Simona Mihai

Simona Mihai-Yiannaki

26 Eleonon str, Strovolos, 2057, Nicosia, Cyprus

00357 97773395     

 S.Mihai@euc.ac.cy

 S.Mihai@lumsa.it

 http://cy.linkedin.com/in/simonamy

Sex  F | Date of birth 01/05/1975| Nationalities: Romanian and Cypriot

Language Spoken:  English, French, Greek, Italian, Romanian (native)

Areas Of Concentration / Research Interests:

Finance, Economics, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Investments, Mergers and Acquisitions, Risk Management applications, Banking and Financial Services, Corporate Governance, Creativity and Innovation applied in Higher Education.

Current Position:

• Chairperson, Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, European University Cyprus
• Visiting Professor in Asset Management, Msc. level, at Lumsa University, Rome, Italy
• Visiting Professor in Quantitative Research Methods, Msc. level, at Pforzheim University, Germany
• Former Deputy Dean School of Business Administration, Associate professor in Finance with the Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, European University Cyprus
• Director EUC-PEAK Innovation Center
• Country Director Euromed Research Business Institute (EMRBI)
• Associate Editor GBER Inderscience Publishers, SOCPUS ranked
• Member of Editorial Board Journal of Alternative Finance, Sage.

Position Held:

• 2014- present- Associate Professor in Finance, Research Associate at the Foundation of European, Social and Political Studies -NGO.
• 2015-2018- Vice Chair Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance
• 2014-Visiting Professor ISM School of Management and Economics, Lithuania, area Public Finance
• 2005- 2014- Lecturer/ Assistant professor in Banking and Finance
  2005-Chief Financial Officer Miami Group, Romania
• 2003-Head of Equipment Department Raiffeisen Leasing, Romania
• 2002-2003-Marketing Manager- Finansbank Romania
• 2002-Head of Credit Division- Commercial Bank of Greece, Romania
• 2000-2002-Relationship Manager- Piraeus Bank Romania
• 1998-2000-Credit Analyst and Assistant Manager Corporate International division- RaiffisenBank Romania
• 1998-Economist-The Romanian Centre for Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economy, Romania

Education:

• 12/2013- 03/ 2014- Distinction (A), Blackboard Distance Learning Education Certificate, 12 ECTS awarded by European University Cyprus.
• 1998-2003-PHD. Summa Cum Laude. World Economy, thesis: “Redefining corporate governance under the globalisation impact”, Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest (ASE).
  2003-2004-MBA- Strategy, Finance, Entrepreneurship emphasis from Oxford Brookes University, U.K. Dissertation:” Soft elements of success and failure in a merger’s integration process. Case study: Raiffeisen bank in Romania”
  1993-1997- B.A. in International Economic Relations, specialization Foreign Transactions, top 10%. Thesis:” Joint Ventures establishing and functioning in Romania, case study: World Trade Centre Bucharest”, ASE.

Distinctive Achievements (international recognition):

• 2014-Awarded EMRBI Award for Best Research at the 7^th EuroMEd Conference in Kristiansand, Norway
• 2013-Successful Applicant nominated by the European Commission for FSUG (Financial Services User Group)
• 2013-Awarded Conference Best Reviewer at the 6^th EuroMed Conference in Estoril, Portugal.
• 2009-Awarded the EMRBI CONTRIBUTOR AWARD of the Year 2009 by EUROMED Research Business Institute in recognition for extraordinary contribution and service to the Institute.
• Fulbright Scholarship finalist for USA- MBA field related.
  MBA-OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY, Distinction in Entrepreneurship and Marketing, Scholarship to Paris-France for paper presentation.
   

Professional Associations:

Μember EMAB, country director EMRBI.

Member CISI of U.K. 2016-2019.

World Bank expert international funding project reviewer for HERIC the Ministry of Science- Republic of Montenegro (2016).

Funding (grants, contracts, research awards):

