The Association of Cypriot Opinion & Market Research Companies held a special event to honour Mr. Renos Lysiotis, one of the pioneers in the market research and opinion poll sector in Cyprus.

After graduating from the Pancyprian Gymnasium, Renos Lysiotis studied law in London and worked as a lawyer in Nicosia. He participated actively in the independence war of EOKA (National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters) as a youth officer for PEKA (Political Commission of the Cypriot Fight) and, at the same time, he defended arrested fighters in trials. He was arrested by the colonial army in November 1956 and was held as a political prisoner for two years in Pyla, with the code DP 743.

After his release in 1958, he returned to his lawyer duties and started operations in the trade sector by importing and trading cosmetics and women fashion clothes. He very soon realised the necessity of obtaining confidential information in relation to trade, consumption and the market in general, that is why in 1960 he founded ARGOS, a company specialising in providing such information to traders. In 1980, Renos Lysiotis founded the Research & Survey Institute VERITAS aiming at conducting opinion polls related to the economic, social and trade environment in Cyprus. 

The first public presentation of a VERITAS research occurred in April 1981 and regarded an opinion poll about the imminent general elections. Many other researches, trade and political opinion polls during election periods and election results’ analyses followed. He also conducted researches for the media at a time where no one else did. 

In 1998, VERITAS pioneered once again. It inaugurated the first regular subscription research bearing the title “Cypriot Opinion”, where it outlined and analysed the trends of public opinion regarding political, economic and social issues of the time. It also examined other topics such as the investments, productivity and salaries in both the private and the public sector, the automatic wage indexation, the Cyprus problem, its possible solutions, the popularity of politicians and the different scenarios during presidential and general elections. This subscription research was published twice a year in two languages, Greek and English. VERITAS ceased its activity after 17 years, with a last research published in May 1997. 

Renos Lysiotis, realising the significance of promoting and establishing the research sector in Cyprus under favourable conditions, he pioneered with others by founding the Association of Cypriot Opinion & Market Research Companies in early December 1994. The aim was to create a professional association which would ensure and promote the interests of market research and opinion poll companies in Cyprus. 

Renos Lysiotis was there, present, and through his experience and characteristic calmness he supported the principles governing the professional activities of the companies in this sector. After the Association was officially registered in mid-1997, Renos Lysiotis held the position of the secretary until 2000 when he decided to step down and close this chapter of his professional activity.

Newer but also older members of the Association are grateful to people like Renos Lysiotis who had a vision and worked so that today the Association shall represent an organised initiative of companies working in the sector of market research and opinion polls, a sector that has known great progress in recent years and that is found under the spotlight during each elections. 

It is because of this contribution that the Association unanimously decided to honour Mr. Lysiotis. We all express a warm greeting and a big thank you to the man who helped create the professional association that represents us today in the economy and society of our country.