KEY SPEAKERS

Silvio Schembri – Minister for the Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects

The Shadow Minister for the Economy and Enterprise, Jerome Caruana Cilia, was elected to Parliament in March 2022. He is a member of the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee.

Caruana Cilia is an experienced financial services professional. Formerly at an international bank in Malta, Caruana Cilia is now responsible for Risk Management at a leading Fintech company. He holds a Master in Politics and the European Union degree, where he studied Political Economy and also holds a Master of Business Administration where he obtained a distinction. He also holds a Certificate in Sustainability for Finance and a Certificate in FinTech for Finance and Business Leaders. Caruana Cilia is a member of the Malta Association of Risk Management and a member of the Institute of Leadership, in the United Kingdom. He is also a lecturer in the field of management and finance, particularly on Anti-Money Laundering regulations, Supervision and Corporate Governance.

Caruana Cilia has actively participated in various conferences, both locally and abroad, most recently in the Inter-parliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance in the EU.

Kenneth Brincat is the CEO of the Malta Digital Innovation Authority. With 25 years of experience in management and digital transformation, Kenneth is spearheading MDIA 2.0: A driving force in Malta’s digital landscape. He is catalysing the national agenda for responsible and human-centric development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the enabling of cybersecurity across industry. Under Kenneth’s leadership the Authority adopted a collaborative approach enabling policymakers, industry experts, and academia to synergize to ensure the optimal and safe uptake of emerging technologies.

Camille Pepos was appointed as Head of FinTech Supervision in March 2024 after joining the MFSA in 2020 following the creation of this same function within the Authority. Since joining, he has developed and implemented authorisation and supervisory practices in the field of crypto assets and actively contributed to positioning MFSA as a pioneer in FinTech supervision. Camille represents the MFSA within various Committees of the European Supervisory Authorities and is currently involved in a number of European network groups related to crypto assets. In his capacity as Secretary of the MFSA’s Authorisation Forum and Chair of the MFSA’s Supervisory Forum he has gained extensive knowledge in regulation, supervision and enforcement through his contribution to the implementation of a number of strategic projects within the organisation. Camille has both public and private sector experience in Europe and in the Middle East supporting companies interlinking financial services and technology. At the start of his career he held various roles in private banking, fundraising, fintech advisory and corporate services. An economist by academic background, Camille also possesses two Master degrees in Finance and Wealth Management from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis and IAE Graduate School of Management.

Mr Reuben Portanier is the Advisory and Compliance Partner at GTG. Reuben advises clients in regulated sectors such as fintech and gaming. He is a former gaming regulator and is a regular speaker at international events.

Roderick joined the Central Bank of Malta back in 1990 where he had an 18-year career, holding various positions in Banking, Statistics and Financial Stability, including a short period working at the ECB in Frankfurt.  In 2008, Roderick moved to the industry where he steered the licensing and setting up of three banks in Malta, both as consultant and also as the leading Executive.  He held various positions in banks in Malta, the latest being CEO and Director at AgriBank till September 2018.  In October 2018, Roderick started a new project as founder and CEO of Laskaris Finance, which managed the application of a banking license and also the setting up process of the proposed bank.  He left Laskaris at the end of 2020 to start Bridge Advice and holds the position of Managing Director.  Roderick is an advisor for the Ministry of Finance and also sits on the Council of the University of Malta.  He chairs the Board of Directors of two Financial Institutions operating from Malta.  Roderick is qualified in Banking and Economics.

Founder, Fintech Malta and non-executive director at regulated fintech companies. Peter is well-known in Europe’s fintech community, having established a number of free Fintech networks including Fintech Malta (FintechMalta.com) and Fintech UK (FintechUK.com) – which promote, support and map the indigenous and international fintech ecosystems. Peter is also a non-executive director of a number of global fintech companies in the investment services and payments sectors. He is a regular speaker, chair and master of ceremonies at events and awards.  Peter is a regular contributor to media on Fintech and RegTech (regulatory technology) topics. Peter has also recently established the MiCAReady.com project: MiCAR is the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation.  MiCAR provides an excellent opportunity to leverage Malta’s unique digital asset and blockchain industries.