• 2022-2024- ARDES, Project Coordinator for EUC, ARDES- Short Learning Programme for ARt & DEsign & Sustainability with special focus on environment and climate change; (DOCUMENTA CREACIONES MULTIMEDIA AVANZADAS SL- Spain)
• 2020-2022- Coordinator Project Erasmus+, 4ArtPreneur- Innovative thinking competences for Creative Art entrepreneurship; (DOCUMENTA CREACIONES MULTIMEDIA AVANZADAS SL - Spain)
• 2020-2023- Researcher in Project Eramsus+, ANGEL- ASEAN Network for Green Entrepreneurship and Leadership; (University Teknology Mayaysia)
• 2019-2021- Coordinator Project ERASMUS+, DIMAS, Digital Marketing at Secondary Schools; (DOCUMENTA CREACIONES MULTIMEDIA AVANZADAS SL - Spain)
• 2019-2021- Reacher in Project ERASMUS+, FA-ST, “Fast prototyping and entrepreneurial skills to promote female founded start-ups in STEM”; (European University Cyprus)
• 2016-2018 Coordinator of the Project ERASMUS+, Supporting Graduate Entrepreneurship in the Creative Sector (SHADOWS) euro 299,046 . main area: development of innovation; (MUNICIPIO DE LOUSADA Portugal)
• 2016- 2018 Winner of the project ERASUMS+, Green Entrepreneurship Training - Underpinning Prosperity (GET UP), euro 294,855, main area: development of innovation. (Universitaet Paderborn, UPB -Germany)
• 2014- Horizon 2020 Coordinator for EMRI for the proposal EU IHEI Reputation, involving 20 participant institutions, budget euro 900k+.
• 2014-winer of the consortium under ERASMUS +, KA2 project called ICT Entrepreneur. A European University- Business Alliance aiming to foster the entrepreneurial spirit of ICT students, budget euro 240k+.; (GrantXpert- Cyprus)
• 2014-winner of the consortium under ERASMUS+, KA2 project called SCIENT.
• 2012-2014 Winner of the project: “Teaching for creativity and innovation in Cypriot Universities’ grant funded by IPE (Ίδρυμα Προώθησης Έρευνας,), EUC is the coordinator, euro 119,834.(European University Cyprus)
• 2013-2014, member and winner of the ERASMUSIP project European Recovery Leadership- Striving Forward- Summer School, funded euro 57,621/year. http://www.euleadership.teicrete.gr/ .(European University Cyprus)
• 2012-2013-Coordinator of the ERASMUSIP for the Cross-Cultural Management Intensive Program, funded by IDEP Cyprus, budget euro 47,526/year-running July 2013, www.ccmip.teicrete.gr/
• 2012-2014- Coordinator of the Grundtvig Programme on LLP for EMRBI, on Feeling Younger by Getting Older, budget euro 16,000 for EMRBI http://feeling-younger.eu/2010-2012, winner of the Cross-Cultural Management Intensive Program for the ERASMUSIP. (http://ccmip.teicrete.gr/), budget euro 80,000 to 120.000/year.

Driving licence:

Category B, automobile: clean licence.

Mother tongue:

Other language(s):

Collaborations:

Visiting Professor, Research Methods- Masters in Finance, Pforzheim University, Germany (since Fall 2023)

Visiting Professor, Asset Management at Università LUMSA, Rome (since Spring 2023)

Visiting Professor, ISM University, Vilnius, Lithuania (Fall 2014)

Country Director for Cyprus for EMRBI - www.emrbi.com

Associate Researcher at the EUCRC - www.eucrc.ac.cy
Accredited Trainer by AnAD (HRDA) Cyprus for the Certified Manager (U.S.A).

Summer School Instructor for University of California Irvine (U.S.A) for Economics of European Union Integration.
Member of the International Scientific Committee of the "CKS- Challenges of the Knowledge Society-The 4th and 5th International Scientific Session" of the "Nicolae Titulescu" University, Bucharest, Romania
EMRBI, member of the AWARDS COMMITTEE for 2009,
and member of four EMRBI Research Interest Committees: Cross-Cultural Management, Banking and Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions, Green Economy.
Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest as lecturer and researcher with bilateral research projects.
Consultant in Risk Management with Federal Bank of Middle East Group starting with June- September 2007.

Consultancies :

ESF Grant Evaluator since 2022.

Polish National Science Center- projects SONATA evaluator on financial risk management and banking, 2017, and on private insurance and environmental management in 2018, and law and economics related to environment in 2020.

Ministry of Science, Technology and Space of Israel- project evaluator in scientific thinking and motivation in education, 2017.

World Bank- HERIC project for the Ministry of Science of Republic of Montenegro

Selected expert for the Financial Services User Group FSUG of the E.U.

2005-2008- GLG- Gerson Lerhman U.S.A- Educational scholar and banking and finance consultant with GLGGroup, projects finalized in the Cyprus banking system the Cyprus and Greece economic perspectives, the banking structure, Currency Market in CEE and SEE, Credit Market and Economic Outlook in CEE, the Cyprus Banking System.
2004- Milton Park- U.K. part time consultancy in real estate.

Since October 2005- Bank Consultant for the South Eastern European Region.

