Mary Chamatsou
Managing Director, MSPS Cyprus

‘I do not have a mission statement but a mindset in place for 2022. It is all about orchestrating exciting experiences, transforming a space, and inviting people to share a unique experience. The pandemic has taught us to be always ready to pivot, be more resourceful, and go with the flow. For the New Year, my aim is to create a future where it is a consistent source of inspiration and strength for all of us. Moreover, as a leader who wishes to be surrounded by people happily showing up for work every day, I also have the vision of continually providing my team members the opportunities to grow and fulfil their true potential’

Tell us about your company.
“I am the proud founder and managing director of MSPS Cyprus, an award-winning PR and Experiential Marketing Agency. Before embarking on this exciting journey, I have worked in advertising for many years. A milestone of my career was my collaboration with GNOMI, where I had the opportunity to work for international brands. I discovered my passion for creating experiences connecting brands with consumers. This discovery eventually led to founding my own company and focusing entirely on experiential marketing.
Our success story began in 2010. MSPS Cyprus is a joint venture with MSPS Greece and belongs to the GNOMI Group of Companies. Today, we are a growing team of talented, multiskilled, and creative people excited about creating versatile experiences with the strategic goal of adding value to brands.”

Why do you think that companies would benefit from having women at the top?
“I believe that leadership is a human trait. It is not gender-specific. This is why I have always found the lack of women at the top perplexing. For me, it suggests that companies need to revisit their hiring procedures and question the way they choose their leaders. A great leader needs to be a self-motivated, resilient, critical thinker, able to network, collaborate, and communicate clearly. Research suggests that female leaders can wear many hats, provide better mentorship, achieve better financial outcomes, enhance teamwork, and bring fresh perspectives and transformational ideas to the table. Companies and organisations need to take gender diversity seriously. In fact, they should make it their priority. It is long overdue.”

Do or did you have a woman leader as a mentor or are there specific women who inspired you and why?
“I have never had a mentor per se but have often felt inspired by women I have collaborated with. A female leader I admire from afar is Indra Nooyi, former chairperson, and chief executive officer of PepsiCo. She is a living example of the impact true great leaders can have. She always has the courage of her convictions. I have learned from her what it means to create a vision and how important it is to seek ways to unleash the power of people around you.
Becoming a leader people are excited to follow, is an art form she has mastered. During one interview, she was asked what it takes to become a CEO. She suggested to the interviewer to develop a hip pocket skill: a skill that you become so good at that you are seen as the expert of that skill across your company. This has inspired me to focus with more conviction on the hip pocket skill my company brings to the industry.”

What is your vision for your organisation that will help you drive your company forward?
“My vision has been the same from my company’s inception: to partner up with clients and brands and help them evolve and communicate in meaningful ways through touching experiences; to be a bridge between brands and people; to help our clients to protect their brands and their reputation. Moreover, as a leader who wishes to be surrounded by people happily showing up for work every day, I also have the vision of continually providing my team members the opportunities to grow and fulfil their true potential.”

What are the benefits of developing women entrepreneurship in the media?
“It can have a positive impact and help reform our society by promoting less gender stereotyping and more of many positive things. More voices, more diversity and gender balance in content, more job opportunities for other women, more role models for young women and girls – whatever their career aspirations may be, as it makes entrepreneurship itself seem more attainable. It can also have a positive impact on how key stakeholders such as clients, banks, etc., perceive and interact with female business owners.”

How does media encourage women to amplify their own voice, and initiate change both within the organisation and externally?
“It makes it easier to push for change. With the rise of digital and social media, it is easier to become more visible, amplify your voice and be heard. It is also easier to share your experiences, voice your opinions and find an audience of like-minded people or others who have had similar experiences. It makes it easier to challenge discrimination, mobilise attention and organise collective action.”