70_

Issue No. 70 - 2016

INSIDE THE BRAIN

Construction, Property & Interiors Expo 2016: p.14 •

•

You’re Fired!: p. 16 Calvin Cassar

•

Kappara Junction Project: p. 31

Abigail Psaila Mamo

•

New Billboards & Advertising Law: p. 35 Abigail Psaila Mamo

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Editor’s Letter

On floating, fighting and Fairs

I

f the trusty old jellyfish were to be loaned a brain, it would probably respectfully disagree to the notion that the cycle of life deteriorates with the passage of time; it has been floating about at the mercy of water currents “for at least 500 million years”, and some of its species seem to actually be immortal.

The thought brings to light a couple of interesting factors; the first one being that a brain is not essential to survival. This might clash with the general belief that man, far weaker physically than the dinosaurs and sabre-toothed tigers of its era, clambered up the food-chain through strength of wit. The second is that keeping things as simple as possible eliminates the possibility of complications. One could therefore argue that simplicity can be a strong tool for survival.

Using the brain to get into the brain is a highly effective means of learning what is needed in order to transact effectively. Jill Konrath’s ‘Inside the Brain’ from page 7 highlights to us four crucial steps to get into our prospect’s brain. Likewise, the buyer can better understand how to negotiate.

The issue also launches the Construction, Property and Interiors Expo 2016 - organised by a sister brand of the journal; Executive Events - and which is being defined as the primary event in the industry for 2016. Other events within the Expo itself will make this a must-attend for businesses and consumers alike. The Expo will take place between the 21st and 25th of September, at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, and we look forward to your attendance.

Enjoy your read.

The problem with this is that survival doesn’t quite cut it. Nor should it. Stagnation stifles creativity and encourages complacency, allowing the followers to gain ground and practically guaranteeing retrenchment.

WWW.THE-EXECUTIVE.BIZ

Jason Attard

editor@the-executive.biz

Issue No. 70 - 2016

3

IDRONET • AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL NETS IDROPLAST IDROPLAST MANUFACTURING MANUFACTURING LIMITED LIMITED

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Issue No. 70 - 2016

WWW.THE-EXECUTIVE.BIZ

Contents SALES

PEOPLE

INTERVIEW

Inside the brain

You’re Fired!

Jill Konrath

7.

Calvin Cassar

16.

Meeting Victor Calleja Steve Flinders

22.

New Billboards & Advertising Law Kappara Junction Project

Abigail Psaila Mamo

Abigail Psaila Mamo

35.

mediterranean aviation company

44.

31.

Q&As

Medavia

40.

the story behind the concept

Brass & Knuckle COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

Construction, Property And Interiors Expo 2016

Muscat Motors

The Economist

Mita Mediterranean Leadership Summit

pg. 14

WWW.THE-EXECUTIVE.BIZ

Hilltop Gardens

pg. 28

student placement programme 2016 pg. 39

and Jaguar brand pg. 43

for a vibrant community pg. 47

Issue No. 70 - 2016

5

MaltaPost offers a one-stopshop for the design, printing and delivery of your direct marketing campaigns (+356) 2596 1720 business@maltapost.com www.maltapost.com/business

STRATEGY

SALES

Inside the Brain

by Jill Konrath

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve written and rewritten phone scripts, letters, e-mails, and proposals, trying to find just the right words to get my prospects drooling, or restructured my presentations a hundred different ways to make them more tempting.

But all I ended up doing was confusing myself. With so many iterations to choose from, I had no idea which one would be most effective. That is, until I discovered how to get inside my prospects’ brains and think like they do. This ability to perform a “mind meld” enabled me to evaluate everything I was doing for its effectiveness before I was actually with my prospects; I didn’t have to discover my mistakes during a meeting, where it is often difficult to make corrections. Instead, I could get it right the first time - because I knew what was important to my prospects.

I

t doesn’t matter how well you think your meeting went, if you love your PowerPoint presentations, or if you feel your prospects could really benefit from what you’re offering. The only thing that matters is how they

WWW.THE-EXECUTIVE.BIZ

feel about it. since it is ultimately your prospects’ perception which determines your sales success.

Knowledge of your product, service, or solution is simply a starting point.

Yet that’s what so many companies and sellers think is most important.

It’s not. Nothing, I repeat, nothing is more important than your customer knowledge. Without understanding your customers’ business environment, challenges, and marketplace, you won’t get selling right. And with frazzled customers, you won’t get a second chance.

Issue No. 70 - 2016

7

aLL-new JaGUar f-pace

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Potent, agile and responsive, All-New F-PACE is pure Jaguar.

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the art of performance

The Buyer’s Matrix This is a tool which I use to help sellers jump-start new product or service sales, pursue different markets, call on C-level decision makers, and acquire new customers.

My clients tell me that this exercise alone is worth every penny they spend with me. Why? Because it profoundly changes how they approach selling.

For the first time, they grasp why they keep running into the same show-stopping obstacles, disinterested prospects, inertia, and the loss of customers to less worthy competitors. They also realise how their own behaviour contributed to, if not entirely created, these problems.

On the positive side, with the Buyer’s Matrix they see how they can make changes that fundamentally shift their prospects’ perception of them and the value of their offering. They also discover how they can have a much greater and more positive impact on their customers’ business.

Here are the steps you need to take to become effective at getting into your customers’ heads: STEP 1: Identify the Key Decision Makers What are the primary roles of the people involved in your customers’ decisions today? If you’re selling to corporate, government, edu-

Synopsis Many companies and sellers think that knowledge of your product, service, or solution is what is most important. It’s not.

If you sell to smaller firms or consumers, only one or two people may be involved in the decision-making process, which makes your job a bit easier.

Completing a Buyer’s Matrix will provide the core foundation for your sales strategies. It will also enable you to get inside your customers’ heads so you can better serve their needs.

Once you’ve created the customer personas, step into each person’s mind to test all your ideas before implementing them. Check, evaluate complexity, priorities, and personal and business value - as if you were your prospects.

Gather together a group of people who all sell to the same types of decision makers and start asking, “Who else might sell their products or services to [name of customer decision maker]?”

When you first use a Buyer’s Matrix, you probably won’t be able to fill it in completely. That’s okay. The lines you leave blank will let you know what information you’re missing and what you need to find out to be more effective in your job.

cation, or medical markets, you likely deal with a decision-making team. If you sell to smaller firms or consumers, only one or two people may be involved in the decision-making process, which makes your job a bit easier.

STEP 2: Complete a Buyer’s Matrix After you identify the primary

roles involved in the decisionmaking process, the next step is to complete a Buyer’s Matrix.

The word matrix means “the point from which something originates, takes form, or develops” - which is exactly why it’s necessary to do this exercise first. It will provide the core foundation for your sales strategies.

Working blind?

•

Don’t have the information needed to make key decisions?

We Offer:

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Don’t know how the business is travelling?

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Tailor-made management reporting

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Management reports produced too late to be useful?

•

No way of checking if your strategies are actually working?

•

Market wide experience and competence

•

Always reacting to market changes?

•

Don’t know what your cash flow forecast looks like?

•

Active participation in your business decisions

Help is at hand…

Just turn over!

E. info@nouv.com.mt T. (356) 2134 5009/10 135, ‘Kyle Buildings', Triq il-Mediterran, St. Julian’s, STJ 1870 Malta

nouv.com.mt Nouv MT is an independent member of tgs global network limited, an international network of professional business advisors.

Apart from this, it will enable you to get inside your customers’ heads so you can better serve their needs.

STEP 3: Create Customer Personas When you’re done with your Buyer’s Matrix, create several prototypical customers who represent the decision makers with whom you interact on a regular basis. In short, create a persona for each, which will make it easier for you to think like these people.

Buyer’s Matrix Complete a Buyer’s Matrix for every one of your primary decision makers. If possible, do it as a group activity to gain even better insight:

Position:

___________________________________________________

Roles and Responsibilities What is he/she in charge of or expected to manage?

STEP 4: Use a Mind Meld Once you’ve created the customer personas, step into each person’s mind to test all your ideas before implementing them. Check, evaluate complexity, priorities, and personal and business value - as if you were your prospects.

Right now, this may sound a bit strange because nobody currently teaches this essential skill . Yet most top sellers do this intuitively. Because it’s second nature to them, they can’t even articulate what they’re doing. But let me tell you, it’s the simplest way to ensure that you’re on track with your customers.

Business Objectives and Metrics What does he/she want to achieve? How does he/she measure success? How is he/she evaluated?

Profile Targeted Decision Makers

Primary Interfaces Who are the peers, subordinates, superiors, and outsiders with whom he/she frequently interacts?

Completing the Buyer’s Matrix can be a lot more challenging than you might think. If at all possible, make it a group exercise. Your combined expertise is far superior to your individual knowledge. You might want to consider involving the following: • People with customer-interfacing jobs such as technical or customer support; • Marketers who create tools, programs, and promotions to support your sales initiatives; and

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External Challenges What external factors or industry trends might make it more difficult to reach his/her objectives?

Strategies and Initiatives What likely strategies and initiatives are in place to help achieve his/her objectives?

Internal Issues What likely issues does the organization face that could prevent/hinder goal achievement?

Status Quo Is his/her status quo relevant to your offering?

Change Drivers What would cause him/her to change from what is currently being done?

Change Inhibitors What would cause him/her to stay with the status quo, even if they’re not happy about it?

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Involve your customers.

• Your own leadership team, so as to get better insights into what’s important to executives.

If you work for a smaller company, create your own team. Gather together a group of people who all sell to the same types of decision makers and start asking, “Who else might sell their products or services to {name of customer decision maker}?”

When you first use a Buyer’s Matrix, you probably won’t be able to fill it in completely. That’s okay. The lines you leave blank will let you know what information you’re missing and

what you need to find out to be more effective in your job. Each of the areas covered in the matrix gives you the essential information you need to better serve your prospects and increase your sales!

Involve your customers in this exercise. When you meet with them, explore the questions on the matrix form. If you’re stuck, check with them for answers. When you’re done, verify your results for accuracy.

Remember, it all starts and ends with your customer!

Jill Konrath’s career is defined by her relentless search for fresh sales strategies that actually work in today’s business environment. Jill is a frequent speaker at sales conferences and kick-off meetings. Sharing her fresh sales strategies, she helps salespeople to speed up new customer acquisition and win bigger contracts. Her books are available at http://www.jillkonrath.com/sales-books.

Further information is available at www.jillkonrath.com

Image: the Malta Architect Awards’ base

Highlight

Defined as the primary event in the industry for 2016, Construction, Property and Interiors Expo 2016 - which is being organised by the Executive Events - has already attracted leading suppliers who will be displaying top -notch, quality products. In concurrence with the Expo, other events within the Expo itself will make this a must-attend for businesses and consumers alike. These include the ‘Malta Architect Awards ’.

The Expo will take place between the 21st and 25th of September, at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.

M

Construction, Property and Interiors Expo 2016 is to be THE show-case annual event for these industries. The Expo will also be a key tool for industry players seeking to position themselves as leaders in a highly competitive market.

Exhibition themes are Kitchens, Bathrooms, Tiling, Surface materials, Interiors & Smart Homes, Energy- efficient homes, Plant & Machinery, Paints, Decorating, Property for sale, Property for lease and Property Financing. A platform of ideas, the Expo will showcase aesthetically-appealing, technologically-advanced, energy-efficient and sustainably sound creative interiors. It will bring to life an inspiring showcase of new trends, furniture, home wares, wall decoration, kitchens, bathrooms, and products such as lighting, flooring, furnishings, textiles and surfacing materials.

The Expo will also include speaking slots for public as well as the industry. The speakers include many of Malta’s foremost leaders within the property, construction and Interiors sectors.

ore than 40 exhibition stands within the construction, property and interiors industries will be setting up to participate and present their latest innovations, products, services, trends and technologies.

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Construction, Property and Interiors Expo 2016 is a unique platform which empowers suppliers of these industries to expose and sell their products directly to businesses and hundreds of eager shoppers alike.

For further information kindly contact Andrew Farrugia at sales@i-mng.com or on tel. (+356) 2010 7775.

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People

You’re Fired!

Communicating bad news

by Calvin Cassar

Managers are often confronted with situations in which they are expected to deliver negative information while maintaining motivation at high levels. What is the typical reaction to negative information and how can the process be managed? What can be done to avoid being shot at because of the information being delivered?

I

n 1482, Alhama de Granada, more commonly known as Granada in modern day Spain, was taken over by the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon. Until the development of modern means of communication such as mail or phone, messages were typically delivered through a human envoy. Legend has it that when the news of this reached King Boabdil he found the news distressing and unbearable and as a result he reacted by throwing the letters into

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the fire and killing the messenger (Ortiz, 2011). History is replete with examples in which messengers were killed as a result of the news they were delivering (for example Tigranes’ reaction to Lucullus’ coming or Antigone’s views in Sophocles’ works) leading to the expression “shooting the messenger”.

Reaction to Negative Information Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, was a Swiss born psychiatrist, and she took an

active interest in the study of terminal illness. During the course of her clinical work, she came to realise that patients very often reacted in a similar manner when confronted with the epitome of bad news, namely that they were facing a terminal illness.

She described this process and typical reaction in her five stages of grief in her publication On Death and Dying (2008, first published in 1969). Following the publication of this seminal work, other authors have extrapolated the findings to the work setting.

