Our People

Antonis Askanis

Founder & Senior Advisor

Mr. Antonis Askanis began his professional journey in 1972 as a structural engineer, designing buildings for the Lordos Group. During the aftermath of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, when he served in the Engineer Corps of the military, he and his wife relocated to Athens, Greece.

While in Athens, Mr. Askanis continued his work with the Greek operations of the Lordos Group, taking on the role of construction manager for several development projects. Demonstrating entrepreneurial initiative, he later partnered with a colleague to establish his first business, focusing on building and selling apartment blocks in Athens.

In 1983, he returned with his family to Cyprus, where he assumed the role of Technical Manager at Stavros Demosthenous Contractors in Limassol. He held this position for six years, gaining valuable leadership and industry experience.

In 1989, Mr. Askanis established what would become ASKANIS GROUP, initially as a construction company through Antonis Askanis Ltd. Following a decade of success in the contracting sector, Mr. Askanis began undertaking projects for other developers across Cyprus, and this expansion naturally led to the creation of Askanis Developers Ltd, marking the Group’s transition into property development.

Recognizing the favorable market conditions of the early 2000s, Mr. Askanis identified a significant opportunity in the real estate sector, as growing numbers of high-net-worth foreign investors viewed Cyprus as an attractive destination for property investment. During this period, he further strengthened the Group’s presence in the development sector, going on to deliver some of the most impressive projects in Limassol.

Today, Mr. Askanis takes on a more strategic role within the Group, acting as a senior advisor and contributing significantly to the executive team, while continuing to shape the vision and direction of ASKANIS GROUP.

Christiana Askanis

Director and Group Legal Consultant

Christiana Askanis is a qualified lawyer and a member of the Cyprus Bar Association. She holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of London and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Northampton.

Christiana has been actively involved in ASKANIS GROUP since 2007 and currently serves as a Director and the Group’s Legal Consultant. In her role as Director, she contributes to the development and implementation of the Group’s strategic objectives and long-term growth, while overseeing the marketing and sales departments and fostering strong relationships with clients and partners.

In her role as Group Legal Consultant, Christiana leads all legal and regulatory matters across the Group’s operations. She represents the Group in a wide range of legal proceedings, disputes, and negotiations, safeguarding its interests and ensuring full compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Her work includes advising on complex property and construction matters, structuring and negotiating transactions, and overseeing contractual frameworks across all projects. She is also actively involved in business development, particularly in the structuring and execution of investments.

In addition to her role within the Group, Christiana is also a Partner at Kannava & Askanis LLC, where she advises clients on corporate and commercial matters, and represents clients in litigation. Her practice focuses in particular on property, construction, and business-related transactions.

Sotiris Askanis

Director and Group Technical Manager

Sotiris holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Manchester, a Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering from Imperial College London and an MBA from the CIIM. He has been professionally involved in the design and construction of buildings in both the UK and Cyprus since 2013.

As a Director he helps define and implement the Group’s strategic objectives through project conceptualisation and feasibility. As Group Technical Manager he drives commercial management and full-cycle project management of the Group’s portfolio, maintaining the fundamental pillars of quality, cost control and schedule compliance.

On a technical level, Sotiris has had the opportunity, throughout his career, to be involved in a wide range of projects spanning the whole spectrum of engineering and design disciplines. He has managed the construction of high-rise buildings, structures below ground water level and in challenging geological conditions, projects in dense urban environments and interventions on listed and heritage buildings in the UK and Cyprus. His extensive experience has also underpinned his operational leadership as well as his ability to steer financial performance and organize multidisciplinary teams and resources.

Sotiris has also been managing a personal portfolio of smaller bespoke projects since 2021.