Konstantina Logotheti, as the Head of Marketing & Communications at PwC Cyprus, holds a pivotal role in shaping the company's strategic communication endeavors. Adding another feather to her cap, she recently undertook the role of Director for the newly-established PwC Cyprus Foundation. This non-profit arm of PwC Cyprus is a testament to the firm's dedication to social action, channeling its resources towards strengthening the local community, bolstering education and culture, fostering youth entrepreneurship, and generously offering expertise and time.

In the detailed interview that follows, Konstantina delves into the innovative four-day work week initiative by PwC Cyprus during the summer months, highlighting its positive impact on the company's workforce. She offers insight into the pillars and initiatives of the PwC Foundation, sharing personal stories of initiatives close to her heart and the significance of community engagement. Moreover, her communication strategy for the foundation's launch and the lessons from her illustrious career in marketing and communication provide valuable takeaways. Through her narratives, the emphasis on patience, collaboration, and the power of collective action resonate profoundly.

At PwC Cyprus, our perennial goal is to further enhance the well-being of our people. We want our people to be happy and feel fulfilled with their work at all levels. This is the reason why the four-day work week is implemented for yet another year during July and August 2023.

According to an internal survey we conducted, 77 percent of PwC Cyprus employees said that they managed to avoid working at all on most Fridays, while 95 per cent reported that the four-day work had a positive impact on them. 65 percent of PwC Cyprus employees stated that their productivity increased during this period while 85 percent stated that they managed to implement their workload in four working days, rather than five. In addition, 93 percent said that their leaders were supportive of their effort to pull this off. Our people are positively embracing this effort, enjoying the benefits of the flexible work model that aims at a better working environment and, by extension, a better quality of life.

The creation of the non-profit PwC Foundation has been a pioneering decision of the organisation, which focuses its social action on strengthening the local community and improving the quality of people's lives by providing diverse support in three pillars: Education & Culture, Youth entrepreneurship, Offering our hearts & minds.

The Education & Culture pillar includes initiatives such as the introduction of the provision of scholarships to excellent, economically vulnerable first-year students at the University of Cyprus and the Cyprus University of Technology, as well as the offering of financial awards to students who excel in various academic institutions. In addition we implemented the Tech We Can initiative to inform and raise awareness among students aged 12-14 about the opportunities and challenges of careers in technology while as part of the Global Money Week campaign, PwC’s volunteers participated in briefings for students of all levels to raise awareness and empower young people’s necessary financial knowledge. 

Under the Youth Entrepreneurship pillar we include our strategic partnerships with important educational, academic, and business bodies such as the University of Cyprus, Junior Achievement Cyprus, Chrysalis LEAP and the CYENS Centre of Excellence in Research and Innovation. Last but not the least the Offering our hearts & minds pillar includes the active participation of PwC people in various actions, but also the support to our community by offering our expertise, experience and time.

The establishment of the PwC Foundation arose from the organisation’s people’s desire to have a more purposeful and engaging involvement in the local community. In the coming years we aspire to see the PwC Foundation playing an important role in our local community.

There is one project which is very close to my heart and that is the “Community Program” of Junior Achievement, which is aimed at 3rd-grade primary school students.

PwC is a strategic partner of Junior Achievement, and a long-time supporter of initiatives aimed at strengthening youth entrepreneurship and innovation. The “Community” program is an interactive educational program of five modules, which are presented to the class by PwC volunteers with the aim to introduce the students to the concept of careers; to understand that each job requires specific skills and how citizens benefit by contributing to the success of a community, but also how all professions contribute towards community flourishing.

Being a volunteer in two different public primary schools I had the opportunity to interact with young students and find out by myself how energizing and rewarding this can be. I will never forget the smiling faces of the little ones, the enthusiasm when they learned something new and their passion. I am looking forward to reliving this experience next year.

It is worth noting that this year 353 primary school students had the chance to participate in this programme.

Our communication approach was based on the fact that we wanted to launch the PwC Foundation first to our people and then to the outside world. Our people are the soul of the PwC Foundation and the heart in everything we do so we wanted to make them part of this journey. Based on discussions we had with the PwC volunteers we formed our pillars and decided our activities. The commitment of our people was amazing as they actively participated with ideas and actions to fulfill our vision to better support the community in which we all live. After a few months we were ready to go out to the world and present a more complete picture of what the PwC Foundation is, its vision, its pillars, its stakeholders and collaborations.

I would say that the most valuable lesson I have learned throughout my career and a lesson which I keep taking is to be patient and remember that we can go further together than alone.

Patience is a virtue professionally and personally but in the workplace it helps you stay focused on long term goals, overcome any obstacles and maintain healthier relationships. Patience and empathy make you resourceful, productive and confident. Having worked for different multinational companies in the past I can say with confidence that patience made me the professional I am today. Along with patience the collaboration and synergies can lead you to better outcomes and more innovative approaches while they increase your sense of belonging.

Patience and collaboration were the two elements that made the idea of the PwC Foundation a reality. Along with the feeling that together we can change our community for a better future.

I always knew what I wanted to do in my life and this was something that had to do with communication. I love to write and build bridges of communications, I like to listen and I adore giving people what they want through messages and words. So my studies were focused on communication and marketing and later on I worked in this field for different companies like NOVA, Cosmote and Microsoft before coming to PwC Cyprus where I am for the last 13 years. I consider myself very lucky to have studied and worked in an area which fulfills and completes me. The one common thing that all my previous jobs had was the need to understand the vision, the values and the goals of each company and discover the communication vehicle that would add value in this journey. I love my job and I love being part of the PwC Foundation. This initiative motivates me and makes me continuously try to be a better person.

What: PwC Cyprus Foundation

Where: Nicosia, Cyprus

More Info: pwc.com.cy/en/pwc-cy-foundation

Who: Konstantina is the Head of Marketing & Communications in PwC Cyprus being responsible for the Strategic Marketing Planning of the firm. In addition she is responsible for the branding, the advertising activities, the online marketing, the PR, the Crisis communication plan and the internal communication of the firm. The past year she also undertook the role of the Director in the newly established PwC Foundation. Previously she worked for Microsoft Hellas, where she had the opportunity to coordinate the visit of Bill Gates to Athens in terms of communication and PR, in COSMOTE Telecommunications Company where she had the experience to work for the Athens 2004 Olympic and Paralympic games and in NOVA where she held the position of the PR Executive. Konstantina holds a BSc in Media & Mass Communication from Panteion University of Social & Political Sciences in Greece and MSc in Marketing from the University of Leicester. She is a member of the Board of Junior Achievement and she loves volunteering being an active member. Konstantina is married and a proud mother of two girls.