MARINA NEOPHYTOU
CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
Marina Neophytou
is the co-founder and Director of Operations and International partnerships at Visual Voices. She is a believer in
arts-based practices, the use of digital technologies and grassroots
approaches. With these ideals at hand, she helped build one of the most
groundbreaking civil society peacebuilding initiatives in Cyprus. Taking the
lessons learned from her experience in strategy, operations and campaign to
other post conflict societies, she hopes to make a positive and lasting change
in the lives of youth. A change that is supported from the outside but
developed within, one that enables the partners to continue creating. Her overall goal is to make sure the youth
and communities that take part in VV initiatives, gain something beautiful
and substantial.
Marina holds an MSc in Organisational and Social Psychology and a BSc in Operational Research/Management Sciences from the University of London School of Economics and Political Sciences in London. She has over 15 years’ experience as a director, managing varied number of teams and projects. She has a demonstrated history of working in the CSO, media, consulting and advertising industries. Her experience spans the areas of business development, management, strategy, digital media, communications and consulting. In her former capacity as the director of Home for Cooperation, she set and executed the overall mission and vision of the organization, ensuring that it becomes and remains an instrumental body in the core of reconciliation practices in Cyprus. In that role, Marina launched and established programs including award winning festivals, conferences, workshops, trainings, cultural events, and high-profile meetings. One example is the international festival ‘Buffer Fringe Performing Arts Festival’. Marina has also co-founded the non-profit organization Urban Gorillas, as a response to the lack of civic engagement in public matters in Cyprus.
Prior to her work in civil society, Marina has had extensive experience in digital performance media. At Omnicom Media Group, a leading global communications company in the UK, she held the position of Head of Online Lead Generation & Digital Partnerships, where she established a new service line serving 40+ key client accounts including Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, she held the position of the managing director at GMT+2 Media, providing tailored performance media consultation to international digital startups. During her professional career, she also held the position of Human Capital Consultant in the Strategic Rewards Team in the UK at Willis Towers Watson, a leading global advisory company; and briefly held the position of course instructor, teaching Operational Research Techniques at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences.
Marina holds an MSc in Organisational and Social Psychology and a BSc in Operational Research/Management Sciences from the University of London School of Economics and Political Sciences in London. She has over 15 years’ experience as a director, managing varied number of teams and projects. She has a demonstrated history of working in the CSO, media, consulting and advertising industries. Her experience spans the areas of business development, management, strategy, digital media, communications and consulting. In her former capacity as the director of Home for Cooperation, she set and executed the overall mission and vision of the organization, ensuring that it becomes and remains an instrumental body in the core of reconciliation practices in Cyprus. In that role, Marina launched and established programs including award winning festivals, conferences, workshops, trainings, cultural events, and high-profile meetings. One example is the international festival ‘Buffer Fringe Performing Arts Festival’. Marina has also co-founded the non-profit organization Urban Gorillas, as a response to the lack of civic engagement in public matters in Cyprus.
Prior to her work in civil society, Marina has had extensive experience in digital performance media. At Omnicom Media Group, a leading global communications company in the UK, she held the position of Head of Online Lead Generation & Digital Partnerships, where she established a new service line serving 40+ key client accounts including Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, she held the position of the managing director at GMT+2 Media, providing tailored performance media consultation to international digital startups. During her professional career, she also held the position of Human Capital Consultant in the Strategic Rewards Team in the UK at Willis Towers Watson, a leading global advisory company; and briefly held the position of course instructor, teaching Operational Research Techniques at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences.