“Mr New Zealand Lamb” in Cyprus awarded Order of Merit

— Tony Christodoulou makes honours list

 

Tony Christodoulou, New Zealand Honorary Consul and founder and CEO of Nicosia-based Action Global Communications, has been appointed an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in this year’s Queen’s Birthday honours list.

The award is for Services to New Zealand – Cyprus relations, and the citation reads:  “Mr Christodoulou has promoted New Zealand products in Cyprus for over 30 years and was instrumental in the development of New Zealand’s meat trade with the New Zealand Meat Board in Cyprus and Greece.”

In 1972 Tony was asked by the New Zealand Meat Marketing Board to handle its promotional activities in Cyprus and the wider region. Tony recalls the endless hours and long days of hard work that went into that campaign.

“We were the first company to do food promotions and tastings in supermarkets in Cyprus and Greece,” he said.

“I remember taking my brother Panayiotis, who is a chef, to Athens and cooking around 40 lambs every night – each prepared differently – so they would be ready to be served to supermarket customers by 10am the following morning!

But the hard work paid off and, as a direct result, imports from New Zealand to the region grow by more than 1000%. As New Zealand imports took off in Cyprus and Greece, so other markets were added, including Jordan, Malta and Saudi Arabia.

As a result of Action Global Communications’ public relations activities, Tony was offered and accepted the post of Honorary Consul for New Zealand in Cyprus in 1993.

The MNZM citation adds: “Mr Christodoulou played a key role during the evacuation of foreign nationals from Lebanon to Cyprus in 2006. His team met and identified over 70 New Zealanders being evacuated by ship to Cyprus and assisted them with their arrangements in Cyprus and forward travel over an 11-day period in July 2006.  He provided New Zealand ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground in Cyprus, was the liaison with the Cypriot authorities and acted as media spokesperson.”

Tony is rightly proud of his award, but has been quick to share credit with those closest to him: “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for my wife Mickey, the rest of my family and all of the Action team.”

Founded in 1971, Action Global Communications has grown into the emerging market specialist with the largest independent PR network in Central, East and South East Europe, the Balkans and the Middle East.