Mark Drago, Chair of MBA’s Financial and Cyber Crime & Fraud Standing Committee

Mark has over 37years' experience working in financial services with a leading internationalBank. He held different roles including Mortgages, Retail Banking and inInformation Technology. He headed the Information Security, Security& FraudRisk teams and was appointed as Head of AML investigations and MLRO in 2017. Hecurrently is the Head of Financial Crime Compliance & MLRO.

Mark is a seasonedbusiness and risk professional with experience in managing technical resources,risk assessment, designing & implementing controls, training and goodgovernance. Mark is also currently the chair of the Malta Bankers' Association(MBA) - Financial and Cyber Crime & Fraud Standing Committee and representsthe MBA on the European Banking Federation – Financial Crime EXCO.

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Alfred Zammit – Director, FIAU

Alfred Zammit is the Director of the FIAU. He joined the Unit in 2010 and today plays a crucial role in providing strategic direction, ensuring the effective execution of its responsibilities under Maltese law and in accordance with international standards.

He regularly and actively engages in AML/CFT international workshops and conferences, representing the FIAU in prominent international forums. These include meetings of the Egmont Group of FIUs, the EU FIU Platform, and the European Banking Authority's Anti-Money Laundering Standing Committee. Moreover, he serves as a Moneyval assessor and plays an active role in the Moneyval working group and plenary meetings.  Mr Zammit is also a regional representative of the Egmont Europe 1 Regional Group. 

Mr Zammit frequently participates in the delivery of AML/CFT training, both locally and internationally. He has made substantial contributions to Malta’s National ML/TF risk assessments and serves as a key liaison with international bodies.

Internally, he also serves as the chairperson of various FIAU committees, including the Compliance Monitoring Committee, which diligently reviews compliance cases and potential breaches of relevant legislation by subject persons.

Mr Zammit earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) in Management and Economics from the University of Malta in 2005. His professional journey commenced at the Central Bank of Malta, where he analyzed and assessed data from institutions in both bank and non-bank financial sectors, contributing to the assessment of the economy's financial stability. Prior to joining the FIAU, he gained valuable experience in the private sector, specializing in the provision of company services.

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Suzanne Stafrace, Head of Business Banking | Commercial Banking, HSBC

Suzanne Stafrace was appointed as Head of Business Banking at HSBC Bank Malta PLC in 2020.    She is a seasoned banker having started her career joining Mid-Med Bank PLC in 1989.     She has worked in various areas in the bank both in Personal and Commercial Banking, Risk and Regulatory Compliance.     She is a Chartered Banker and an MBA graduate from the University of Bangor in Wales and is a member of the UK Chartered Banker Institute.

In 2023 Suzanne was seconded to HSBC Continental Europe in Paris for 4 months where she was supporting the Coverage, Risk and Oversight teams

Besides servicing and supporting the local business community, another aspect of Suzanne’s role is the continuous professional development of bank employees, and she coaches and mentors staff members who seek career progression within the organisation.

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Mirko Rapa, Council Member IFSP

Mirko is a tax partner at PwC Malta and provides taxadvice to a wide and varied portfolio of clients. Over the last 22 years hasprovided tax advice to companies operating in a number of sectors andindividuals taking up residence in Malta.
Mirko is also involved in the corporate services unit of the firm and providesassistance and advice on accounting and corporate matters. He also forms partof the firm's Quality & Risk Management Board and is involved in a numberof risk and quality matters within the firm.
Mirko is a member of the Council of the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners (IFSP) and chairs the IFSP’s Education Sub-Committee and theMalta Institute of Accountants Ethics committee. 

Ryan Caruana, Group Chief AFC Officer & MLRO, BOV

A seasoned professional with an extensive background in law enforcement and financial intelligence. Having supported various financial crime risk assessments, with experience both locally and abroad, Ryan possesses a deep understanding of the financial crime landscapes and regulatory frameworks. For the past years Ryan has been an MLRO and Head of financial crime compliance, ensuring compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures. Currently, Ryan occupies the role of a Group Chief AFC Officer and MLRO, in which amongst others he drives strategic initiatives, enhances organizational resilience, and fosters partnerships for effective financial crime risk management.

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Victor Pace - Head Banking, Sparkasse

For the last 2½ years, Victor Pace has been working with Sparkasse Bankplc. heading the Banking function with key focus to attract new business andstreamline existing on-boarding and ongoing relationships’ processes andprocedures. The Bank mainly focuses on providing services to licensed entitiesin the Financial, Gaming and Investments sectors.

Before being appointed Head of Banking in September 2022,Victor was heading the Banking Authorisations team at the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) where together with his team assessed new license applications for both Credit and Financial Institutions.

Prior to joining the MFSA, Victor worked for 33 years with HSBC Bank Malta plc. and occupied various senior roles within different functions, among others in Risk Management, Financial Crime Compliance, Funds& Asset Management and Treasury.

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Simon Micallef - Head of Customer Profiling, APS

He joined APS Bank plc as Senior Manager - Human Resources in 2000, and subsequently served as General Manager of APS Consult Limited and Head of Customer Profiling, with responsibility for Corporate Onboarding amongst others.  Previously, Simon worked as a Management Consultant with the MSU Limited and Management Efficiency Unit. Over his 35 years of experience, he managed projects and operations in Human Resources Management, Strategy and Policy Development, Project Funding and Compliance. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from Maastricht School of Management (The Netherlands)and Bachelors (Hons) degree in Business Management from the University of Malta.

Gino Farrugia - Deputy CEO, Lombard Bank

Gino Farrugia began his banking career in 1980  with the Bank of Valletta. In 1990 he joined Lombard Bank Malta plc. where he was involved in Credit and Systems and later he was appointed Chief Officer – ICT then  Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer in 2023. Mr. Farrugia also serves as director of MaltaPost p.l.c. and of PostaInsure Agency Limited.

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Glen Smith - ChiefRisk Officer, BNF

Mr Glen Smith is an experienced financial services professional with over 30 years' experience in financial services and banking, specialising in Risk and Regulation. He has occupied various senior management roles across international financial markets in both retail and commercial banking.

Prior to his appointment with the Bank, Mr Smith held the role of Senior Risk Manager with HSBC Continental Europe, based in the Paris Head Office. This included the management and oversight of wholesale credit risk activities, reporting, regulatory risk and controls, covering France, Germany, Malta and other territories.

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