Robert Debono, CEO, db Group

What lies AHEAD- Commercial Courier sits down for a chat with CEO Robert Debono about the past, present and future of the db Group.

Your father, Silvio, started the business from nothing. Tell us a bit about the birth of the db Group. Of humble background, my father started working at 14, collecting glass bottles from Għadira Bay and getting refunded for their return. He then became a bartender and aged 18 started his first business - taking over that same bar. His next venture was a small guesthouse, and he has not looked back since. My father has a knack for anticipating where the market is heading. When he introduced the all-inclusive hotel concept to Malta, for instance, few believed it would work. Not only was he proved right, but the success he made found few local competitors. It was a masterclass; creating something new is only half the story. Staying at the top of the game is the other half.

Hospitality remains the beating heart of the db Group. Yet you have branched out to other, sometimes unrelated, sectors. What’s the thinking here? We primarily branched out to contract catering for airlines, homes and other public and private institutions, property development and healthcare services. Not putting all one’s eggs in one basket is fundamental to prudent business expansion. The choice paid off, particularly as it coincided with the onset of the pandemic. When tourism went belly up, we were able to cushion the blow through our operations in other sectors, particularly healthcare, which came into its own during the pandemic. Your appointment as Group CEO was not just a run of the mill succession planning exercise. Your three siblings also took on the key roles in the Group. Our parents always left us free to choose our life paths. But as luck would have it each found one which converged with the others at the right time and at the right place. I studied business and management and now am the CEO, David became a lawyer and is the Group’s Chief Legal Officer, as well as overseing the HR Department, Alan studied accountancy and is the Chief Procurement and Accounting Officer, and Victoria went for marketing and is now the Brands Manager. Our parents, by chance and literally, created the Group’s next generation. Also, as luck would have it, the succession was perfectly in line with our father’s vision. Naturally, we transitioned to our respective posts prudently, giving ourselves enough time to learn the ropes.

Should we expect any changes in the Group’s direction following this succession? We strongly believe that it’s our people at all levels who, with their drive, creativity and team spirit, make the Group what it is. Crucially, they treat the company as their own. As we grow, we are constantly on the lookout for such men and women. We are also re-imagining our corporate structure to make it more agile and sturdy to sustain this growth. Concretely, this is leading to the opening up of new positions.

In terms of new initiatives, we are already well on the way to expanding abroad. Under its wing the Group now has some of the best known global hospitality franchises. Can you walk me through the business strategy here? We strive for excellence in everything we offer, from the moderately priced services to the more upmarket ones. We have already proved our mettle by making a success of global brands like Hard Rock Café and Starbucks. In parallel, we are now also striving to create our own brands which are equally best in class. The all-inclusive db hotel and resorts chain, for instance, is recognised as one of the best in Europe by multiple global client review sites like Trip Advisor and tour operators. Turn-

ing to restaurants, Aki, our contemporary Japanese one, is striving to be one of the best, even beyond Malta. passionate search for the new has led us, for instance, to open a South American-themed restaurant at the end of April. with the floors on top? And the Melior Boutique Hotel, with walls that pay tribute to Maltese art, was born.

We understand that you are also bolstering your CSR. We have had a solid and diversified CSR programme for some time now. Now we are taking it a notch higher. For instance, through Starbucks Global we will be allocating funds to local NGOs. And we have more in the pipeline.

Going somewhat granular, the Group is expanding the range of its restaurants and cuisines on offer at a faster rate than before. Which market trends are you responding to? We closely monitor evolving palates, cuisines and niche tastes around the world to identify real-time trends. Today, diners are constantly seeking novel ideas and new cross-cultural combinations. Japanese cuisine, for instance, is still strong, but a lot of experimentation with unrelated flavours is also on the move. This Recently, you inaugurated Melior, an 18-room boutique hotel on Republic Street, Valletta. Quite a difference from your much larger operations in this sector. What’s the logic? This project started off with an idea and ended up as a different yet better one. Originally, we were looking for a site to house the first Starbucks Reserve outlet in Malta. Opting for Valletta we made a beeline to Republic Street. We found a fairly large house with a ground floor that fit the bill. But what were we to do Where will the db Group be in five years’ time? We would like to be as global as much as we are local. n