Rita Sammut Buontempo has been appointed as the new assistant secretary general of the Malta Bankers' Association as of 23 September.

Sammut Buontempo has extensive experience in the banking industry and holds an Honours and Master's degree, both in Accountancy. She is a Certified Public Accountant and Fellow of the Malta Institute of Accountants.

Commenting on the appointment of the new assistant secretary general, MBA secretary general Karol Gabarretta said: "I have worked closely with Rita in the past and I have full confidence in her capacity to enhance and support the work carried out by the Association in these increasingly challenging times for the banking industry."

She joined Mid-Med Bank Ltd in 1984, where she occupied various roles in different sectors, including Regulatory, Finance, Credit and Retail Banking. In 1999, Sammut Buontempo continued her banking career as a senior manager with HSBC Bank Malta plc, when it took over Mid-Med Bank plc in 1999. She specialised mainly in Regulatory and Finance, until 2014, when she took early retirement from the bank.

Sammut Buontempo headed the technical delegation, representing Mid-Med Bank plc, on the Malta Financial Services Authority Technical Working Group, which implemented the Capital Requirements Directive BD08, in 1998. She also headed the technical delegation, representing HSBC Bank Malta plc, on the Malta Financial Services Authority Technical Working Group, from 2005 to 2006, which implemented the Basel II regime (EU Directive - Recast 2000/12).

Subsequent to her banking career, Sammut Buontempo entered the field of banking advisory services with two of the Big 4 audit firms. In one of the highlights of her advisory career, she was responsible for the audit of a local significant bank's Own Funds under the Basel III regime, during the Asset Quality Review conducted by the European Central Bank.

Sammut Buontempo has also worked in the field of property management, as a finance manager.