The second edition of the Deloitte Annual Forum, under the theme driving change through transformation, took place on 19 January 2024 at The Westin Dragonara Resort, Malta
Over 150 delegates joined the event to hear exclusive insights into key topics that focussed on the challenges arising from Malta’s existing economic model and to explore ways to unlock value and opportunity.
Speakers, agenda and resources relevant to the event may be may be viewed below.
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Structured over the following five sessions, this year’s forum was designed to provide a context for discussion and the sharing of ideas and experience.
Human after all: Initiative and ingenuity in an age of machines - with Digital Futurist Mike Bechtel.
Malta’s economic model: Taking stock.
Doing more with less: Enabling the workforce through technology and outsourcing.
Internationalisation: Challenges and opportunities.
"The power to make a difference comes in believing in something greater than yourself”: An inspiring and thought-provoking address by Lewis Pugh, introduced by Neil Agius.
Agenda
Friday, 19 January 2024
08:30
Welcome and registration
09:00
Opening address:
Marc Alden - CEO, Deloitte Malta
09:10
Introduction to the sessions:
Conrad Cassar Torregiani – Tax Business Leader, Deloitte Malta
09:15
Guest speaker:Human after all: Initiative and ingenuity in an age of machines
Moderator:Michael Zarb – Economics and Policy Leader, Deloitte Malta
Kevin J Rapinett – CEO, Halmann Vella Group
Raphael Aloisio
Enrico Bradamante – Chairman, iGEN
Dr. Moira Catania – Chairperson, Malta Fiscal Advisory Council
11:15
Coffee break
11:45
Presentation:Doing more with less: Enabling the workforce through technology and outsourcing
Michael Bianchi – Sustainability Leader, Deloitte Malta
Damian Heath – Enterprise Technology and Performance Leader, Deloitte Malta
Roseanne Bonello – Business Process Solutions Leader, Deloitte Malta
12:45
Fireside chat:Internationalisation: Challenges and opportunities
Rachel Zarb Cousin – International Tax Leader, Deloitte Malta
Gege Gatt – CEO, EBO Limited
Marisa Xuereb – Council Member, The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry
Chris Muscat – CEO, Hudson Holdings Limited
13:30
Guest speaker:“The power to make a difference comes in believing in something greater than yourself”
Lewis Pugh OIG – Endurance swimmer and ocean advocate
Introduced by:Neil Agius – Endurance swimmer and founder of Wave of Change Foundation
14:15
Lunch and networking
Guest speakers and panellists
Mike Bechtel - Chief Futurist and Managing Director, Deloitte US
As Chief Futurist for Deloitte Consulting LLP, Mike and his team work to make sense of what’s new and next in tech. Their goal: Helping today’s leaders arrive at their preferred tomorrows slightly ahead of schedule.
He also serves as an adjunct professor teaching corporate innovation at the University of Notre Dame.
In 2013, Mike co-founded and served as Managing Director of Ringleader Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups that had (intentionally or not) built simple solutions to complex corporate challenges.
Mike began his career with Accenture Labs, where his team helped Fortune 500 clients put emerging technologies to profitable use. 12 years (and 12 U.S. patents) later, he was named the firm’s first Global Innovation Director, where he was charged with creating a strategy, process, and culture to foster company-wide intrapreneurship.
Lewis Pugh is an endurance swimmer, a maritime lawyer, and the UN Patron of the Oceans.
He pioneers swims in the most vulnerable ecosystems on Earth to campaign for their protection.
He was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world. He was also the first to swim across the North Pole, and the first to swim the length of the English Channel. Most recently, he swam the length of the Hudson River to New York.
Lewis has been instrumental in protecting over 2 million km2 of vulnerable ocean – an area larger than Western Europe. His dream is to fully protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.
Lewis talks about the methods he uses – a clear vision, the right mind-set, choosing a high performance team, meticulous preparation, never quitting, and having the flexibility to change when circumstances dictate. TED describe him as a “master story-teller”.
In 2009 he was awarded South Africa’s highest honour – the Order of Ikhamanga (Gold Class).
Lewis read law at the Universities of Cape Town and Cambridge.
Neil Agius is an ocean advocate, endurance swimmer and co-founder of the Wave of Change Foundation.
A former Olympian, having represented his country on the world stage in Athens in 2004 at just 17, Neil is a world-record holder who specialises in long-distance freestyle events.
