Account Opening Assistant, Plus500CY Ltd.: "Cyprus is an underrated gem of a place"

Netherlands-born Rogier van Rooijen worked there, in the United Arab Emirates, Spain, and Belgium before settling in Cyprus and so is speaking from experience when he describes the island as a location with an ‘East meets West’ quality.

Describe your current job in Cyprus.

I work in the anti-money laundering department of Plus500CY, dealing with all things anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing.

What led to your move from The Netherlands to Cyprus?

I grew up in Dubai and moved to Paphos in 2009 after my parents moved to the island. They moved back to The Netherlands in 2011 and I then lived and worked in Nicosia for a couple of years before eventually moving to Limassol in 2014.

How does the professional environment in Cyprus differ from that in The Netherlands?

In my experience, a work environment is quite dependent on the kind of work you’re doing, the company you work for and the people you work with, rather than the geographical location. I’ve worked for a few different companies in Cyprus and they’ve all been quite different so it’s tricky for me to make that generalisation. However, one thing that has stood out is how the collective is important here, so there are a lot of group activities and outings and there’s an emphasis on teamwork, which is something I really appreciate. Holland is known for having a good work/life balance, for people who are quite direct and for being relatively informal but I’ve experienced those things over the years in Cyprus as well, so I think it really comes down to personal circumstance.

How do you view the business environment in your particular industry?

The companies I’ve worked for in Cyprus have been businesses with clients around the world so the working environment has generally been quite multicultural with colleagues who speak many different languages. I can’t speak for the industry as a whole but I can say that I couldn’t ask for a better work environment than the one we have at Plus500.

How do you find working and living in Cyprus? How easily did you adapt to life here?

It was quite challenging moving to Paphos from a big city like Dubai but I remember thinking that I’d probably get used to Cyprus quite easily after my first day of being here. It also helped that I grew up in a multicultural environment and was lucky enough to travel a lot, so I was already quite used to new surroundings, unfamiliar languages, etc. Some things that made Cyprus quite easy to adapt to include the fact that the people are laid back and friendly, the island itself is obviously very beautiful, the food and weather are great and everyone speaks English. Making some good friends early on also definitely helped me to understand Cyprus better. Cyprus also has an ‘East meets West’ quality to it, which I really enjoy, and I still find it an underrated gem of a place to live and work.

• Country of origin: The Netherlands
• Job Title: Account Opening Assistant
• Company: Plus500CY Ltd.
• Office Location: Limassol
• Time in Cyprus: 13 years
• Other countries he has lived/worked in: The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Spain, Belgium
• Favourite restaurant in Cyprus: The Cosy Corner, Limassol
• Favourite bar in Cyprus: Fly Again Irish Pub and Grill, Argaka
• Activities he enjoys in Cyprus: Exploring the island, hiking

This interview first appeared in the March issue of GOLD magazine. Click here to view it.