Malta is a small yet dynamic financial hub hosting a thriving ecosystem of FinTech startups, fund managers, insurance firms, payment providers, and family offices in close proximity. Despite its size, Malta strategically supports various financial activities, encompassing international, regional, and local institutions. Dominated by asset management, insurance, banking, private wealth, capital markets, and FinTech, the finance industry extends to niche sectors like aviation, yachting, maritime services, space finance, and sustainable finance. Over the past three decades, Malta's financial success, contributing €1.2 billion in Gross Value Added, reflects strong performance and foreign investment. The industry's resilience was tested in 2021 when Malta landed on the FATF greylist, prompting swift collaborative efforts to address concerns. Led by the Malta Financial Services Advisory Council and backed by FinanceMalta, a comprehensive strategy involving 175 initiatives aims to refocus energy and foster growth. Join this webinar to learn more about Malta’s financial services strategy and find out how you can network with the leaders in this space at the Guildhall in London on the 4th December 2023.Speakers:George Vella is the chairman of FinanceMalta, a public-private partnership set up in 2007 to promote Malta’s financial centre. He 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.Pier Massa is leading the Project Management Office of the Malta Financial Services Advisory Council. In his private practice, he is Managing Partner at M2 - Business Frameworks, a boutique consulting firm with clients in North America and Europe. Pier’s expertise is focused on enabling organizations make strategic choices and then integrating these choices into the fabric of their operations. He is an experienced consultant and facilitator, balancing a disciplined strategic and customer focus with a pragmatic and action oriented approach that drives business results.As an expert in business transformation and a highly experienced strategic and brand marketer, Pier has extensive management experience with Global blue chip organizations in North America such as Virgin, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Molson Breweries, General Foods (Kraft), S. C. Johnson, as well as having internal and external strategic consulting assignments in Publishing, Retail, Telecommunications and Government. Pier’s gained his early consulting experience with The Boston Consulting Group. Pier has an MBA in Strategy and Marketing (Rotman School of Business) and a BA (Hons) in Economics and Psychology from Trinity College (Toronto).