The Wave of Change Foundation is a community movement that takes action to bring about change by raising awareness on the impact of daily decisions and inspiring choices that are driven by sustainability and compassion.
Dr. Gege Gatt is the CEO of London-based company EBO an A.I. enterprise which automates citizen engagement. He is a digital entrepreneur, a TEDx speaker, and IT-Law specialist. He is a WHO reviewer on healthcare information strategy. Gege serves as an Executive Board Member of the Malta IT Law Association and is a specialist examiner at the University of Malta. He’s a Board Member of Humanity 2.0 developed by the Holy See in Rome with a consortium of thought-leaders to identify and remove impediments to human flourishing.
Christopher Muscat joined Hudson Holdings Ltd in 2006 as a director and shareholder. Mr Muscat has been actively involved in establishing and growing the various business ventures across the organisation that have significantly expanded the Hudson Group’s profile and turnover. Before joining the Hudson Group, Christopher Muscat served as a senior manager at Deloitte Malta and took on the role of CEO of the company in 2019.
After 43 year in public practice, Raphael retired from his position as partner and Leader of Deloitte Malta’s Financial Advisory Business.
As Financial Advisory Business Leader, Raphael was extensively involved in a broad range of corporate finance, business valuation, transaction advisory and economic and market and intelligence engagements and related initiatives.
Raphael was also Deloitte Malta’s primary reference point for real estate, hospitality and consumer sectors.
Marisa Xuereb - Council Member, The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry
Marisa Xuereb is an economist who has held senior roles in the manufacturing industry for over 25 years in companies with an international footprint. She sat on the Board of Malta Enterprise for 6 years and was President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry between March 2021 and March 2023.
Enrico Bradamante has more than eleven years of industry experience, and currently serves as Chairman & Founder of the industry trade association iGaming Executives Network (iGEN and as Chief Commercial Officer at Pariplay). His previous roles include Managing Director of NetEnt, as well as key commercial roles at Kodak and Dell. Enrico holds a MMechEng from the University of Trieste and an MBA from INSEAD.
Mr. Kevin J. Rapinett enjoyed a rewarding career spanning 33 years in the banking and finance industry. Throughout his journey, he has held senior positions at HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c. including Head of Global Markets and Investment Banking, Managing Director and Stockbroker of HSBC Stockbrokers (Malta) Ltd, and Head of Wholesale Credit Risk and Deputy Chief Risk Officer.
In 2012, Mr. Rapinett was appointed Head of Corporate Banking during which time he was also seconded to HSBC Commercial Banking in London.
In March 2020, Mr. Rapinett was appointed as the Group Chief Executive Officer of Halmann Vella Group, driving the Group's growth and transformation.
Mr. Rapinett's contributions extend beyond his executive roles. He actively participates in the business community as a member of the Council and Board of Management of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise, and Industry. Additionally, he serves as a non-executive director on several corporate boards.
Dr. Moira Catania - Chairperson, Malta Fiscal Advisory Council
Dr. Moira Catania graduated BA (Hons) in Economics obtaining a first class degree in 1994 and Master of Arts in European Studies with Distinction in 1998, both at the University of Malta. She obtained her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Bradford, UK in 2019, with a thesis on Budget Institutions in the Euro Area – Quality of budget institutions, legislative budgetary power and implications for fiscal discipline.
From July 1994 till October 2010, she worked at the Economic Policy Department, within the Ministry of Finance. In 2002, she was appointed Director (Economic Strategy) within this Department. Dr. Catania has worked extensively on issues related to the monitoring and analysis of the domestic economy, macroeconomic policy and on the EU economic policy coordination and fiscal surveillance processes.
Dr. Catania has been a resident academic staff of the Institute for European Studies at the University of Malta since October 2010. She teaches introductory economics courses as well as study units related to economics of European integration and EU economic and monetary union. Her main research interests concern budget institutions, EU economic governance, economic and monetary union, EU economic integration, as well as Malta in the EU, particularly economic and monetary union and competitiveness issues.
Dr. Moira Catania has held a number of board positions and in January 2023, she was appointed as Chairperson of the Malta Fiscal Advisory Council.
Marc is the Chief Executive of Deloitte in Malta and is responsible for its strategic direction, delivering value to clients and making an impact in the community.
Marc’s career with Deloitte spans over 20 years, practicing principally in the field of taxation. He has worked with clients across a number of industry sectors, advising on their cross border transactions and operations. Marc has been a Director at Deloitte since 2004, during which time he led Deloitte Malta's Tax Business for a period of six years. Marc continues to be responsible for leading significant client relationships and engaging with stakeholders. Marc is also a member of the executive committee of Deloitte Central Mediterranean.
