Costa Economou – Money Marketing profile

‘My best financial moment was receiving my very first pay cheque. It made me (and my parents) extremely proud’
Costa Economou, CEO, Colourfield

How did you first get involved in financial services – was it always something you wanted to do?

I got involved in financial services purely by chance. My somewhat naïve and uninformed ‘dream’ as a child growing up was to manage my Dad’s café (which incidentally was on a corner!) His dream for me was to get a degree (in any field), and with that, the prospect of avoiding the ridiculously long hours and huge personal sacrifice of serving customers fish and chips. I chose to study actuarial science without really knowing what it involved and consequently not intending to ever qualify as it seemed to me that it was a degree premised on mathematics which was a skill I was reasonably competent in. Completing it at a time when my Dad’s café was struggling financially forced me to seek formal employment. Luckily Alexander Forbes offered me a job as a trainee actuarial assistant.

What makes a good investment in today’s economic environment?

A good investment is one which offers an investor a reasonably high probability of meeting his/ her objectives.

What have been your best and worst financial moments?

My best financial moment was receiving my very first pay cheque. It made me (and my parents) extremely proud. My worst financial moment was leaving the formal employment of a large organisation whilst having to fund an internationally-based MBA and the start-up of a new business.
What important things will/do you teach your children about money?

Invest with a particular goal in mind, and remember to always stick to the plan. Also, don’t believe that you are better than the market is at assessing the price of something. No one is that good