Successful Business talked with Jowita Jablonska and Maria Dimitriou, shareholders and members of the Board of Directors of IBCCS TAX. We discussed the values and personal qualities that a woman in a leadership position needs.

First of all, Congratulations! You have recently become shareholders and members of the Board of Directors at your company. How do you find the role?

JJ: To be honest, not much has changed when it comes to our daily work. The volume of work and responsibilities are still the same as before.

We just continue to do our best, however, following the official announcement, our clients and partners are coming to discuss all matters directly with us now, instead of relying only on the founder of the company – Cezary.

MD: I agree with Jowita. However, now that we are officially the faces of the company, I would say that this comes with additional responsibilities. It is exciting and stressful at the same time.

In your opinion, what qualities should a woman have to succeed in a business leadership position?

JJ: I would not say it is something that applies specifically to women only. Such qualities are universal.

I believe having the courage and the ability to take fast and independent decisions are important. It is also crucial to have trust in yourself and not rely on the judgment of other people.

MD: Yes, confidence is a must. I believe that it should be easy for a woman to be in a leadership position as we have seen the most effective leadership models embracing the feminine site (unity and encouragement) which a woman (by nature) possesses.

Also, being able to function and react quickly to any situation or decision making is for sure a quality that needs to be embodied as part of your personality.

Do you think that women need to work harder than men to reach top positions in Cyprus?

JJ: Maybe not exactly they need to work harder, however, I believe women are not given enough credit especially in the beginning, as they need to prove their credibility more so than men. I am sure there is no equality in remuneration – it is evident that women earn less at the same managerial position as men. Of course, it also depends on the people we work with.

I am grateful to work with open minded people, where we do not need to prove we are serious in our roles.

I strongly believe that women can help create the right culture within companies, by setting clear boundaries from the start, of what is acceptable or not; by not tolerating (or disregarding) certain behaviours and by not provoking any ambiguous situations.

MD: In general, a woman must achieve more in order to be recognized on a global scale. We have seen and continue seeing women being judged, not recognized, and undervalued just because of sexism.

Despite the discrimination, this has not deterred many female leaders making an impact in their fields!

What are the most common questions your clients come with? Do you have a list of 3-4 most popular services?

There is a lot of demand about IP box incentive, which allows a deduction of IP profits of 80%. Another common subject is safety – on financial and legal side.

We advise a lot on personal tax residency, since so many people change their location frequently and do not have only one permanent home.

We prepare tax memos for international structures and clients that want to lower their tax risk.

Clients want clear answers, especially expats coming from countries with bureaucratic and complicated laws.

Our job is to make their life easier, by explaining any risks and traps and setting up structures to be protected by law.

What was the biggest challenge during your career? How did you overcome it?

Our biggest challenge is to make teams work efficiently and peacefully even under stressful circumstances.

Another challenge is developing and maintaining a culture of people working for the same purpose.

We believe that people are the core of each organisation, and sadly we have previously experienced turbulent environments.

We sometimes, must make the decision to let people go, who are not fit for the organisation, and hire others who are better fit for the culture, purpose and ethics of our business.

What is your motivation/inspiration in life?

JJ: To live with a purpose and to have the courage to live on my own terms.

MD: Ultimate motivation is creating a life that I enjoy - be successful and have the financial freedom to enjoy life.

Have you set yourselves any goals to reach this year? What – in general – is your plan for the nearest future?

We want to reach an international audience and be present in some new channels of communication. We will soon launch our YT channel which will be an information platform about taxation in several jurisdictions and benefits that can be used.

We also want to continue developing ourselves and our people. Our industry is changing very fast, and it is important to stay on top of all global and local changes so we can support our clients more effectively.