for excellence!
NAKIS THEOCHARIDES
Committed to Excellence
EARLY YEARS | Foundations of Discipline
Nakis Theocharides was born and raised in Larnaca, Cyprus. From an early age, sport played a central role in his life. At school he engaged in track & field and football, while during childhood he explored martial arts such as judo and taekwondo, as well as tennis, which he pursued consistently for ten years.
Basketball became a defining part of his teenage years. Team sports shaped his early understanding of discipline, responsibility, and collective effort.
He completed 26 months of military service in the Armored Corps as a driver and tank driver. This period proved formative, instilling a clear realization: life is not handed to you — it is built through challenge, endurance, and character.
STUDIES & FORMAL TRAINING | Knowledge with Structure
Nakis Theocharides invested early in structured education, deliberately combining academic knowledge, applied training, and real-world experience.
He completed his undergraduate studies in Business Administration with a Marketing Concentration (BSc) at the University of La Verne, followed by a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management (MScHRM) from the University of Cyprus, strengthening his strategic understanding of organizations, leadership, and people management.
His early professional development included foundational training in fitness and physical performance through GR.A.F.T.S. (Greek Aerobic & Fitness School) in Athens, where he qualified as an Advanced Group Exercise Trainer and Advanced Personal Trainer. This period established the discipline and performance mindset that later informed his broader work. His knowledge in exercise instruction and professional standards was further formalized through Central YMCA Qualifications.
This educational path reflects a principle that defines his approach to work:
foundations first, structure second, and disciplined application throughout.
FITNESS | Discipline through Challenge
During his second year of Business Administration studies, Nakis sought to create additional income while increasing his professional value. He pursued parallel training in fitness, entering late in the academic year yet committing fully through disciplined study and practice — an approach that quickly transformed challenge into advantage.
He worked across multiple fitness centers in Athens, primarily in group exercise programs. Over time, he progressed into a leadership role collaborating with leading professionals in program design and teaching at industry conventions.
HOSPITALITY | Service Excellence & Executive Exposure
Nakis Theocharides’ hospitality background combines service excellence, operational understanding, and executive-level exposure within one of Cyprus’ most demanding hotel environments.
During his first tenure at Hilton Cyprus, he assumed leadership of the Hiltonia Club, the hotel’s Health Club and Spa. In this role, he focused on elevating service standards, strengthening team performance, and contributing to the overall guest experience. His work led to improved results and established him as a trusted member of the hotel’s wider management structure.
Beyond his core responsibilities, he was involved in key hotel initiatives, including project leadership for the development of the parking infrastructure and the coordination of “We Care”, Hilton’s environmental sustainability program. Under this initiative, Hilton Cyprus achieved 1st place in Europe, receiving top recognition for its environmental performance. The award was marked by the provision of a bicycle to every hotel employee — more than 200 in total — reinforcing a culture of collective responsibility and sustainability.
In his second tenure at the hotel, then rebranded as The Landmark Nicosia, Nakis returned in an executive capacity as HR Manager and member of the Executive Team. Working closely with the General Manager and Department Heads, he contributed to leadership alignment, service consistency, and the strengthening of the hotel’s internal culture, supporting the delivery of high-quality hospitality in the capital.
This progression — from operational responsibility to executive leadership — provided him with a comprehensive understanding of hospitality, reinforcing his belief that sustainable excellence is built through clear standards, accountable leadership, and people-driven culture.
HR LEADERSHIP | Executive Responsibility & Global Scope
Nakis Theocharides’ work in Human Resources is grounded in strategic responsibility, executive-level decision-making, and people-centric leadership within complex and demanding environments.
In his second tenure at the hotel—then rebranded as The Landmark Nicosia—he served in an executive capacity as HR Manager and member of the Executive Team. Working closely with senior leadership and Department Heads, he strengthened organizational structure, leadership alignment, and people practices to support both operational continuity and long-term objectives.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nakis was appointed Crisis Team Leader, coordinating health, safety, and operational protocols to protect employees and guests in an environment defined by uncertainty, regulatory pressure, and heightened responsibility.
He also served as President of the Welfare Fund and Vice President of the Landmark Foundation, contributing to governance, employee well-being, and social responsibility initiatives.
One of the most demanding chapters of his HR career involved coordinating one of the largest redundancy processes ever conducted in Cyprus. Managing negotiations with unions and multiple stakeholders, he led the process with transparency, composure, and respect, safeguarding dignity while balancing organizational necessity during the hotel’s closure for major renovation.
