Dimitri Thomas: "Consistency is the anchor – vision keeps it alive"

  • Вторник, 08 июля 2025 10:01
  • Dimitri Thomas is the International Operations Director at Acsion Ltd and the driving force behind the Metropolis Mall in Larnaca – one of the largest retail developments in Cyprus. With a background in engineering and decades of experience in property development across South Africa and Europe, he brings both strategic vision and operational depth to every project. Under his leadership, Acsion has helped reposition Larnaca as a destination for investment, infrastructure and long-term growth. In this interview, he reflects on the values that shape his leadership – and the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

    Your path has taken you from engineering into the heart of real estate development – across countries, cultures, and challenges. What has stayed constant within you throughout this journey? And what still surprises you about the work you do?

    What has stayed constant is my perseverance, and the commitment to get the job done. That’s been my anchor. I may have trained as an engineer, but most of my career has played out in the business world – and particularly in real estate. The logical mindset from engineering helps, but I’ve always been more passionate about the commercial and human side of development.

    What still surprises me is the unpredictability. Real estate may seem like a stable industry, but in the past five years we've seen significant disruptions. Challenges are part of the game, and every project throws something new at you. One surprise I’m especially grateful for has been the resilience of the Cypriot market – especially post-COVID and following the end of the passport scheme. I expected a dip, but on the contrary, it’s continued to grow, due to its ability to capitalize on the geopolitical events in the region.

    Leading a transformative project like Metropolis Mall means carrying the weight of both vision and execution. In moments of doubt or exhaustion, what keeps you going – what drives you on a personal level?

    What drives me is the desire to succeed and to bring about real change. Larnaca needed a formal shopping centre – I saw that clearly when I moved here. The demand was there, but the infrastructure wasn’t. From the start, I believed Metropolis Mall would succeed.

    Of course, five years on a single project is exhausting. There were delays, setbacks, frustrations, and plenty of pressure. But once you commit mentally, financially and emotionally, you have to see it through. What helped was having a stable company behind me, a great team in South Africa, and a vision that kept me focused.

    I’ve always approached projects with the end-goal in mind, a positive mindset, and my past successes as a reminder – this keeps the momentum alive, even when it’s hard.

    There’s often an unseen side to leadership – the quiet decisions, the sleepless nights, the people you carry with you. Is there a moment from your work in Cyprus that changed you, not just as a professional, but as a person?

    COVID was that moment. No one had planned for a global shutdown, and it forced all of us to rethink how we operate. It made me more cautious – both in terms of investments and how I lead people.

    I became more flexible, more results-oriented. I don’t mind if people work from home or the office, as long as the work gets done. That shift brought better balance – for me and for the team.

    Personally, being “stuck” in Cyprus during the travel restrictions was a blessing. It gave me time to focus more deeply on Metropolis Mall, and to spend meaningful time with my wife and children. That period redefined what leadership and success mean for me.

    You’ve spoken of creating not just spaces, but experiences – places that shape how people live and connect. What inspires you when you imagine the future of a city like Larnaca? Where does that sense of possibility come from?

    Larnaca has always felt like Cyprus’s forgotten cousin – underdeveloped, and under-recognised. But to me, that’s exactly where the opportunity lies.

    The mall was just the beginning. What excites me now is the potential of the properties surrounding the mall area, as well as the marina redevelopment, the seafront projects, the Land of Tomorrow project, which includes the first proper urban plan the country has seen. Larnaca has space, infrastructure, and a real chance to grow the right way.

    I’ve secured land around the mall and we’re exploring future developments – possibly private hospitals, universities, and student housing – to address some of the city’s most pressing needs. The dream is not just to build, but to help shape a city. That vision – of transforming a blank canvas into something meaningful – is what drives me.

    Having lived and worked in both South Africa and Cyprus, how have those two landscapes – both physically and emotionally – shaped your understanding of belonging, purpose, and what it means to build something that lasts?

    South Africa will always be my foundation. It taught me how to be resourceful, self-sufficient, and how to get things done even when infrastructure fails. That mindset of self-reliance has been crucial.

    But Cyprus is where I see the future. In eight years, I’ve built a strong network here – largely thanks to the scale and nature of the mall project. The environment is different, more bureaucratic, but it also protects against overdevelopment.

    Legacy, to me, is not about a single project. It’s about creating ecosystems. We’re not just building a mall – we’re building an entire precinct that can serve generations.

    When all the plans are drawn, the deadlines passed, and the buildings finally open their doors – what do you hope people feel when they walk into something you've helped create? What part of you do you hope remains in that space?

    When the doors of the shopping mall open, I hope people feel a sense of surprise, delight, pride and belonging. That whether they came to shop, meet friends, or simply pass time, they feel like this place is theirs. I want the mall to feel like a vibrant part of the community – alive, evolving, and filled with possibility. A place where community meets convenience, and families make memories.

    What gives me the most satisfaction is when people from other cities tell me they now come here to shop, to spend the day. That means we’ve created something valuable, and that we’ve contributed positively to the city of Larnaca.

    The part of me I hope remains in that space is the thought and intention behind every choice. The care taken in how it’s laid out, how light moves through it, how people move within it. My belief is that spaces shape experiences – and that thoughtfully designed, well-operated places can uplift communities, connect people, and endure far beyond the opening day.

    Great things can happen in overlooked places – if you lead with passion, persistence, and purpose.

     

    Interview by Kateryna Bila

    #SB100Leaders

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