Dr. Conrad Cassar Torregiani - Tax Leader, Deloitte Malta
Conrad Cassar Torregiani is the Tax leader at Deloitte in Malta, a role he took on in January 2020. Prior to this, Conrad has led Deloitte Malta’s International Tax area of practice for over ten years.
Conrad joined Deloitte in 2001 and has vast experience in advising clients, both local and foreign. Conrad is also the Deloitte leader for the Sports & Gaming sector within the central Mediterranean region, is the current president of the Malta Institute of Taxation and a lecturer in international tax law at the University of Malta and Leiden University, in the Netherlands.
Michael Zarb - Economics and Policy Leader, Deloitte Malta
Michael is a chartered accountant and corporate finance professional with over 15 years of professional experience. Michael Joined Deloitte Malta’s Financial Advisory business in 2017 and currently leads a specialist team focusing on policy, economics and valuations. Michael is a particular versed with the tourism industry and has a broad spectrum of experience, including a substantial amount of capital markets and deals work.
Throughout Michael’s varied career as an expert advisor in the corporate finance and economics fields, he has led numerous studies, cost-benefit analysis, feasibility studies, economic impact assessments, strategic and economic evaluations, and national surveys.
He is an expert in valuations and leads the firms Valuations team in Malta.
Michael Bianchi – Sustainability Leader, Deloitte Malta
Michael is specialised in Investment Management Services working within Deloitte's Financial Services Practice. Michael services a broad client base both locally and internationally and is responsible for the statutory and non-statutory audits of a number of clients, including collective investment schemes, investment management companies and fund administrators as well as other regulated and non-regulated entities.
Michael coordinates various international engagements where he has developed numerous connections within the Deloitte Network. Michael also Chaired the FSI sub-Committee at the Malta Institute of Accountants for two years and is now Chairing the Sustainable Finance sub-Committee at the Institute. Michael is also the Firm’s Sustainability Leader.
Roseanne Bonello – BPS Leader, Deloitte Malta
Roseanne joined Deloitte Malta in 2019, bringing with her more than 15 years’ experience in transaction advisory services, audit and assurance and financial reporting across a number of industries. Roseanne is Deloitte Malta's Business Process Solutions Leader where her focus areas are accounting and payroll services, financial and management reporting, consolidations, outsourcing and CFO support.
Rachel Zarb Cousin – International Tax Leader, Deloitte Malta
Rachel is a Director within the Tax business at Deloitte Malta. Rachel focuses on international tax consulting and advises both local and multinational clients operating in various industries including financial services and life sciences and health care. Rachel’s main focus is on group restructurings, inbound investment structuring and private equity investments.
Marc is the Chief Executive of Deloitte in Malta and is responsible for its strategic direction, delivering value to clients and making an impact in the community. Marc’s career with Deloitte spans over 20 years, practicing principally in the field of taxation. He has worked with clients across a number of industry sectors, advising on their cross border transactions and operations. Marc has been a Director at Deloitte since 2004, during which time he led Deloitte Malta's Tax Business for a period of six years. Marc continues to be responsible for leading significant client relationships and engaging with stakeholders. Marc is also a member of the executive committee of Deloitte Central Mediterranean.
Rachel focuses on international tax consulting and advises both local and multinational clients operating in various industries. Rachel’s main focus is on group restructurings, inbound investment structuring and private equity investments. Rachel is also the Grants, Credits & Incentives Leader at Deloitte in Malta where her responsibilities include advising clients on grants and incentives available locally as well as EU funding. From a project management perspective, Rachel has been responsible for managing several projects varying in size, budget and number of team members. Her portfolio of engagements for which she has been responsible includes various projects involving several team members and an increased level of complexity and coordination. Rachel has also served as one of the Deans for the Deloitte Global Tax Conference in 2023 and 2024. She also serves as the International Tax Learning Leader for the EMEA region. Following the completion of her postgraduate studies, she worked as a teaching assistant at the International Tax Centre in Leiden. Rachel has been admitted to the Maltese Bar and is a member of the Malta Chamber of Advocates. She is also a member of the Malta Institute of Taxation and of the Malta Institute of Financial Services Practitioners. Furthermore, Rachel is the Secretary of the Malta Institute of Taxation.
