First Maltese professional completing the advanced diploma in retirement provision with the UK Pensions Management Institute
Deborah Schembri has 20 years' experience in the financial services, gaming and hospitality industries. For the past four years she has been holding the role of managing director of STM Malta Trust and Company Management Ltd.
STM Malta is registered as a Retirement Scheme Administrator with the Malta Financial Services Authority and also authorised to act as trustee or co-trustee to provide fiduciary services in terms of the Trusts and Trustees Act.
In her various C-level and Board member roles Schembri had formulated new strategic directions and implemented the necessary changes. She has been instrumental in setting up and growing various companies.
Schembri is a Certified Public Accountant, holds a Masters in Business Administration from Henley Management College and holds an Advanced Diploma in Retirement Provision pursued with the UK Pensions Management Institute.
She is the only Maltese resident holding such a qualification in pensions and is a Fellow member of the Malta Institute of Accountants and a member of the Malta Institute of Taxation, Malta Institute of Management, Institute of Financial Services Practitioners and an Associate member of the Pension Management Institute UK.
Deborah won Malta's Best Knowledge Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2015. She has also been nominated and then voted as one of the four finalists for the Commonwealth Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2015.
Talking to this newspaper Deborah shared with us her experience: "I started the ADRP qualification in October 2013 and my objective was to strengthen my pensions' technical knowledge since in Malta the local pensions industry is still at its infancy, though our international pensions industry is growing. Also in Malta, to date, we do not offer any directly related pensions qualifications. Following the ADRP qualification was enjoyable though it is demanding.
"Being a managing director of the major operator in Malta providing pensions, gives me the opportunity that together with other stakeholders we continue to grow and consolidate the international pensions market but also working to develop the local pensions market.
"The island provides the ideal solution for high-net-worth individuals looking for an investment vehicle, international workers planning for retirement and global corporations seeking pension schemes for their staff. Also a number of fiscal incentives aimed at local employers and their employees have been introduced to take up voluntary private pensions."