By Olivier Safir*
Often the first question from Cypriot companies interested in the US market is who will represent them there: a country manager, general manager, head of US, etc. And rightly so. Aside from big energy-related news and ambitions for the region, for services and technology companies especially, having one effective person on the ground is often the decisive first step.
But just naming a role isn’t enough. Companies need to think carefully about what this person will actually own in year one, and what kind of support they’re likely to get from Limassol or Nicosia.
I spend my days on both sides of that fence. Founders want a credible American presence. Strong candidates want to be convinced that the opportunity is real enough to leave a solid role. Successful recruiting happens when those two points of view line up on the same basic facts.
Decide what the first year is for
A US country manager can mean very different jobs. Are you looking for someone to start customer conversations and validate demand? Execute on an existing partnership? Build out a lean local team and service offering? These are all different asks and require different profiles. Boards lose months when they treat them as the same hire.
What’s the next milestone you’re trying to hit? What resources have already been committed? What decisions will this person be able to make without a round trip to headquarters? If you can’t answer those questions succinctly, you’re not ready to start a full search.
It might mean you need a narrower assignment first, or more commercial evidence at home, before asking a seasoned executive to bet a career on the role. By the time you’re talking to strong candidates, you should be able to describe the opportunity honestly, including the questions that still need answering.
Local hire or someone from Cyprus
Sending a trusted colleague from Cyprus has clear advantages. They would already know the product, and presumably have a relationship with the founders. The disadvantage is that they would still be new to US hiring practices, channels and customer behaviors, and their existing Cypriot network would be of little use in the United States.
By contrast, an executive hired locally in the US could already have real insight into the market and solid relationships, but might need a learning curve on the company’s technology, culture and constraints, etc. There is no automatic winner. Think about all-in costs including relocation, onboarding, technical support from Cyprus, and the time it will take to build the relationships the business actually needs.
A setup that often works well is a US-based operator working with a clearly named senior person at headquarters who can clear roadblocks and speed up decisions. Make it clear that the headquarters contact supports the US lead. Avoid two bosses making contradictory decisions, or a person at headquarters who effectively re-decides every local call.
Pay and authority before the shortlist gets exciting
Experienced US candidates will want to discuss compensation, equity and decision rights early. Have that frank conversation before emotions run high. Compare the package with real US levels for similar roles, and be honest about what the company can fund. If the strongest profiles sit well above budget, the board still has a choice: raise the package, reshape the role, or accept a longer search.
Equity should be explained in plain terms, including vesting, conditions and the uncertainty of future value. Specialist advice helps where needed.
Authority matters as much as pay. Will the US lead be able to hire locally within a budget, negotiate commercial terms inside agreed boundaries, and approve ordinary spending? Which decisions stay in Cyprus, who makes them, and how quickly will the answer come back? Capture those rules in a short written agreement before anyone signs. A title without discretion is not the job most strong candidates think they are joining.
Make the Cyprus relationship workable
Distance turns small ambiguities into large delays. Name an executive at headquarters who owns escalations, agree a regular review rhythm, and choose a handful of measures that fit this stage of the business. Early on, if selling has not started, revenue targets may not be the best measures… partner progress, customer discovery or operational readiness may fit better. Most routine escalations should get an answer within a week, with a faster path for issues that block customers or hires.
Keep reviewing both the role definition and the person holding it. Changes in financing, product focus or route to market should be identified and discussed openly, with resources adjusted accordingly. Regular contact should surface problems early, without turning into micro-management or a requirement to get approval from Cyprus for every local action.
An illustrative shipping services example
Consider a hypothetical Cypriot shipping services company preparing its first American office. My teams and I would start with readiness, not with résumés. Is headquarters prepared to leave commercial and hiring decisions with the US lead? What will that person do in year one? Armed with that clarity, we would pressure-test the brief through early market conversations, and assess candidates less for how polished their CVs look and more for how well they would collaborate with colleagues in Limassol. This is an illustrative method example, not a report of a named client.
The same discipline applies whether the company sits in shipping, professional services or technology. Before the board approves the appointment, it should ask whether the chosen person has enough experience, support and authority for the next milestone. When the company moves to a later stage, it should ask again.
*Olivier Safir is CEO of Pact & Partners.