Subsequently, Nakis assumed the role of Chief People Officer at NAGA Group, operating within the highly regulated and fast-paced Forex industry. With global responsibility for the Group’s human capital, he led HR strategy across multiple countries, aligning culture, performance, and leadership in an environment defined by scale, speed, and accountability.
This breadth of experience shaped a clear conviction that defines his approach to HR leadership:
people strategy is not a support function — it is a core driver of performance and organizational resilience.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT | From Student to Practitioner
Nakis Theocharides’ engagement with personal development spans many years of continuous study, application, and integration, extending far beyond isolated seminars or single influences.
From an early stage, he approached personal development as a serious discipline, investing extensively in international trainings, mentorships, and long-term collaborations with leading figures in the field of personal growth and performance. His development was shaped not only through learning, but through direct exposure, guidance, and responsibility under experienced mentors.
Rather than collecting knowledge, Nakis consistently applied what he learned across demanding professional environments — from leadership and executive responsibility to coaching individuals, teams, and athletes. Over time, this sustained application transformed learning into internal standards, shaping how he thinks, decides, and leads.
This path evolved naturally from student to practitioner and educator. Today, he delivers applied principles of personal and professional development with a clear emphasis on clarity, discipline, and measurable results, avoiding superficial motivation and short-term techniques.
His reflections and insights are shared through the noûss journal and his written work, reinforcing a core belief that defines his philosophy:
true personal development is not accumulated — it is embodied through consistent, principle-driven action.
AUTHOR & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP | From Experience to Written Work
Nakis Theocharides is also an author, translating lived experience in leadership, performance, and human development into structured written work.
He is the author of Fitnoûss The Book, where he presents a philosophy that connects mindset, discipline, physical performance, and purpose as an integrated system for personal development.
He is also a contributing author to Multiple Streams of Determination (Westcom Press), a publication exploring resilience, determination, and success through applied principles and real-life experience.
Academically, Nakis has examined leadership across time and context. His analytical work The Leadership Lessons of Kobe Bryant explores character, standards, discipline, and sustained excellence under pressure, while Alexander the Great Leadership Attributes examines strategic vision, decision-making, and leadership execution through one of history’s most influential figures, Alexander the Great.
Through his written work, Nakis reinforces a core belief that defines his broader approach:
leadership and performance are not theoretical constructs, but outcomes of principle-driven action and disciplined execution.
NETWORK MARKETING | Leadership at Scale
For almost a decade, Nakis Theocharides operated in the global travel industry through Network Marketing, a period that proved formative to his entrepreneurial mindset, leadership maturity, and personal development.
Starting from the ground up, he built and led one of the fastest-growing organizations in Europe, while sustaining one of the most structurally disciplined and resilient teams globally. The environment demanded ownership, adaptability, and performance without safety nets — conditions that accelerated his growth as both a leader and entrepreneur.
He recruited, coached, and developed leaders across borders, built international teams from scratch, and operated at scale as a Regional Trainer, organizing and delivering large-scale training events throughout Europe.
His organization grew to more than 11,000 members across 20+ countries, requiring consistent leadership, cultural alignment, and execution. Along the way, he shared training stages with leading figures in the field, including Marc Accetta, Matt Morris, and Johnny Wimbrey. He also served on the International Advisory Council and acted as an official training organizer in Cyprus and Greece.
More than a business chapter, this experience forged his entrepreneurial discipline, sharpened his ability to lead under uncertainty, and laid the foundation for his later work in leadership, HR, and high-performance coaching.
LEADERSHIP | Character Under Pressure
Leadership, for Nakis, is not theoretical. It is revealed under pressure, responsibility, and consequence.
His approach to leadership is shaped by lived experience across operations, executive roles, entrepreneurship, and high-performance environments. It is grounded in accountability, clarity of standards, and the belief that character precedes position.
Through both practice and study of historical leadership models, Nakis connects decision-making, discipline, and execution into a coherent leadership framework — one where trust is built through consistency, direction is sustained through principle, and results follow deliberate action.
HIGH PERFORMANCE COACH | Performance by Design
Today, Nakis Theocharides operates as a High Performance Coach and Founder of Greatnoûss® and Fitnoûss®, working at the intersection of performance, leadership, and organizational culture.
He supports organizations, leaders, and athletes in designing environments where clarity, discipline, and accountability translate into sustained performance. His work focuses on aligning people, standards, and execution — not through theory, but through structured, deliberate application.
By combining HR strategy, executive coaching, and custom-built training programs, Nakis approaches performance as a system rather than a moment — where consistency, culture, and leadership determine long-term outcomes. His work reflects a long-standing commitment to building
performance that endures — through clarity, discipline, and principled action.