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While in this context news is seldom at such levels of intensity, the reaction has been observed to be similar to that described by Kübler-Ross. The stages have been observed in change management processes (Critchley, 2012), termination of employment (Vickers, 2009) and other work scenarios (Applebaum, Leblanc and Shapiro, 1998).

In order to illustrate the relevance of the stages to the work context, examples will be drawn; highlighting the thoughts and behaviours that might be observed within that stage.

Denial: When confronted with negative information, the employees’ typical first reaction is to deny that the situation is being experienced. The employee may question whether the situation is really happening to him or her and this may be verbalised or kept intrinsic in thoughts.

Denial is a defence mechanism aimed at protecting one’s ego, however a prolonged state of denial may lead to dysfunctional outcomes. Thus for example, in Steve Jobs’ biography, Isaacson (2011) recalls how Jobs initially would not accept that he had pancreatic cancer and he postponed surgery looking to treat the symptoms through natural concoctions. A typical disciplinary meeting may easily start with statements such as “You are joking, right?” or “This cannot be serious” indicating reluctance to take on board the message being presented.

Anger: Denial is typically followed by anger, and the employee being communicated negative information may raise his or her voice, and potentially become abusive with the object presenting the information. During the anger stage, the employee may bring forward grievances or experiences brought about by other colleagues, indicating that these should have been likewise subject to disciplinary action or similar outcomes.

Bargaining: Once the actual message being communicated sinks in, the bargaining stage typically ensues. Still expressing high emotionality, the employee will appear to be clinging to straws so as to try and reverse the decision.

Typical thoughts or comments that might be presented include, “But if I do things differently, I might be able to achieve what is expected of me”, or “Give me one last chance and I will show you that I can turn this round”.

In a sense the bargaining stage reflects a better attempt to rationalise the situation and represents a last ditch attempt at arriving at a different outcome.

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Depression: This results following the realisation that things cannot be changed. Depression is characterised by negative thoughts and emotions, as the force of the negative information comes to the forefront. Depression will be displayed by verbal statements such as “There is no point in arguing” or “It is all useless”, but also through non-verbal communication including slouching, withdrawal or crying.

Acceptance: the final stage in Kübler-Ross’ model is that of acceptance which signifies the realisation of what is happening and involves generating a sense of hopefulness for what remains. Thus the employee may ask for a reference letter highlighting the positive aspects of the work experience and/or may accept guidance presented by management on the way forward.

According to Kübler-Ross the sequence in the stages is relatively invariable however not all individuals go through the same stages at the same pace. A good network and/or support may alleviate the duration and intensity of the negative phases and this is particularly so at the workplace. The general framework is useful in realising that negative reactions can be expected, and therefore tact is required in order to handle these in a positive manner.

Communicating Negative Information Donnelly (2011) provides some guidelines for how to manage the process of communicating negative information. Reflecting general trends, he provides seemingly an-

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“the negative information may be so cushioned by the positive that it is actually missed out by the recipient”

tithetical recommendations which however highlight the need for maintaining balance in the communication approach.

Communicators should be empathic but clear and concise. It is important that the person communicating negative information puts him or herself in the shoes of the recipient and presents the information in a respectful manner.

A genuine sense in the message should be conveyed - Nye (1999) describing the work of Carl Rogers in his clinical work highlights that basic empathy can be communicated through the formula “You feel (emotion) because of (what happened)”.

This indicates that the person communicating the message has made the effort to discern the reaction of the employee, and it generally facilitates acceptance. Having said this, overly elaborated and emotional messages run the risk of coming across as unprofessional.

Additionally, communicators should look at being positive while not avoiding the negative. General business articles speak about

the sandwich technique whereby negative information is presented following and followed by positive information. In fact, Tiffany, Larsen, Smith and Cacioppo (1998) in describing the negativity bias, go so far as to state that for negative information to be assimilated and accepted, this should be presented following five positive statements.

However, there is the risk that the negative information may be so cushioned by the positive that it is actually missed out by the recipient of the information. This has happened in appraisals or disciplinary meetings where a manager might come out believing that negative information was conveyed, while the employee would have the impression that the meeting was held to communicate positive outcomes.

On the inverse side, even when communicating negative information such as terminations from employment, positive points may be drawn and emphasis can be placed on the behavioural or situational factors, rather than personality traits (it is easier to accept that employment is being terminated due to ‘tardiness’ and specific instances of lateness rather than pervasive ‘laziness’).

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Conclusion The right channel should be utilized for communicating negative information. In much the same way that a romantic relationship should not be terminated via SMS or email, likewise disciplinary action should not be taken through informal channels. In the case of group redundancies or terminations, one to one meetings are advisable although once again there is no general formula which is applicable across all situations.

Finally it is worth adding that in processes revolving around the communication of negative information at the workplace, clear understanding of the legal mechanisms should be at hand. Terminating an employee during the probationary period, might call for a different approach to terminating an employee on an indefinite contract who has been with the company for twenty years.

Legal counsel should be sought in these instances as a guidance to correct technical implementation and communication.

In ancient China, government passed legislation to ensure that messengers are not exposed to negative consequences as a result of the information they were passing on.

Culture has changed, and society has evolved, however the innate reaction to negative outcome remains. By recognising the typical reactions individuals present to this information and taking some tactful steps in the process, it should be possible to avoid the demise of King Boabdil’s messengers.

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References Appelbaum, S. H., Leblanc, M., & Shapiro, B. T. (1998). The aftermath of downsizing: A case study of disengagement, dis-identification disenfranchisement and disenchantment. The Journal of Management Development, 17, 402-431.

Critchley, K. (2012). Managing Change. British Journal of Medical Practitioners, 5, 40-43.

Isaacson, W. (2011). Steve Jobs. New York : Simon & Schuster.

KĂźbler-Ross, E. (2008). On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy and Their Own Families. New York: Routledge.

Nye, R. D. (1999). Three Psychologies: Perspectives from Freud, Skinner and Rogers. Singapore: Wadsworth.

Ortiz, A. J. (2011). El Gran Capitan: The Expulsion of the Muslims from Spain and the French from Italy. San Diego: AO. Tiffany, A., Larsen, J. T., Smith, N., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1998). Negative information weighs more heavily on the brain: The negativity bias in evaluative categorizations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 887-900.

Vickers, M. H. (2009). Journeys Into Grief: Exploring Redundancy for a New Understanding of Workplace Grief. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 14, 401-419.

Calvin Cassar is Human Resources & Administration Manager at Mizzi Motors Limited. He has particular interest and expertise in recruitment, assessment and quantitative analyses having gained exposure in these through academic as well as work experiences.

