Our latest guest on the Breakpoint podcast is Marios Kapiris — a leader whose career has been defined by bold decisions and an unwavering sense of direction. At a remarkably young age, Marios became the head of IBM in Cyprus. A few years later, he took on the challenge of launching Kyndryl, IBM’s spinout firm, and establishing its local presence from the ground up.

The premise of Breakpoint is to go beyond the surface — to explore not just what leaders have done, but how they think. We aim to understand how they handle risk, how they navigate moments of uncertainty, and how they craft their careers with intention. In Marios’s case, one trait stood out from the start: he doesn’t hesitate.

Early in his career, when the opportunity came to become department manager and relocate to Greece, he accepted without pause. Later, when asked to move across the world and join IBM’s leadership in Oceania, he took the same approach — this time bringing his family to Australia. “When the opportunity comes, moving becomes routine,” he explained. Each step was taken methodically, always with the next one in mind.

Speaking on his eventual return to Cyprus, we discussed the government’s current brain gain efforts — the push to repatriate Cypriot talent. Marios acknowledged the usual drivers: salary, lifestyle, opportunity. But he added a deeper layer. “If those don’t suffice, then the reason has to be care,” he said. “You return because you want to contribute. Because you want to add value here.”

Naturally, the discussion turned to Cyprus — and the turbulence it suffered in the economy and international reputation. How do we rebuild trust, momentum, and national direction? Marios didn’t wait for the question to fully land. “We shouldn’t wait for anyone else. There are no shortcuts. It’s up to us — to improve the economy, to improve society, to restore our reputation.”