The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) Board of Governors has appointed Joseph Gavin as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Authority

He will be formally taking on the role as of September 2021, the MFSA said in a statement.

As Chief Executive Officer, he will be responsible for chairing the Authority’s Executive Committee and he shall also sit on the Board of Governors of the Authority. Mr Joseph Gavin, was selected following an open call for applications through local and international channels. An assessment was undertaken by a specially appointed Selection Committee, chaired by an independent assessor, Professor Carlo Cottarelli, an Italian economist and former Director of the International Monetary Fund, and also comprising members from the Board of Governors.

In his new role as Chief Executive Officer of the MFSA, Gavin shall be responsible for the overall management and performance of the Authority, and the implementation of reforms and consolidation in the financial services sector.

Gavin acted as General Counsel within the Central Bank of Ireland between 2009 and 2015, at a time in which the Irish regulator was undergoing significant policy and structural change, and he was instrumental in guiding the Irish watchdog during a sensitive time, post-recession. Mr Gavin was more recently employed as a Partner and Head of Financial Services at an Irish law firm, providing specialist input in areas relating to regulation and enforcement in financial services.

The MFSA thanked Christopher P. Buttigieg who acted as Chief Executive Officer ad interim since 30 October and who was instrumental for the Authority during this challenging period.

Last Sunday, The Malta Independent on Sunday reported that Malta was to appoint its first ever non-Maltese to the post.