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Interview

meeting

Victor Calleja words: Steve Flinders photgraphy: Christian Mangion

Certain words come up a lot in Victor Calleja’s writing and in his conversation : words like ‘silly’, ‘story’, ‘dream’, ‘laugh’ ‘fun’, ‘love’ and ‘words’. You might think at first that they sum him up. Listen and look more closely and you realise, however, that they are also means to other ends. Victor is Malta’s joker in shining armour.

The journal interviews Victor to delve deeper into his psyche.

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ictor is a writer, columnist, blogger, interviewer, magazine editor and consultant. He writes speeches and copy for company websites and features for newspapers and magazines. At the moment he’s writing a book too. He blogs for The Times of Malta, although not as often as he thinks he should. He interviews leading Maltese business people for The Executive. He edits Insider and co-edits Insider Special Edition; published by the same publishers as the journal. He advises business people on aspects of business communication like storytelling, for example through the Verdala Chapter of Business Networking International (BNI) of which he is a member. You might conclude that he’s been a writer for years, but in fact he’s only been at it full-time for the last half decade.

you need to get out of bed in the morning and so I decided to scale it down: I wanted to do something else which would newly challenge me more. First I tried consultancy in areas I knew - advertising, marketing and PR. And then at the ripe old age of 54 or 55, I started this writing thing by chance; a friend from abroad wrote to ask me about the Knights, and when she got my reply, she wrote back to ask if I was a writer. When I said I wasn’t, she started to encourage me to write more.

When asked to tell the story of his life, he left out the first twenty years or so and started with his first career. “I used to have my own publishing business - mainly b2b magazines and business directories, and I was also involved in marketing and PR. But I started to lose that ‘oomph’ that

It was a big step to give up the job and the income in midlife and he had to work hard to get known through faceto-face networking, something that doesn’t come easily to him: “Re-inventing yourself means marketing yourself.

You have to knock on doors. It was a long slog.” But now

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Another friend started to do the same thing quite independently and so I did. I loved doing it – although I felt very unsure about how it would be received. I still sometimes think that everything I write is crap, but I realise now that there are some things I’m proud to have done.”

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he says: “Everyone should change, should find a new life.”

I wondered about this. What about the people who love what they do in the first place? Victor thinks they too will be even more fulfilled after they make the change.

Starting out as a writer was a roller-coaster too. Initially he wrote under a pseudonym – Victor Ignatius Xuereb = Vix = Vic’s – because he was concerned about reactions to his work and his new direction: “Malta is very small and I was scared of showing my fear ... and afraid of what the children would think although they turned out to be proud of what I was doing.” And when his first piece appeared in print, he recalled in writing later: “The film in my mind’s eye of me going to buy the newspaper one Sunday morning and seeing my name in print still runs with all the glory of a glitzy Hollywood premiere. I was in heaven—cloud nine hardly describes the ecstasy. It was beyond happiness.” He still feels nervous about speaking in public and appearing on radio or TV (“My brain freezes”), although feedback from BNI colleagues has helped dispel some of his fears. As a writer, his confidence is growing more and more.

Interviewing an interviewer is an odd experience for both of us. I am a little in awe of one of Malta’s bestknown writers and he worries about what I will think of his writing and maybe what I will write about him. First of all, it takes a little while to get him to stop asking me questions so that I can ask him mine. It’s also hard at first to get him to say good things about himself. He thinks that this could be seen to be cocky or boasting – he thinks the perception could be the legacy of a British-influenced education. There’s a moderately vulnerable side to Victor which he doesn’t try to disguise in his conversation or in his writing.

Loves and hates What is Victor all about? He says, with a smile and some irony, “I love people, humour, books, words, profiling people ... I love pencils, jabbering, meeting friends, having fun, eating, going abroad, theatre, humour of all kinds. I love John Cleese and David Sedaris ... I love life, I love the sound of people laughing... I love my wife (usually), I love my three children ... I love Malta and its people.”

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BOOK NOW

+356 2134 7483 +356 2133 0583 info@heracruises.com www.heracruises.com

So many loves. How about hates? “I hate potholes in the road. I hate bad espresso.” (Does he complain about bad espresso? “No, I drink it anyway. I don’t like creating bad vibes.”) “I hate bigotry - and hate racists even more. I hate it when people try to drive things down your throat. I hate anger.” God drops into his conversation now and then (“God gave me a talent”) but he wasn’t afraid to make adverse comments about the Pope on one occasion and got criticised for that. “No one should force anything on anyone else.”

Metaphors for Victor keep coming into my head, probably influenced by the way he himself writes. I think of him as human prosecco – bubbly and fun but with an underlying flavour and quality that makes you want to savour it as well. All kinds of animal comparisons come up – a butterfly mind, flitting about; a squirrel, burrowing away weird ideas and experiences for another story one day; a terrier, worrying away at a bone to get to the core.

Victor’s writing

Victor and Malta

Victor wants to tell stories. “Everyone has a story, like a mosaic. There’s a picture which makes sense (for everyone). I wish I could tell more stories about people, for example about my grandfather and his father and his ... We don’t leave our children our stories.” Which is one reason why Victor’s first book is coming out in the autumn. He calls it his confessions; “a funny take on my life”, a series of episodes based on some of his own experiences. Once that’s out, he has plans for another, and another: he has lots of stories to tell. I’m looking forward to reading them but am looking beyond these as well – looking forward to reading how Vic “chisels people’s words” and helps others to tell their stories. Stories can, of course, distort the truth and become self-serving myths; but told by the wise, they help us to understand ourselves better, to appreciate our common humanity, to feel good about ourselves and to feel the good in ourselves. This is one reason why Vic’s best pieces are so good to read a second and a third time – first time round for the fun, and then again for the original turn of phrase, the studied reflection, and the opportunity for positive celebration to be found in the most transient encounters and quotidian events.

Victor was born and bred in Malta and has lived here all his life. He has a wife and three grown-up children, all living and working in Malta. His wife is his editor and best critic and hasn’t thrown him out yet. She doesn’t like him using words like ‘crap’ in his work, which he does quite a lot. He regularly asks his children for advice.

I THINK OF HIM AS HUMAN PROSECCO – BUBBLY AND FUN BUT WITH AN UNDERLYING FLAVOUR

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When we talked about Malta, I expected some immediate reference to current scandals in the news - and indeed he can comment most energetically in his Times blog and elsewhere on the issues of the day (“I hate politics by diktat, and corruption”) - but his first reflex was to talk positively about his country. “I am not left-leaning and believe passionately in capitalism, although I would love to see more people get out of their suffering” and those strong beliefs come out again: “I believe that unless one breaks the law one should be able to say whatever one wants to. I believe we should strive to have equality in everything, but we cannot have it, otherwise life would creak to a stop.”

He loves Malta intensely: it’s “a diamond to be polished”. “I love its contradictions, its littleness. I think we have something really fantastic going and that the quality of our culture, our food, our heritage is improving all the time.”

His writing about Valletta and Mdina is lyrical. “With a bit more effort, we could be in heaven.” But he’s scared that we take it all for granted: “I worry that we’re losing our sense of hospitality, that we treat foreign visitors and migrants badly. We need a reality check.”

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The wisdom and wit of Vic Calleja On himself w “I love humour; everything to me has a laugha-

It occurs to me that Victor embodies something of the story of Malta. He’s the product of a British as well as a Maltese tradition. He spent a long time in reasonably contented slavery but then one day threw off the yoke and was reborn. Now he is heady with a sense of newly found freedom, energy and optimism. It’s exciting to think what he will do as he matures in his craft and hones his skills.

ble element. Including grief, terror and heartache. We need to laugh to survive; and to me,

So what’s this got to do with business?

smiling and seeing the silver lining, even in the worst of times, is what I aim for.” w “I love doing profiles of people - meeting them, asking way too many questions, and then building a story for the readers... If the sketcher in me just got a photo of the interviewee, I’d still write a story and a profile that might make good reading.

But to know someone, you need to see him/her alive and kicking (preferably not kicking me).”

“The world according to a much lesser god” w “Heroes will never be warmongers, and celebrity-seekers will never be known. The only heroes allowed in this surreal world will be unsung ones who toil and sweat behind the scenes to keep all scenes mesmeric.”

Underneath the corny jokes, the sugar-coated humour and the sprinklings of whimsy, there are some serious messages for life and for business. He believes we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously and allow our big egos to get in the way. He admits his mistakes. He believes that we should make more effort to be nicer to each other, and to be kinder to each other too.

People tell him he’s a good listener (at work – he says his wife and family might dispute this): he pays close attention to what the person he’s speaking to is saying.

He believes in the power of storytelling, a skill which he helps business people to learn. And although he doesn’t say this himself, it takes courage and honesty to be open about yourself in the way Victor is in print.

He aspires to add value: “I believe that I can add value to people’s lives and to their businesses.” If we ask what the relevance of all this is to business and why a business publication like this one should want to profile him, then the answers lie here. Business leaders should take note of both his messages and his example.

w “I thank the real God because all our warts, all our wars, all our troubles, make the good, and life itself, even more remarkable. Without evil

I asked Victor for his last words to this interview, to which he replied “Fun keeps the human race going.”

which good is sung? Without wrong, right is deadly boring.” w “And, like Adam and his Eve back then, if my own versions of humans had it all right they would invent an apple to overturn the cart and move on to destroy my Eden.”

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Steve Flinders is a freelance trainer, writer, consultant and coach, based in Malta, who helps people develop their communication and leadership skills for working internationally.

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Mediterranean Leadership Summit organised by The Economist in Malta

Over 150 entrepreneurs and top CEO’s from the wider Mediterranean region flew in to Malta last month to attend The Mediterranean Leadership Summit, organised by the The Economist Events in collaboration with the Government of Malta.

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Highlight

T

he Summit, which was held at the The Hilton Hotel between the 28th and 29th of April was the first regional event for The Economist in this part of the world and turned out to be a resounding success. This was also due to fact that the presence of such a strong representation from the business world that matters transformed the event into a space for establishing commercial networks and charting new collaborations.

The networking element was invigorated with a healthy and constructive debate on the main stage where a strong line up of globally renowned guest speakers had the attendees

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enthralled by their propositions and counter-arguments.

Through The Mediterranean Leadership Summit, The Economist Events promoted the idea that the Mediterranean can be converted from a sea of challenges to a sea of opportunities and growth.

Apart from all-encompassing discussions on politics, finance and business; sectoral panels dealt with technology, energy, the maritime economy and tourism.

The event offered a varied speakers line up including regional heads and CEOs of multinational corporations including GE, Siemens, ENI, and Ericsson; founders, chairpersons, and presidents of leading Mediterranean companies such as Yildirim

Group of Turkey, Orascom Hotels and Development of Egypt and Tell Group of the United Arab Emirates; prominent figures from organisations whose decisions strongly affect the future of the Mediterranean including the EBRD, World Bank, and the World Tourism Organization; and leaders of pan-regional Chambers of Commerce and businesspersons’ associations including Eurochambres and BUSINESSMED. The Economist Events and their regional representatives Hazlis and Rivas and Malta-based co-organisers Country Profiler are committed to a continued development of the event with a view to establish it as a yearly go-to business Summit for the Mediterranean region.

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Abigail Psaila Mamo

Kappara Junction Project proposals Transport Lobby Group registers progress

Since the Kappara Junction flyover project is a necessary national project planned to stretch over a 77-week period, the GRTU’s Transport Lobby Group has been focusing a lot of its work on proposals related to it functionality.

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or the duration of the project, traffic management will be effected given that this junction is a crucial one for Malta’s

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infrastructure and connectivity for traffic flows.

The GRTU Lobby Group represents various major stakeholders in the transport and logistics industry, such

as chauffeur-driven cabs, coaches, transport for disabled persons, goods distributors, couriers, freight forwarders and cargo hauliers, amongst others. Following the preparation of a

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“with GRTU’s expertise.... better flows of traffic can be achieved...”

30-strong proposal document which was presented to the Ministry for Transport and to Transport Malta, the Lobby Group has been pushing forward its proposals for the betterment of the traffic management plan during the project.

It is inevitable that such major project would have impact on traffic flows, but with GRTU’s expertise from operators in the industry, mitigation of unnecessary stress of traffic on the area and better flows of traffic can be achieved. The Lobby Group has been meeting every week to monitor developments and provide further input to its proposals. Meetings with Ministry and TM officials have continued over the past weeks with GRTU Transport Lobby Group members giving further suggestions and tweaking towards improvements.

It is clear that Minister Joe Mizzi is understanding the reasoning behind the proposals put forward by the GRTU Transport Lobby Group.

Recently Minister Mizzi has expressed

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that road closures because of village feasts and placement of cranes may not be allowed in cases that would disrupt an already strenuous situation during the peak points of the project.

GRTU had in fact insisted that permits for any form of full or partial road closures need to be approved by Transport Malta through a centralized unit which is overseeing impact on the surrounding areas and the traffic management plan when national projects such as this are ongoing. The Minister’s statements reflect this line of thought.

GRTU has also proposed a parkand-ride system through alternatives which would alleviate commuters and residents in cases where it is necessary to reduce parking spaces due to the project in order to allow smoother traffic flows. This is due to side-roads or main roads being now switched to main roads or traffic arteries respectively. The Transport Minister has also announced that such considerations are being made and in fact GRTU is indeed

informed that contact with site owners has been made as per GRTU’s recommendations.

