Our 6th Snappi Journal interview is with someone who’s both very Greek and very British at the same time. Or shall I say Scottish, since he was raised in Scotland from the age of two. In our team, we call him Mr. James Bond. I once told him that at an event and I think he secretly liked it. But honestly, who wouldn’t? 

Please meet Mr. James Bond, aka Ioannis Michos, Snappi’s CISO (Chief Information Security Officer). Doesn’t the title already sound like a modern-day 007? And somehow, Ioannis really pulls it off. I’ve met many CISOs in my life, rarely do they carry such legendary vibes. The sleek suits, the perfect smile, the sharp comments delivered with precision, and above all, a sense of playfulness in every single moment. 

But of course, it’s not a role. Ioannis is authentic. It comes from deep roots. His family moved from Greece to Aberdeen, Scotland, for his father’s shipping career when Ioannis was only two. He grew up in a school run by nuns — yes, really! He still remembers it like a Harry Potter movie: the smell of wood, the discipline, the bitter Scottish winters with grass breaking underfoot in minus 25 degrees. Perhaps it’s precisely that strict upbringing that allows him to be so playful today, even in such a serious job. 

And how he describes his job, it’s fascinating. He makes security, systems, and processes sound like the sexiest topics in banking. Ioannis insists: “It’s lots of controls, lots of security controls. Data leakage prevention, it’s not a sexy subject.” Yet when he says it, it somehow becomes exactly that. A paradox. And I love paradoxes. 

Above all, though, Ioannis never loses sight of people. For him, the most important part of the job is ensuring that customers feel safe to bank with us. As he puts it: “What’s most important about the bank, it is the information it holds. Not money.” 

Mamma mia. How lucky we are and how blessed our customers are. 

Ioannis has been in banking for nearly 25 years. His very first job after his bachelor’s degree was in shipping, but after completing his MBA he joined Barclays. From the beginning, his work revolved around information security, business continuity, managing outages, protecting clients, avoiding massive fines. That’s how his journey began, and it’s been the throughline ever since. 

He also shares a book recommendation that shaped his approach: “Surrounded by Idiots”. It changed the way he communicated. The book divides people into different personality types—data-driven, visionary, and so on—each consuming information differently. “You need to take complex scenarios and translate them into digestible formats,” he says. “Delivering the right communication at the right time in the right place, that’s the key.” 

No wonder I feel so inspired by him. His role, like mine, is all about communication and messaging. And he truly carries the Snappi DNA of constant improvement. Just recently, he completed the Executive Leadership Programme in Organizational Leadership at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, graduating with distinction. 

And Ioannis is definitely a book person. He inspires me to launch a Snappi LinkedIn series on book recommendations because the way he talks about reading shows how knowledge can truly empower. 

Midway through our chat, something funny happens: Efi suddenly walks into her office, not knowing we’ve turned it into the Snappi Journal “studio.” She hasn’t read the earlier episodes, otherwise, she would know! That settles it: the next Snappi Journal will be with Efi. I feel a little embarrassed, but maybe it’s just my Estonian attitude – getting things done quickly and properly often comes before being overly polite. Greeks, I must admit, are far better at this. 

Speaking of Greece, I ask Ioannis how he feels about being back. He smiles: “When I do math, I do it in Greek. When I think, I think in English. Business language is English. At home, it was always Greek. The heritage was strong, I even went to Greek summer schools.” 

What brought him back to Greece after decades abroad? “The beauty of Greece,” he says simply. “In London, my house was next to a park—I used to see deer and birds. But here, I go to the beach for the weekend. My soul breathes. I feel re-energized. And I’m close to my family, to my parents who are older now.” 

At the start of our talk, I asked him how he feels at this moment. His answer was full of joy: “I feel privileged and enthusiastic to be in the position to join a totally new bank which is powerful and dynamic.” 

And that’s exactly how Ioannis comes across: privileged, enthusiastic, and utterly alive with energy. Our interview ended abruptly (I had to rush off to a launch meeting), but even in this short time, I felt like I was in a movie. 

PS: Snappi Journal is a series of interviews about life, and the people behind Snappi. 
Because ultimately, it’s people who build brands and companies. 
Not just roadmaps, quarterly results, or processes (though those matter too! 😉). 

We’re building a service with a soul, and through this series, we’d love for you to experience it firsthand. 

The interviews are written by Piret Reinson, Snappi’s Head of Global Brand & Communications, originally from Tallinn, Estonia. So don’t be surprised if you spot a few Estonian hints here and there.