Athanasios "Nasos" Ktorides ( el, Αθανάσιος "Νάσος" Κτωρίδης; born 10 November 1968) is a

Cypriot Cypriot (in older sources often "Cypriote") refers to someone or something of, from, or related to the country of Cyprus. * Cypriot people, or of Cypriot descent; this includes: **Armenian Cypriots **Greek Cypriots **Maronite Cypriots **Turkish C ...

entrepreneur and philanthropist, founding Chairman and CEO of the

EuroAsia Interconnector The EuroAsia Interconnector is a HVDC interconnector between the Greek, Cypriot, and Israeli power grids via the world's longest submarine power cable ( from Israel to Cyprus and from Cyprus to Greece, for a total of ). Connecting Kofinou, Cypru ...

electricity cable, Quantum Corporation, Quantum Energy,

Quantum Cable The Quantum Cable is a planned 7,700 km submarine communications cable system connecting Asia with Europe through the Mediterranean Sea. Quantum Cable will connect Cyprus to Italy, France and Bilbao, Spain. The Quantum Cable will be laid sim ...

and

EuroAfrica Interconnector EuroAfrica Interconnector is a HVDC interconnector and submarine power cable between the Greek, Cypriot, and Egypt power grids.Cyprus Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.

Life and work

Athanasios "Nasos" Ktorides was born on 10 November 1968 in

Nicosia Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

. He studied at the

American College of Greece The American College of Greece (ACG) is a private college and high school in Agia Paraskevi, Greece. It was founded by United Church of Christ American missionaries in 1875. It was originally a primary and secondary school for girls. As of 2020, ...

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

and attended the Harvard Executive Leadership Programme in 2007 (now Harvard Professional Development Programme).Biography from Vice-rector of University of Cyprus
/ref> Ktorides is a firm believer in the motto "if you can dream it then you can achieve it".Honorable speaker at the Graduation Ceremony
/ref> From an early age, he manifested his independence in what is achievable. He attempts to take the roads less traveled, without being confined to tried and tested solutions or secure boundaries. Ktorides's activities extend primarily beyond Cyprus and embrace the sectors of energy and banking. His company Quantum was instrumental in the establishment of the Commercial Bank of Greece in Cyprus, in which it was the second biggest shareholder after the

Hellenic Republic Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

. Quantum's Chairman, Mr. Athanasios Ktorides, also acted as the bank's Executive Vice Chairman for a period of 7 years. The partnership created excellent results for the bank's development. He is also involved in electricity generation with five power plants of installed capacity 1422 MW connected to the Pan-European electric network. He has been actively working towards the strategic upgrade of Cyprus in the international energy arena, the key projects being the

and

EuroAfrica Interconnector EuroAfrica Interconnector is a HVDC interconnector and submarine power cable between the Greek, Cypriot, and Egypt power grids.EuroAfrica Interconnector
/ref> The EuroAsia Interconnector will link Israel with Cypriot and Greek power grids with

high-voltage direct current A high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electric power transmission system (also called a power superhighway or an electrical superhighway) uses direct current (DC) for electric power transmission, in contrast with the more common alternating curre ...

submarine power cable A submarine power cable is a transmission cable for carrying electric power below the surface of the water.The EuroAsia Interconnector document
/ref> It will have a capacity to transmit 2,000 megawatts of electricity in either direction.

EuroAfrica Interconnector EuroAfrica Interconnector is a HVDC interconnector and submarine power cable between the Greek, Cypriot, and Egypt power grids.Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

with

and

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

power grid An electrical grid is an interconnected network for electricity delivery from producers to consumers. Electrical grids vary in size and can cover whole countries or continents. It consists of:Kaplan, S. M. (2009). Smart Grid. Electrical Power ...

s through the island of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

with

submarine power cable A submarine power cable is a transmission cable for carrying electric power below the surface of the water. Ktorides's business philosophy derives from the values of honesty, integrity,

altruism Altruism is the principle and moral practice of concern for the welfare and/or happiness of other human beings or animals, resulting in a quality of life both material and spiritual. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures and a core as ...

, a systematic approach to work and above all from highlighting the positive, be this related to his colleagues or projects on which he works.

Philanthropy

Nasos Ktorides also believes that it is necessary to reciprocate the gift of life with love towards our fellow human beings. For this reason in 2008 he formalized his longstanding altruistic activities with the establishment of a not-for-profit, philanthropic fund, the

Athanasios Ktorides Foundation Athanasios Ktorides Foundation is a non-profit philanthropic organisation founded in 2008 by Nasos Ktorides, the first Cyprus Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. The Foundation promotes sport and culture with humanitarian work. It is organizer of th ...

. The Foundation grants 10 full

scholarships A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarshi ...

for studies in leading European and American universities for 2018—2019.Scholarships for students in leading European, UK and US universities for 2018-2019
/ref> A recent significant project is the support of the "Heroes Photovoltaic Park", the largest in Cyprus, with 10 MW of power on the land of the

University of Cyprus The University of Cyprus (Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου) is a public research university established in Cyprus in 1989. It admitted its first students in 1992 and has approximately 7000 students. History The University of Cyprus wa ...