GRTU’s Transport Lobby Group is also advocating a strong communication system to inform the public of road closures and alternative routes. The Group’s most recent meeting was in fact with Transport Malta’s PR office in order to establish a fast-track communication channel for GRTU members to inform TM of on-theground traffic developments and for GRTU to inform its members of any road closures or developments to the traffic management plan.

GRTU’s Transport Lobby Group is working actively to find solutions to the exigencies of the project and foresee possible issues that may arise. It continues to monitor developments to constructively provide alternatives that would ease off the pressure on the area as it is every business operator’s interest to ensure smoother traffic flows for the project duration.

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24 Hour Chauffeur Driven Services

Paul Abela reiterates GRTU’s members’ concerns.

GRTU’s crusade against

The new Billboards and Advertising law words: Abigail Psaila Mamo

T

he new Billboards and Advertisements Regulations, 2016 came into force on 29th March 2016. The law brought together two older laws, one related to Billboards and the other related to any other advertisement into one law and also introduced a number of significant changes.

The law regulates any kind of advertisement that can be seen from the road. This includes shop signs and additional adverts; both related to goods and services sold by an establishment as well as to commercial advertisementss of third parties placed on the roads, including billboards.

GRTU immediately protested publicly and heavily against this law because it was introduced without any kind of prior consultation with GRTU as a social partner whose members would have been directly and gravely hit by this hurried law.

GRTU took it upon itself to clarify a number of misunderstandings

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in relation to what kind of adverts were in fact exempt from the law.

Ultimately it became clear that even a simple shop sign falls well within the remit of the law. An urgent meeting was held by GRTU for its members to discuss its concerns, iron out misunderstandings and establishing a way forward. A wide range of sectors reached out to GRTU and expressed their grave concern with the law.

The signage sector experienced an immediate drop that amounted to 90% of its sales. Overnight, this sector found itself at a practical standstill, with its clients holding back orders fearing that their brandnew signs would not be compliant with the law and subjected to a yearly € 1,500 fee.

Billboard operators were also thrown into turmoil being given an impossible deadline to register their billboards and comply with the requirements of the new law.

Government unfortunately decided to address overnight a problem that

had been accumulating for over 10 years, pointing fingers at billboard operators when the Government had significantly contributed to today’s scenario.

Following this public outcry GRTU held two meetings with the Parliamentary Secretary, meetings that GRTU itself had requested.

After lengthy discussions, it succeeded in negotiating a 6 weeklong consultation period in order to come up with a set of proposals which would solve the issues embedded in the law.

GRTU’s internal consultation with its members, mainly sign writers, billboard operators, advertising agencies and retailers has now closed. GRTU has presented official feedback to the Government.

From the feedback gathered it is clear that the law will need to be changed drastically. GRTU will enter the second stage of consultation with Government were we will be discussing directly on the actual changes needed.

Issue No. 70 - 2016

35

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Highlight

Student Placement Programme 2016

A

pril 27th saw MITA launching the eight edition of the Student Placement Programme, a much anticipated yearly event for students and employers alike.

In 2015, this programme successfully placed 347 student applicants in temporary summer job placements within the private sector, public sector, public service and voluntary organizations. This has seen an increase from the previous year, where the number of placements was 303.

Recruitment of temporary resources is a cost effective way of injecting short term manpower to the workforce, while also providing students with the invaluable experience of gaining meaningful exposure to the

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working environment. The benefit of this is twofold, with participating organizations gaining fresh input to innovative ideas and creativity while effectively being primary to influencing new approaches within the office environment. The eagerness of students to apply the theory and methodologies gleaned from their classroom environment also provides fertile ground which allows the employers to spot and mould the rising stars of tomorrow’s workforce.

Students participating in our programme typically come from various educational institutions namely, University of Malta, MCAST, Sixth Form and various Private Training Providers, all currently studying ICT or related subjects on a full time basis at an MQF level 4 upwards. Private

sector organisations are encouraged to conduct their own interviewing process, and thus giving them the opportunity to select the best resource that fits their needs.

The programme offers co-financing of 50% of the wage cost for the private sector organisations, and a 100% reimbursement of the wage cost for the Public Service/Sector and Voluntary Organizations. The programme is based on a 30 hour week placement for up to a maximum of 11 weeks during the summer providing a winwin situation for all.

For further information about this programme please visit our website on www.mita.gov.mt/spp or contact Ms Jacquie Cremona Crossey on 2599 2474 or Ms Joanne Deguara on 2599 2358.

Issue No. 70 - 2016

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Brass & Knuckle the story behind Mark Zammit’s concept

by John Portelli

W

hen you’ve been in the meat business all your life… as have been your fathers and their forefathers, it goes without saying that you believe in the value of the cuts your product offers. Taking this a step further and turning it into, let’s say, a butcher’s shop with a delicatessen takes the concept to a totally different level.

whole experience cheaper than most other meateries.” The food court has finally reached our shores too now.

This was the philosophy behind the idea that spurred Mark Zammit to initially branch out from the family business and move into import and distribution and supply to super yachts. A year later he was offered the delicatessen at Poromaso’s Arcadia.

Today, well established, he has just opened Brass and Knuckle in Naxxar, based on the food court concept that one may have come across overseas.

It might therefore seems somewhat strange that the outlet is called “Brass and Knuckle” but delving a bit deepeer one soon realises that the combination of high workability and durability which brass offers artists is equivalent to that of a meat cutter who can deftly carve his meat to produce the delicacy on your plate.

Nonetheless, the knuckle has never been considered the best part of any meat cut yet in the hands of an expert cutter and chef this most humble knuckle can easily become as sought after as the tenderloin.

As Mark puts it: “Our philosophy is a simple one - Purchase your meat at retail prices and for an extra Eur6 we’ll prepare and cook it for you with all the trappings of an in-house restaurant….that will still make the

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“Customers telling me they are enjoying the best beef they have tasted is music to my ears and only comes from long experience in this field and with attention to detail to the high quality of the product offered… which obviously has to be at an affordable price too! “ he adds.

“What I do I do for the love of food” adds Mark. The grounds for the idea for B&K came as a result of his

extensive experience working with his father and the high level of their butcher shop they owned. “I got introduced to the concept of food courts through my travels oversea, especially in Switzerland and the UK, particularly London… and when purchasing food and working closely with chefs you find that the experience pulls you closer to the food industry, not just the purchasing and the raw material but the final product too, which is where my love continues for providing ready-made food to customers’ tastes and standards.”

Being in these food courts overseas helped Mark to realise how he wanted things to be set out, the meat, the charcuterie (salami, parmas, mortadellas etc), and to adjust that to his economies of scale since “we cannot have the large footprints as similar outlets overseas” (1.5-3 tumoli of land as he saw overseas!) and turn them into Brass and Knuckle at Naxxar.