Organization/Managerial Skills:

Since 9.2022- Chairperson, Department of Accounting Economics and Finance, EUC

9.2017- 09.2022 - Deputy Dean School of Business Administration, EUC

Since 9.2017 - Director EUC-PEAK Center of Entrepreneurship, EUC

Since 9.2016 - Vice Chair Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, EUC

3.2016- 12.2016- Coordinator Business Development International Office, Admissions

Programme Coordinator BBA since 2012, obtained maximum exemptions for the programme graduates from CIB of U.K. and C.I.I. of U.K., and cemented the cooperation with CISI of U.K.

Since 2010 Country Director for Cyprus with EMRBI (EuroMediterranean Research Business Institute).

2012-2014-Project Coordinator for Grundtvig project for EMRBI

2012-2013-Programme Coordinator for CCMIP2013 ERASMUSIP project and course.

2013- ICA- COOPCY- Conference Organization in Nicosia, Cyprus

Project Management for Basel II Implementation in South Eastern European Banks.

2005-Chief Financial Officer of the AWDI Group (American-Lebanese ownership) with over EURO 250 million deal portfolio in mergers and acquisitions.
2007-Basel II project coordination with FBME (June-September 2007).

Over 10 years’ experience as a Bank Manager with multinational and international Banks in the E.U. (Romania, Austria, Poland) (see my profile on: www.linkedin.com)
Conference track chairing (the 1^st to 5^th Euromed conferences in Marseille 2008, Salerno 2009, Nicosia 2010, Crete 2011, Glion-Montreux 2012).
 

Advisory For Post Graduate Studies:

Advisory service provided for Graduate and Undergraduate Students for dissertation projects in Banking and Financial Services, Risk Management, Interest rate liberalization, International Sanctions, Basel Implementation, Foreign Direct Investment in Cyprus, International Tourism and Impact of Terrorism in Asia, Mergers and Acquisitions in the Nigerian Banking Sector, Improving Country Image: Bulgaria, Risk Management on Currency Issue, Private banking industry of Switzerland, Banking in Cyprus, International Sanctions in Banking, Credit Risk in Cypriot Banks and Banks in China, Basel II vs Basel III in Cypriot Banks, The American Investment  Bank Bankruptcies of 2007-2008, The Foreign Direct Investment in Cyprus, China, The rise of the Eurosceptics: The impact of EU membership on Britain’s foreign trade and its inter-relationship with key economic factors, HEDGE FUNDS IN CYPRUS AND EUROPE

Investment Alternatives for Institutional Investors.

Advising Ph.D. theses in operational risk management in banking and on cost of capital and risk management in Lebanese small and medium sized companies, and startups and entrepreneurship.

Taught Courses :

Visiting Professor Pforzheim University, Germany , 2023, Msc Level, Research Methods for Finance Students

Visiting Professor at Università LUMSA, Rome, Italy, 2023-2024,MSc. level, Asset Management.

Visiting professor at ISM School of Management and Economics in Vilnius and Kaunas, Lithuania, area: Public Finance (Fin104),

Instructor for the Summer Course in Heraklion (Crete) in 2014 for the ‘European Recovery Leadership- Striving forward, Summer School (ERASMUSIP).

http://www.euleadership.teicrete.gr/index.php/course/141-dr-simona-mihai-yiannaki

Instructor for the Summer School of Cross Cultural Management under CCMIP ErasmusIP programme for 2010-2011 in Agios Nicholaos (Crete-Greece), 2012 in Finland (Vaasa) and in 2013 in Cyprus (Larnaca)

Summer School Instructor for University California Irvine at EUC (2010).

Strategy and International Relations, Banking and Finance, Risk Management and Economics courses at both undergraduate and graduate level.

FI 501 "Accounting and Finance" (MBA), Money and Banking (ECO 350), Economics of European Union Integration (ECO 220), Essentials of financial analysis (FIN 101), The Business of Banking (BAN 111), BANKING OPERATIONS-REGULATIONS, MARKET PRACTICE, AND TREASURY MANAGEMENT (BAN 231), Banking Operations-UK Lending & International Business (BAN 112), PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS (ECO 102), PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS (ECO 101),  Financial Services (BAN 211), Law relating to Banking Services (BAN 221), Investments (FIN 321), Multinational Business Finance (FIN 311), Mergers and Acquisitions ( FIN361), Independent Studies in Finance (FIN 391), Risk Management (FI 606), FIN406, Financial Risk Management, International Finance (FI608), Financial Environment (FI612), Finance, Accounting and Economics Internship (FIN400, ACC410, ECO 465) and Banking Internship (BAN 400), CSR 210 Corporate Social Responsibility in Accounting, Economics and Finance, ACC409 Financial Management and Control, advising Dissertation. Thesis both for undergraduate and graduate students in Banking, Finance, Risk Management and Economics areas, including via hybrid learning system. Running the Internship course in Accounting, Economics and Finance with placements in Big 4 companies in Cyprus. Ph.D coordinator for thesis in Banking and Finance, Finance, Corporate Governance, Entrepreneurship, Mergers and Acquisitions.

