My name is Giannis Zachariadis, and I’m the Co-Founder and CEO of Pressidium. I’ve spent the last two decades designing systems that don’t just function; they endure, scale, and adapt. My journey began in the world of enterprise infrastructure, where I led initiatives to transform legacy architectures into resilient, future-facing platforms. I’ve worked with complex distributed systems, mission-critical services, and the early stages of cloud adoption, always with a singular focus: to create architecture that empowers people to do more with confidence.
Today, at Pressidium, I lead with that same philosophy. Our mission is to make world-class web infrastructure accessible, not by lowering standards, but by raising expectations. As a father of two, I often think about the future we’re helping to build. Not just in terms of uptime and performance, but in terms of digital freedom, resilience, and the values we embed in the tools we create. Technology should be invisible when it’s working, and transformative when it’s needed. That’s the standard I hold myself and our team to every day.
The Journey Began
Before WordPress, my world was built around large-scale systems: enterprise platforms, high-availability networks, and the evolving challenge of designing for a future that was arriving faster than anyone expected. I didn’t come to WordPress looking for a simple website tool – I came looking for a foundation.
What drew me in was its openness, its adaptability, and the spirit of a community willing to solve real-world problems without losing sight of its principles.
WordPress wasn’t just software; it was, and is, a movement that empowers individuals and businesses alike. That shared belief, that technology can and should serve people, not the other way around, is what made me stay with WordPress.
The Need for “Pressidium”
Pressidium logo
Pressidium was born from a shared frustration and a shared conviction. We had seen too many businesses outgrow their infrastructure and too many developers forced to choose between performance and reliability. The market was full of hosting providers making big claims but delivering little substance. We believed there was a better way: to build a platform rooted in engineering excellence, not marketing hype.
As CEO, my focus was never just to build a company. It was to create a platform that would elevate what people expect from managed WordPress hosting. We approached this from first principles: high-availability design, layered security, true scalability. Not because it was easy, but because it was necessary.
What we created wasn’t just infrastructure; it was trust, delivered at scale.
Myself with my Brilliant Team
Pressidium’s Four Founders, at our commercial launch during WCEU way back in 2014
Team Pressidium at WCEU 2023.
The team at Pressidium is the reason any of this works. From the start, we focused on surrounding ourselves with people who care deeply about their craft. Engineers who look beyond the surface. Designers who think in systems. Professionals who value reliability over recognition. My role is to make sure this environment continues to support deep, focused work.
I believe in giving people room to lead, to think clearly, and to take pride in what they build. Culture doesn’t come from a slide deck. It comes from trust, from accountability, and from the quiet confidence of knowing that everyone around you is here to do meaningful work.
Advice for Business Owners
Build something that serves a real need, not just a trend. Focus on doing the hard, unglamorous work that others avoid. In the WordPress ecosystem, there is still a deep need for platforms, tools, and services that put reliability and user experience first.
If you can be the company that shows up consistently, even when no one is watching, you will earn trust, and trust is a far stronger foundation than any marketing campaign. Success is rarely sudden. It is built slowly, through focus, resilience, and an unwillingness to compromise on what matters.
WordPress & Beyond
WordPress has always been about more than publishing. It represents freedom, ownership, and the idea that technology should remain accessible to everyone. That spirit has allowed it to evolve and thrive where others have faded.
Looking ahead, WordPress must continue to embrace change without losing its core values. The future will demand more automation, more intelligent systems, and new ways of delivering performance at scale.
At Pressidium, we are investing in these areas because we believe the open web still has its best days ahead. WordPress will continue to be a cornerstone of that future if it remains adaptable, open, and willing to lead with vision rather than reaction.
Stay in Touch
My Love for the WordPress Community
The WordPress community has always been a reminder that technology is at its best when it brings people together. It is a rare thing to find such a global, diverse group of individuals working toward a common goal without losing sight of the human side of technology.
Every WordCamp, every meetup, every contribution reflects a belief that the web should remain open, inclusive, and driven by collaboration, not control.
As someone who has spent much of my career building systems behind the scenes, I find it energizing to see how visible and enduring that spirit is within WordPress. It is a model many other ecosystems could learn from.
How I Keep Myself Updated
Staying informed is less about chasing headlines and more about watching patterns emerge. I follow the WordPress.org development blogs, project discussions, and key industry publications like WP Tavern. Beyond WordPress, I keep a close eye on broader technology trends in cloud computing, distributed systems, cybersecurity, and open-source innovation.
I also believe in learning from outside our own industry. Often the best insights come from disciplines you least expect, where a new idea or a fresh approach can reshape how you think about building and leading.
I Have a Life Other Than the Work
Outside the world of systems and platforms, my greatest focus is my family. Being a father of two shapes how I think about time, priorities, and the future we are building through our work. It is not about finding balance as a checklist. It is about understanding that growth, whether personal or professional, happens through small, consistent moments of attention and care.
I also have a lifelong passion for technology itself, not just in its professional form, but as a way of exploring ideas, learning new skills, and staying connected to how the world is changing. Curiosity is not something I switch off after work. It is something I carry with me, always.
And this is Star, our family cat.
Don’t let this peaceful pose fool you! This adorable cat might look sleepy, but is bursting with playful energy and endless curiosity. One minute dreaming, the next exploring every corner or chasing after anything that moves.!
I Reward Myself by
Progress itself is the reward. Seeing ideas take shape, systems grow stronger, and people around me thrive is what keeps me moving forward. I do take time to reflect, to step back and reconnect with what first drew me to technology and leadership.
Sometimes that means exploring new ideas outside my immediate field.
Sometimes it means simply enjoying quiet time with my family, without schedules or demands. The most meaningful rewards are not events. They are the spaces you create where clarity returns and you are reminded why you started.
