About Us

Mr. Vella has over 15 years experience in corporate and project finance, research and development, strategic and project management, starting his career in 1995 at PwC where he worked in assurance, advisory and risk management arms .

In 2001 he joined the Corinthia Group and fulfilled a number of roles both locally and abroad, including that of Finance Director at the Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal in Budapest and Corporate Finance Executive at the Corinthia Head Office.  Tasks included business planning and budgeting processes, feasibility studies and acquisition bids, the implementation of a standard accounting package, raising of funds for project and corporate finance.

In 2005, he took on the role of Head of Corporate Strategy at APS Bank and was a member on the Bank’s risk management and credit committees.

At Grant Thornton, George and his team provide a variety of services including financial control, internal audit, evaluation services, assistance in the preparation of business plans, feasibility studies and cost benefit analyses, business valuations, assistance with mergers and acquisitions,  project finance and corporate finance advisory services.

Apart from the management and leadership of the firm’s advisory practice, George also still holds various technical roles in high profile advisory assignments, including EU funding projects and applications as well as fund raising for the private sector, both through negotiating bank loans or raising private equity, and through assisting in public equity and bond listing.

Dr. Matthew Bianchi is a partner at GANADO Advocates and heads the law firm’s Insurance & Pensions team. He regularly advises re/insurance companies, insurance managers, captives, protected cell companies (PCCs), and insurance intermediaries. Matthew is also the Secretary General of the Malta Association of Insurance Brokers and the Malta Insurance Managers Association.

Joseph’s banking career at Bank of Valletta started way back in 1985. Over the years he occupied various managerial and executive positions within the banking group.

Joseph also represented Bank of Valletta Group in Milan for 7 years where he provided support to the Bank’s various divisions in tapping business opportunities for the banking group.

He has also held senior positions in three subsidiaries of the bank, namely Valletta Investment Bank, BOV Asset Management and BOV Fund Services (BOV FS). He is currently the Executive Head responsible for the latter company, of which Joseph is also a Director. His role in promoting Malta in overseas conferences and road shows as a fund domicile has been the highlight of Joseph’s career.

Joseph has been appointed on the Board of Governors of FinanceMalta in mid-November 2022, as representative of MASA (the Malta Asset Servicing Association) of which he is also a Committee member and Executive Secretary.

Joseph in a lifetime member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers UK, following the ACIB diploma completed in 1993.

Karol Gabarretta is the Secretary General of the Malta Bankers’ Association. Mr. Gabarretta was previously employed by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) as Director, Banking Supervision. Mr. Gabarretta is also a former member of the ECB’s Supervisory Board. Prior to joining the MFSA in 2002, Karol had been employed by the Central Bank of Malta for a period of 23 years. Karol holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a post-graduate degree in Financial Services from the University of Malta. In 2009, Karol was appointed as Chair of the CEBS’ Task Force on Supervisory Disclosure (TFSD). He has also provided assistance within the EU Commission’s TAIEX program as an Expert on Banking Provisions of Financial Services acquis.

Nick leads one of the firm’s international tax teams in Malta, focusing on transaction and implementation support typically to multinational groups and private clients. His experience is mostly in Consumer Business, Technology and Life Sciences industries. He has 13 years’ experience in this field and was previously in Deloitte’s Financial Advisory practice in Malta for 12 years.

Before then he was based in London with Andersen’s Corporate Recovery Services group where he gained 5 years hands-on operational and management experience in turnaround situations in the UK and Australia.

Alan Cuschieri, co-CEO of the Calamatta Cuschieri Finance Group and founder of Moneybase, Malta’s first digital payments platform, has over 20 years of experience in financial services. Mr. Cuschieri played a key role in growing a boutique investment advisory business to a diversified financial services Group of 6 companies with 200 employees present in 3 countries with strong financial growth. He has also spearheaded the Group’s Fintech operation since 2005, leading the team that built an extensive next-generation core banking and wealth management system and launched the award-winning online investing platform, CCTrader. Mr. Cuschieri also led the way for the Group to obtain its Financial Institution and Category 3 Investment Services licences, set up CC Funds Sicav plc and CC Funds Services Ltd, as well as achieve ISO9001 certified customer service.

Mr. Cuschieri holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Financial Services from the University of Bournemouth (UK) where he specialised in Regulation and Compliance, while he also has an International Capital Markets Certification from the London Securities Institute (ICMQ).

Anabel joined Fexserv Fund Services in 2008 and today occupies the position of Managing Director. She started her career in audit and assurance with PwC where she was involved within different industries and worked in offices including Malta and London. Subsequently she took up accountancy and finance positions with leading entities operating out of Malta including an appointment within the Finance Department of HSBC Securities Services (Malta) Limited. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree, an Honours degree in Accountancy and a Masters degree in Financial Services from the University of Malta. Anabel sits on the committee at the Malta Asset Servicing Association (MASA) and is a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta

Marvin Zammit is an accountant and warranted auditor by profession and holds a master’s degree in Financial Services from the University of Malta. He started his career in auditing before working for the MFSA within the Insurance Unit. Marvin worked as an accountant in the insurance industry, covering mainly insurance companies targeting international markets since 2012. He is currently the Head of Finance of the Maltese entities of DARAG Group, an insurance group specializing in run-off solutions. Throughout his career, Marvin has been involved in various sectors, including fuel bunkering, cooperatives, and agriculture.

Carlos Zarb was appointed to the Board of FinanceMalta in 2020 as a non-voting, Youth Representative on the Board. He is also an elected Councillor on the St. Paul’s Bay Local Council and is currently reading for a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Malta.