Extra-Curricular Activities :

European Science Foundation-ESF Evaluator, various projects cannot be disclosed as topics though due to confidentiality agreement. Their codes are though: 22-FWO-FRP-0147, 22-FWO-FRP-1143, 22-FNR-CORE-069, 21-FWO-FRP-0415. Project Evaluator for the European Commission.

Evaluator of the European CISI Educational Trust Award in May 2018.

Reviewer for Governance Journal Corporate Governance and Organizational Behavior Review, Global Business and Economics Review, EMJB journals, all SCOPUS ranked.

Leading the CFA Research Challenge for the EUC team in 2015 and 2016 for the Cyprus competition.

Continuous CPD as a member of the professional qualification CISI of U.K.

I do enjoy helping others, charitable events for our community and especially for children. I like traveling and as an outdoor activity swimming, golf and basketball.

Mihai-Yiannaki S., Gibilaro L., Mattarocci G. (2022), Funds of hedge funds' role in portfolio diversification during crisis: the case of Cyprus, February 2022 Global Business and Economics Review, Vol.26 No.3, pp.218 – 230, DOI:10.1504/GBER.2022.10046364

Mihai-Yiannaki S., Gibilaro L., Mattarocci G., (2021), Big data firms and information privacy, January 2021, Global Business and Economics Review 25(3/4): pp 355-367, DOI: 10.1504/GBER.2021.118713

Mihai-Yiannaki S., Varnava-Marouchou D., Konis E., Hadjichristodoulou V. (2020), The success of STEM graduates in entrepreneurship training: a European case study, January 2020, Global Business and Economics Review, Vol.22 No.1/2, pp.198 - 211, DOI: 10.1504/GBER.2020.105060

Mihai- Yiannaki, S.; Giannotti, C.; Gibilaro, L.; Mattarocci, G. (2022), 7th International Conference on New Business Models, Rome, Italy            June 23, 24, 2022, Online invoice trading market- A case study driven by Big Data, pp 583-602, Proceedings: https://www.newbusinessmodels.org/publications-media 

Trypidakis G., Mihai-Yiannaki S. (2022),15th Annual Conference of the EuroMed Academy of Business Sustainable Business Concepts and Practices, Palermo, Italy,September 21-23, 2022, A comparative study in Fintech on ICOs performance, ISSN 2547-8516 (accepted paper for presentation by Mihai-Yiannaki S.).

Giannotti C., Gibilaro L., Mattarocci G., Mihai-Yiannaki S. (2021), 14th Annual Conference of the EuroMed Academy of Business, Contemporary Business Concepts and Strategies in the new Era, September 22-23, 2021TRACKING DEFAULT RISK IN FINTECH PAYMENTS: A CASE STUDY ON ONLINE INVOICE TRADING MARKET, ISBN: 978-9963-711-90-1.

Papageorgiou G., Mihai-Yiannaki S., Varnava-Marouchou D. 16th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship ECIE 2021, Portugal, September 16-17, 2021, "A Critical Evaluation of Contemporary Tools on Developing Innovative Thinking Competencies for Entrepreneurship", ISBN: 978-1-914587-15-3. Pp 701-707.

Papageorgiou G., Mihai-Yiannaki S., Varnava-Marouchou D., Hadjipapa Gee S., Anastasiades T., Englezou D. "16th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship ECIE 2021", Portugal, September 16-17, 2021  , "A System Dynamics Approach to Entrepreneurship Applied to the Case of the Creative Arts Industry", ISBN:978-1-914587-15-3. Pp 707-715.

Papageorgiou, G., Mihai, S., Ioannou, M., Marouchou, D., & Marneros, S. (2020, April). Towards the Development of a Digital Marketing (DM) Competencies Framework. In 2020 IEEE Communication Strategies in Digital Society Seminar (ComSDS) (pp. 145-149). IEEE.

Mihai-Yiannaki, S.; Gibilaro, L.; Mattarocci, G., (2019) 12th Annual Conference of the EuroMed Academy of Business       Thessaloniki, Greece, September 18-20, 2019, "PERFORMANCE OF BIG DATA FIRMS AND THE INFORMATION PRIVACY LAW", ISBN: 978-9963-711-81-9.