Mark also owns The Bradbury, a yachting concierge, in partnership with an ex-chef who has been on super yachts for 26 years. “Previously

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Q&A

“B&K can conjointly compete on both cost advantage and quality”

we had been servicing this sector for 10 years, supplying meat and cheeses but since The Bradbury came into being we are now supplying anything from a needle to an aircraft, in fact anything you need: clothing, alcohol, water, soft drinks, furniture, anything and everything!

Although we are not the only ship chandlers in this specialised field, many are finding that some of the bigger orders that are required for immediate supply within 24 hours cannot be so easily supplied and they often refer them to us rather than do it themselves”, he adds.

Maritime or catering?

At this point one would wonder in which management role his heart lies – in the (possibly more lucrative) maritime sector or the catering one?

Surprisingly Mark’s answer is “None really… I love simply being behind the counter selling especially because of my knowledge of the industry and the products I am handling.

And where does he want to be in five years’ time?

Mark admits he would rather like to consolidate B&K to be able to reap the full potential of what the concept can offer. An idea in the pipeline – for the very near future! - is to have a factory downstairs at B&K. The infrastructure is already there but not yet furnished as we write and a 1.5 ton lift is already installed, leading directly into their cold rooms with a capacity of over 2 tons. “We’re commencing to handle ’ready-made

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food manufacture’ by storing our fresh imports straight into our cold stores, and therefore also eliminating redundant operational processes. At the same time we have plans to open two other B&K outlets in Malta as well as to franchise the B&K brand and concept outside our shores. We want to take B&K to great places!”

With the emphasis these days on the environment, what are the B&K footprint responsibilities?

Looking at the organic markets for meats and cheeses, he comments that the products available at the moment make them prohibitively expensive especially when compared with the resultant quality; the taste may be perceived as somewhat bland by those who seek a traditional culinary experience.

“Obviously,” he adds, “ we do have clients who wish to purchase this kind of food for some very special occasions – especially in the cheese sector – and, true to the B&K core values, we always source for them the very best, and the very best-priced, organic options.

“From an environmental context we do our own materials separation such that our waste cartons are all handled and processed in-house; this is a factor to which our operations team is very attentive.

Core Competences of B&K One of our strongest selling points here is to combine the retail and the kitchen. We are open from 8 a.m. to

11 p.m., where you can purchase the whole selection of cheeses, charcuterie, the olives, gastronomy products, and all the meats that you see in the shop. We also age our own beef.

“That we have been in the business for so many generations translates into working intimately with the very best suppliers of meat, cheese, and all that we offer. And to continue on how we bring the food to our clients, this history of ours has also greatly facilitated our having managed to surmount the obstacles typically faced by Maltese providers, in that - as an example on French cheese - we can easily and efficiently combine orders for the very best availability from all over France. We buy little and often, as opposed to the trend of buying in bulk and in accumulated orders. This obviously means that we can rather uniquely provide the best but at the best prices too. I would also say, therefore, that another core competence of ours is that we can conjointly compete on both cost and quality due to the family’s intrinsic ties to the industry.

What is B&K in 5 separate words?

Friendliness - “I believe in my staff and in my products and hope that we can all grow together” Flavour - “That is King!”

Texture - “The tenderness or the firmness of the product is paramount” Practicality - “I wish everyone around me to be practical in every sense” Value - “This is very important for

Issue No. 70 - 2016

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Highlight

Appointment of importer

Muscats Motors Ltd and Jaguar brand

M

uscats Motors are proud to announce that they are once again taking over the role of importing and distributing the prestigious Jaguar car brand, in addition to Land Rover the other JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) brand.

Muscats Motors have been the sole importers and distributors of Land Rover since the early 1950s.

Ford acquisition of Jaguar”, says Mr Kenneth Mizzi, Managing Director of Muscats Motors. Recently, Jaguar Land Rover decided to designate only one representative for both brands in Malta, and Muscats Motors were appointed.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturing business, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all-terrain vehicles and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports saloon and sports car marques.

Mr Mizzi also states, “We are very proud to represent such a prestigious brand and as Muscats Motors is the leading importer and distributor of premium cars in Malta, Jaguar fits in perfectly within our portfolio.”

Following this take over on the 1st of June, the very first new vehicle launch will be the exciting new Jaguar F-PACE. The all new Jaguar F-PACE is a performance SUV that combines maximum driving exhilaration with efficiency.

“Jaguar was part of the British Leyland Group which was represented by Muscats Motors in Malta until 1995, when the importing license of Jaguar was transferred to Gasan after the

Technologically advanced to the core, F-PACE keeps you safe, connected and entertained. It has the capability for every road and the capacity for every day. F-PACE

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is a Jaguar for you, a Jaguar for your family.

Muscats motors have taken over the sales and after sales service relating to Jaguar as from the 1st June. Over a million Euros have been invested for a new showroom for both the Jaguar and Land Rover brands while only last year half a million Euros were invested in a new after sales facility.

The first consignment of Jaguar vehicles will arrive this month at the Muscats Motors showroom, located in Rue d’Argens, Gzira. Muscats Motors can be contacted on 2326 4584/5 or via email on info@mml.mizzi.com.mt.

Muscats Motors Ltd is part of Mizzi Motors which falls under the Mizzi Organisation. Mizzi Motors currently employs 210 employees.

For further information visit www.jaguar.com.mt and www.muscatsmotors.com.mt

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Q&A

MEDAVIA -

MEDITERRANEAN AVIATION COMPANY The Mediterranean Aviation Company (Medavia) operates in the Aviation industry with a fleet of aircraft under its Air Operators Certificate issued

by Transport Malta. Traditionally it provided charter flights for the oil and gas industry and to NGOs worldwide.

W

hat are Medavia’s main activities?

Medavia has its own aircraft fleet providing customised air transportation services. It also provides third party aircraft Charter Brokerage, ranging from Dedicated Air Ambulance, VIP Executive Jets and VIP Airliners. In addition the Company provides Ground Handling and related services and flight operational support and supervision. And through the maintenance arm, Medavia Technics, is an MRO services provider for various aircraft types with EASA, FAA and LyCAA approvals. The company holds expertise in the establishment and operation of line maintenance stations including technical support in the field, both under normal and AOG situations. Maintenance services offered include heavy base maintenance, full refurbishments and modifications, painting jobs amongst others. Medavia also provides CAMO Services and Cabin Crew Training. In addition Medavia’s Design approved organisation (DOA) complements the scope of technical services it offers.

Please tell us something about the history of your organisation.

Medavia was established in 1978, with the main objective of

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providing an air service to the oil and gas industry operating its own fleet of turbo prop aircraft. During the last few years, Medavia has started operating in different countries in support of NGO’s and other airlines. The company has also been an active third party aircraft charter broker for the last 20 years providing also third party maintenance and other services.

Can you give us some essential facts and figures?

