Your Interviews

Ten minutes with....

Dimitris Tsesmetzoglou (BSc Insurance and Investment 1997)

I am Chief Executive Officer of Matrix Insurance and Reinsurance S.A.
Matrix Group (Matrix S.A., Matrix Cyprus, and Matrix UK branch) is a Lloyd’s registered broker, a privately owned reinsurance broker and market leader in Greece and Cyprus, working with clients to find innovative solutions that add real value.

Why did you choose to study at Cass?
I believe that Cass was the only University that could combine what I wanted to study (Insurance and Investment) with the experience of being in the City of London where everything is happening. Also it is a university that was a pioneer in the studies that I wanted to undertake something that added value with employers when I was starting my career.

What is your most treasured memory of your time at Cass?
Its the friendships I made at Cass which have helped me till today and are amongst my closest friends. Its 3 years of being close and share unique experiences with others which make you very close to them.
How did Cass influence your Career Development?

How did Cass influence your Career Development?
My bachelor degree offered me a lot of business knowledge and practical experience in key insurance areas like. It was important to get real practical knowledge something that speed up my career afterwards. Universities at bachelor level they tend to be very theoretical but this was certainly not my experience at Cass.

How did you get involved in the Insurance & Reinsurance sector?
I completed the BSc in Insurance and Investment in the City University Business School (now Cass) in 1997. It was natural for me to join the Lloyds and London insurance market following this. I then went to look at what is my competitive advantage (something that I was taught well at Cass) and this was the Reinsurance business in my home territory – Greece and Cyprus which was then a monopoly of one company.

In 2002, I moved to BMS International (one of the top 10 Reinsurance brokers in the World) to launch an office for BMS in Athens. The BMS Hellas office was successfully launched in 2003. In September 2006, I led the successful Management Buy Out of the BMS Hellas office, (now Matrix Group), from the BMS Group.

Today Matrix has more than 50% market share in Greece and Cyprus and its the only Lloyds registered broker in the country with 45 staff and premium income throughput in excess of 150 million.

As CEO of an international company what would be your one piece of essential business advice?
International and more specifically European Business is going through some hard times at the moment. Nonetheless, its at hard times when opportunities arise and by following the simple rules of strategy and competitive advantages you can find these opportunities and exploit them. Its certainly not easy but nothing is these days. If you are good at what you are persistent you will succeed there is no doubt.

When you’re not working, what’s your favourite thing to do in London?
I am a father of two and soon of 3 so spending time with my family and kids is very important. London offers great opportunities and things which is one of the reasons we are still based here.

And lastly, what does the future hold for you?
Being positive in life is very important and has helped me so far in everything I have done. Being a Lloyds broker it opens the world for us and International expansion is definitely on the cards. Our strategy is to have exceeded the 450 million premium throughput in 3 years. So future is certainly busy!