing ongoing pipelines and high-volume hiring, our role is different: surfacing the senior leaders who will never apply publicly, who will only move through relationships built on discretion and trust.
The bigger picture
Cyprus continues evolving as a hub for FinTech, Regulated Financial & Investment Firms, Tech and iGaming. International companies are setting up, scaling, and relocating here. With that growth comes a new flow of executives — locals returning, expats settling and senior leaders looking for their next challenge.
But the market is small. Word travels fast. And that’s exactly why Emerald Zebra continues to be the quiet, first port of call.
A call to employers hiring in Cyprus
If you’re planning a strategic hire at senior level, don’t wait until the role hits the market.
The candidates you need may already be speaking with us today.
Partner with Emerald Zebra, and you’ll gain access to a discreet network of leadership talent built on trust, confidentiality and years of credibility in Cyprus.
Because sometimes, the most important roles are filled before they’re ever announced.
If you’d like to discuss a confidential senior hire, reach out directly to Donna Stephenson, founder, Emerald Zebra.
For discreet executive search in Cyprus, we’re here.