The Company has had aircraft based in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, Mauritania, Algeria, The Philippines, Norway, Italy, and Greece. Fleet utilisation per annum has varied between 2000 and 6000 flight hours per year, depending on demand. The Company Turnover for 2015 from all commercial activities, has exceeded Euro 20 million.

On the MRO side, Medavia’s hangar space covers around 5000sqm, with 1000sqm of workshops and other support offices. The MRO produced 50,000 man-hours and had around 35 base inputs for 2015.

Who are the main stakeholders in your organisation?

Medavia is owned by the Libyan Arab Foreign Investment Company (LAFICO) and LAFITRADE with a Board of

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Q&A

Directors comprising Libyan and European / Maltese Directors. Mr Rammah Ettir is the Managing Director.

The customers, besides the shareholders, are the most important stakeholders. Medavia’s wide customer range varies from charter operators to executive travel contractors as well as aircraft owners who seek our handling services or a complete MRO solution.

What is your organisation’s USP (Unique Sales Proposition)?

As an operator Medavia provides integrated tailor-made aviation solutions, such as operating to remote areas and unprepared airstrips. As an MRO, efforts are made to reduce aircraft ground time as much as possible while maintaining a seamless transaction for a truly one stop shop.

Service delivery is always set to high quality standards, clean safety record, dynamic and operational flexibility.

What are the things your organisation has achieved that make you most proud to be part of it?

Medavia has been in existence for over 38 years going through different business realities ranging from very lucrative to more intensive competition. The company has evolved in line with business realities, investing further in achieving European (EASA) and American (FAA) approvals and adding design approved organisation DOA in accordance with EASA (Part 21J) to its portfolio. A flexible and dynamic workforce comprising a variety of experienced and highly qualified personnel have made all this possible. Medavia has managed to become the top aviation services provider to the oil industry in Libya and other countries and has contributed greatly to the development of this industry in Libya.

What are the biggest challenges you are facing right now?

Medavia has faced strong challenges over the past years, foremost being the events of 2011 in Libya and the resultant long prevailing fluid political situation. These, as well as falling oil prices, have been amongst the biggest challenges for the company. And the fierce international competition for more limited opportunities due to the world economical recession have made the situation even more challenging.

Where does Medavia see itself in five years’ time?

Despite the obvious challenges we are confident of the bright future that is still worth working for. Medavia aims to continue providing air charter services in niche markets, besides widening and further development of the technical

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handling and MRO business. This will be done through the addition of more aircraft types to Medavia’s MRO capabilities, further development of its shops, and the development of hangar facilities to receive more aircraft; pushing up production rates. We also look forward to becoming the major design approved organisation in Malta by contributing to the development of our design capabilities and getting involved in advanced European design projects.

Finally, remaining flexible and sensitive to changing customer demands are our aims as we strive to reman quality leaders for all the services we offer.

What role does your organisation play in the community?

Medavia currently employs 180 in Malta and in Libya and continues to develop in numbers and capabilities. Medavia seeks to be a good and responsible employer laying emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility. We are amongst the first Maltese companies to attain the NCPE (National Commission for the Promotion of Equality) mark as a certified genderequal opportunities employer. Moreover the company has traditionally supported good causes and NGOs, foremost amongst which is Puttinu Cares, a Maltese NGO set up in 2002. This NGO began from a desire to offer a holistic approach of care for families with children suffering from cancer. The latest activity organised by the company’s Social Committee was in fact a well-attended fund raising activity, a night walk of the Cottonera waterfront in aid of Puttinu Cares.

What are you doing for the environment?

Medavia has continuously sought ways to minimize its carbon footprint as it grew. Incorporating improved insulation in its newer hangar building, double glazing and the change from fluorescent tubes to LED technology were some of the initiatives taken when planning the building. Solar tubes are used extensively within the facility. This way natural light reaches almost 95% of the facility where it would otherwise be impossible to have external windows. Current projects include the installation of Power Factor correction technology as well as the installation of PV panels on the hangar roof which will cover and exceed all of Medavia’s electricity needs.

Describe your organisation in four words?

Determination (to survive and succeed); Flexibility (of workforce and operations); High Quality (in everything we do); Safety (of operations).

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Highlight

For a vibrant community

Hilltop Gardens

H

illtop Gardens offers stunning apartments and penthouses with spectacular views amidst beautiful surroundings that include ample landscaped areas and stateof-the-art facilities for a vibrant community – all of which are conveniently located within the vicinity of the Naxxar village centre.

The Village is a new concept in Malta which by the very nature of its design, layout, functionality and facilities, places you at the very heart of its community. It guarantees a totally independent yet active lifestyle with amenities required for everyday life within close proximity of your new home.

Moving to Hilltop Gardens is a lifestyle choice – one that comes with the possibility of truly enjoying the best years of your life.

The Village is designed at making your life as simple as possible utilising modern technology as well as safety devices in all apartments and communal areas.

Vibrant, friendly, active and caring,

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this is a place where you can live life to the full in the privacy of your own home with added security and peace of mind.

There is so much to enjoy at Hilltop Gardens with plenty of daily organised activities to keep you occupied, including a wide range of social and educational activities, fitness, yoga and pilates classes as well as cultural outings, all organised by the Hilltop team.

The striking surroundings allow you to spend time outdoors and enjoy vast open spaces right outside your doorstep. Stroll the magnificent gardens which offer an inspiring and idyllic atmosphere or simply relax under the shade of a gazebo.

A variety of facilities, as well as multidisciplinary, ancillary, support and hotel services create an unrivalled environment designed for modern, luxurious yet affordable living.

These include a multi-purpose hall, a wellness centre and spa, an outdoor swimming pool and relaxation areas, hair salon, fitness centre, restaurant supported by our in house kitchen,

superb lounge area, private function rooms, kids indoor and outdoor play areas, childcare centre bocci pitch, crafts centre, library, clinical centre, convenience store, garden allotments, chapel and the provision of a bus shuttle service.

The Village also offers various spaces to entertain family and friends whilst giving you the freedom to do the things you’ve always enjoyed.

A visit to the Hilltop Gardens will give you a proper understanding of village living and will provide you with the opportunity to sample it first hand, whilst meeting some of our existing residents and staff.

Contact us now and arrange for your personal free tour of the Village which will enable you to get a better understanding of what our objective is and what difference this could make to you and your loved ones. The Hilltop Gardens is genuinely a Village you will be proud to call home.

Telephone Sales Office: 79 432277 Main Reception: 2235 1002 Email: info@hilltopgardens.com.mt

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apsbank.com.mt

values you can bank on

APS Bank Ltd is licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority to undertake the business of Banking and to conduct Investment Services business, and is enrolled in the Tied Insurance Intermediaries List under the Insurance Intermediaries Act 2006.