With, A Family Affair - Safeguarding Malta and Europe's Beating Heart, which will be held on 1 October, fast approaching, the Malta Chamber is proud to publish the complete programme of speakers, featuring some of Malta's foremost and finest entrepreneurs.
With this conference, the Chamber is celebrating the core of its being, the members which represent businesses from all of Malta's economic sectors, being manufacturing, importation, financial services, tourism or gaming. The conference is meant as a tribute to the families who have given Malta some of its foremost entrepreneurs and the country's leading business names.
The Chamber is proud to have Joseph Zammit Tabona from Infinitely Xara, Denise Xuereb from AX Group and Benjamin Tabone Grech from Engel & Völkers Sara Grech, on board for the conference.
They will join previously announced international speakers: Ferrero R&D chief Briano Olivares, Buffa founder Paolo Buffa and Grimaldi Lines director Eugenio Grimaldi.
The complete programme is being published further below.
Zammit Tabona is a Chartered Accountant by profession. He became a partner of the local branch Turquand Youngs & Co. on 1 April 1972 and was a senior co-partner of PwC until his retirement from active practice in March 2000. He was chairman of Malta Enterprise from its inception in August 2003 to 31 March 2006. He was then appointed chairman of the Malta Stock Exchange from 1 April 2006 to 31 December 2008. Moreover, Zammit Tabona was chairman of FinanceMalta from May 2007 to December 2008. In March 2009 he was Malta's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland until July 2013. As from 1 August 2013 to date he has been the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Investment Promotion. Since 1 September 2017 he has been chairman of the Malta-UK Business Promotion Task Force. Zammit Tabona chairs and sits on various board of directors of plc and private companies registered in Malta. Zammit Tabona was president of the Federation of Industry in 1991 and 1992 and again from February 2000 to February 2003.
Xuereb completed her Bachelor's Degree in Management from the University of Malta and joined AX Group during the construction and finishing of the five-star Palace Hotel. Having caught the project management bug during this hands-on experience, Denise pursued her studies further by embarking on a Master's of Science in Project and Programme Management at the Ecole Superieure de Commerce in Paris. Since then Denise has been busy managing the construction and restoration arm of the AX Group. She has spearheaded a number of landmark projects such as the new Parliament Building, the Hilltop retirement village, the restoration of various land-front fortifications, the rehabilitation of the Valletta Old Market, the new Visitors' Centre at St Paul's Catacombs and many more. She also sits on the Executive Board of AX Group.
Tabone Grech read Architecture & Environmental Design at the University of Nottingham graduating with Hons in MEng. Following graduation he began his journey as a young architect in the making by gaining experience with a small practice in central London, moving on to a full-time role with a larger prominent practice in Berlin for over two years. Real estate brokerage being in the family since the late 1950s, following his grandfather Alexander Grech, mother Sara Grech, his father George and uncles who are all also in the business; was a very natural transition. Today his eyes are set on making the difference that determines a lifetime's career.
A Family Affair - Safeguarding Malta and Europe's Beating Heart
Complete programme
08:30 Registration
09:00 Welcome addresses
Frank V. Farrugia, president, The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry
Dr Christian Cardona, Minister of the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses
Elena Grech, head European Commission Representation in Malta
09:20 How the Family Business Office can help Family Businesses
Nadine Lia Family Business Office
09:45 Navigating the seas of succession
Eugenio Grimaldi, director, Grimaldi Compagnia di Navigazione S.p.A.
10:15 Taking success to the next level
Denise Xuereb, Group Construction director, AX Group
10:35 Coffee break
11:00 Preparing for succession - A practical experience
Joseph Zammit Tabona, director, Xara Palace Hotel Co. Ltd / Infinitely Xara Ltd
11:20 Panel discussion
Supporting Malta's family businesses towards future growth
Moderated by Etienne Borg Cardona, Capital Advisory
Albert Frendo, chief Business Development officer (Credit), BOV
Maria Micallef, Managing partner, RSM Malta
Nadine Lia, Family Business Office
David Galea, CEO Beat Consulting
12:20 Instilling a founder's passion in the next generation
Paolo Buffa, founder, Buffa Building Materials
12:50 Networking lunch
13:50 Family at the heart of a global brand
Briano Olivares, head of R&D, Ferrero S.p.A.