Byron Nicolaides

A. Byron Nicolaides has been a top achiever from his early days at Merrill Lynch, carrying the values of Quality, Innovation, Passion, and Integrity into his entrepreneurial ventures.

Byron founded PeopleCert in 2000. Under Byron’s leadership PeopleCert evolved from a Greek player to the global leader in skilling-reskilling-upskilling, and has helped millions to remain relevant, significantly raising digital literacy levels on a global scale. To date, the company has delivered millions of exams and certified millions of people across 200+ countries being a catalyst for organisational efficiency and empowering people to enhance their careers and lives.

In 2019, Byron was honored with the Entrepreneur of the Year award at the European Business Awards for the UK, distinguishing PeopleCert among the top echelon of European companies. That same year, he was also celebrated with the "Self-Made" Entrepreneur of the Year award in Greece from EY, acknowledging his societal contributions and business prowess. In 2024, his leadership saw PeopleCert being recognized with the "Investment Award – Foreign Investment from Greece to the UK," in light of the significant €450 million Axelos acquisition, the highest ever acquisition abroad from the Greek private sector, making PeopleCert the first Greek-origin Unicorn with a valuation exceeding USD 1bn.

Byron has a profound commitment to societal development. His tenure as President of CEPIS enabled him to advance professional skills and digital literacy among half a million IT professionals in Europe. His Greek-Turkish dual citizenship gives him a unique perspective on the importance of cross-cultural understanding and cooperation spearheading initiatives for societal advancement and corporate success. Championing education and culture with fervor, Byron fuels a plethora of PeopleCert's CSR endeavors. From safeguarding the timeless ancient Greek language to fostering excellence through scholarships, and advocating for the preservation of our cultural heritage, Byron's vision ignites a powerful wave of change.