. The Foundation was also the main organizer of the Quantum Nicosia Marathon in 2010 and has made significant contribution to the arts, most importantly to secure and repatriate historically important documents and other works. It sponsors charity activities that benefit families, children with special needs, orphans, children's shelters, and all other activities aimed at the protection and well-being of children. In 2009, his business scope and humanitarian sensibility was recognized by the

Commonwealth of Dominica Dominica ( or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It ...

as the ideal credentials for the post as

Honorary Consul A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

of the country in Cyprus. The Prime Minister of Dominica awarded him the "Dominica Medal of Honor", as well as the diplomatic passport of the country. Four international personalities, the President of the Republic of Serbia, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, the President of the

Republic of Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

Glafkos Clerides Glafcos Ioannou Clerides ( el, Γλαύκος Ιωάννου Κληρίδης; 24 April 1919 – 15 November 2013) was a Cypriot politician and barrister who served as the fourth president of Cyprus from 1993 to 2003. At the time of his death, ...

and the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece

Ieronymos II of Athens Ieronymos II ( el, Ιερώνυμος B’, ''Ierōnymos II'', ; born 10 March 1938) is the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece and as such the primate of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece. He was elected on 7 February 2008. Ieronymos ...

, called upon UNICEF to use the good offices of Nasos Ktorides. On February 8, 2012,

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

declared Nasos Ktorides as National Goodwill Ambassador who, together with author Antonis Samarakis and principal of the Panthéon-Sorbonne University and rector of the Academy of Paris Eleni Glykatzi-Arveler, completes the trio of personalities of the wider Hellenic world who have enjoyed such recognition to date.

Albert Camus' letter

Marking the 50th anniversary of the execution of

Michalis Karaolis Michalis Karaolis ( el, Μιχαλάκης Καραολής; 13 February 1933 – 10 May 1956) was a Cypriot public official and revolutionary. Born in the village of Palaichori Oreinis of Pitsilia, Karaolis worked as a government clerk and a m ...

on May 10, 1956, a handwritten manuscript by the philhellene Nobel laureate and philosopher,

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...

, appealing to

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

for mercy for the young Greek Cypriot freedom fighter of the 1955-59

EOKA The Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA; ; el, Εθνική Οργάνωσις Κυπρίων Αγωνιστών, lit=National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters) was a Greek Cypriot Greek Cypriots or Cypriot Greeks ( el, Ελληνο� ...

struggle for independence, was acquired from auction by Nasos Ktorides and donated to the National Struggle Museum in Nicosia.Remembering Karaolis - a historical document by Albert Camus, Financial mirror 28 March, 2017
/ref> In a letter of appreciation in June 2006, President

Tassos Papadopoulos Efstathios "Tassos" Nikolaou Papadopoulos ( el, Ευστάθιος (Τάσσος) Νικολάου Παπαδόπουλος; 7 January 1934 – 12 December 2008) was a Cypriot politician and barrister who served as the fifth president of Cyp ...

praised the benefactor. Karaolis, just 22 years old at the time, was credited with the execution on August 28, 1955, of a police officer, member of the Special Branch who had infiltrated the EOKA movement. On his way to rejoin the guerrillas headed by

Grigoris Afxentiou Grigoris Pieris Afxentiou ( el, Γρηγόρης Πιερής Αυξεντίου; 22 February 1928 – 3 March 1957) was a Greek-Cypriot insurgent leader who led campaigns against the British colonial government as a member of EOKA. He was second ...

in the Kyrenia mountains, Karaolis was captured and sentenced to death on October 28. He was hanged at the Central Prisons on May 10, 1956, together with Andreas Dimitriou, the first heroes of the independence struggle. Their bodies are buried at the memorial graveyard within the prisons and visited by thousands each year, during national holidays.

Marathon and sport

An active sportsman who believes that a "a healthy body builds a healthy mind", Nasos has participated in marathon events since 2008, participating among others in the

and

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...

s, as well as in the

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Mag ...

and

Antarctic Ice Marathon The Antarctic Ice Marathon was established by Richard Donovan and Polar Running Adventures to enable marathon runners to complete a marathon on all seven continents. It also enables athletes to complete the marathon grand slam – a marathon on ...

, while setting his sights to one day run in the

Everest Marathon Everest Marathon is an annual marathon event, held in the district of Solukhumbu, Nepal, around the vicinity of Mount Everest in May. With its starting point at 5401m Meter (Higher Everest Base Camp Height) from where the Climbing of Mount Everest ...

North Pole Marathon The North Pole Marathon is run over the classic marathon distance at the North Pole. The race is run on small, loop about 10 times over hard snow or the frozen ice of the Arctic Ocean. There are individual competitions with male and female di ...

is recognized as the northernmost marathon on earth and until now only several hundred people participated. Nasos Ktorides had honour in 2012. to bring the Marathon Flame for first time to

. He is founder of Quantum Nicosia Marathon in 2010. He is also a freefall skydiver and wingsuit pilot trained in Russia, and a member of both the British Parachute Association and the U.S. Parachute Association. He is an experienced pilot and in his free time enjoys flying with his power paraglider.

References

Literature

Honorable speaker at the Graduation CeremonyBiography from Vice-rector of University of CyprusHonorable speaker N. KtoridesAthanasios Ktorides Foundation.EuroAsia Interconnector
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ktorides, Nasos UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors Cypriot male marathon runners Skydivers 1968 births Greek Cypriot people People from Nicosia Living people Cypriot businesspeople