Peter has previously held senior roles at regulators including the Central Bank of Ireland, the (now) UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. He is qualified as a solicitor in Ireland, the UK and Australia. More about Peter at PeterOakes.com.

Dr Cherise Abela Grech is a Partner within the firm, leading the Corporate, Financial Services and Competition Law practices. Since joining in 2011, she has advised a wide range of local and international clients across all stages of their corporate journey — from incorporation and restructuring to mergers, acquisitions, and ongoing regulatory compliance.

She has extensive experience in competition and foreign direct investment matters, representing clients in anti-trust clearances and major transactional processes. Dr Abela Grech has also guided numerous entities in obtaining licences from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), including investment services firms, credit and financial institutions, and insurers. Collaborating with the firm’s FinTech team, she advises on virtual currencies, distributed ledger technologies, and security token offerings, while also supporting clients on AML, employment, and residence matters.

Dr Gege Gatt is the CEO of London-based company EBO an AI enterprise which automates citizen engagement. He is a digital entrepreneur, a TEDx speaker and has won the UK’s Enterprise Awards in 2024.

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 Vatican in Rome with a consortium of thought-leaders to identify and remove impediments to human flourishing. His doctoral degree is in IT Law.

Dr Mughees Shaukat is a Global Islamic Financial Strategist and Fintech specialist (MIT, USA) with extensive experience across the GCC, Europe, and Asia. He currently serves as Director at Carbon CX (Canada & GCC) and Advisor to IIRA Bahrain, and has previously held senior roles at AAOIFI Bahrain, Bank Nizwa, and the Central Bank of Oman, where he pioneered Islamic Finance at CBFS.

An award-winning thought leader, Dr Shaukat was recognised as Fintech Leader of the Year (2020, Turkey) and received the GIFA Award, presented by the President of Pakistan. He has published over 50 research papers, delivered 200+ keynotes and policy talks, and is chair and co-chair in numerous international conferences and training programmes on Islamic finance, fintech, ESG, and entrepreneurship.

Dr Shaukat holds a PhD in Economics and Finance and multiple professional certifications. He continues to influence global policy, innovation, and sustainability in Islamic and ethical finance.

Dmitrij Kozelkin is a fintech leader with a strong record in operations, business development and client success across international markets. He turns new financial technologies into practical results, builds high-performing multicultural teams and navigates complex regulation with ease. He is currently Director of Banking Relationships at Advapay and Founder & CEO of PAYVER LIMITED.

Reuben is the managing director and founder of Erremme Business Advisors, an accountancy, business and management consultancy firm. Apart from his responsibilities as managing director Reuben has a direct involvement in the Corporate Finance and consultancy services of Erremme.

Reuben has been the pioneer in the discussions on Islamic Finance in Malta and has prepared various papers and articles on the subject. Reuben is a regular speaker in International Islamic Finance conferences and is advisor to various organisations in the field. He acted as consultant on various Islamic Finance transactions in Malta and abroad.

Oliver has had a 28-year legal career span during which time he has served as a lawyer/partner/equity partner at top AmLaw 100 firms, including at DLA Piper (Dubai), Clifford Chance (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Office) and Fulbright & Jaworski (now Norton Rose Fulbright) (in USA and Hong Kong). During his tenure at the large American and English firms, his practice areas focussed on international corporate & finance/projects law, including cross border M&A, project finance,
Islamic finance, banking, asset-based securitizations, international restructurings, JVs, et al in China, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

He specialises in the interplay between Common Law, Civil Law and Islamic Law as these different legal systems intersect in the MENAT Region. He has advised clients, including governments/quasi-governmental bodies/entities, quasi-regulators, financial and Islamic financial institutions, corporates and high net worth individuals on cross border M&As, JVs, project finance, Islamic Law, Islamic Finance, corporate/commercial and complex cross-border disputes including those that impinge on Islamic/Regional Laws. He has also advised high net worth Islamic individuals with assets spread across the World on intestate planning. He has had experience working on deals in the MENAT Region alone aggregating well over US$50 billion and has been featured in leading lawyer publications, as well as in print and broadcast media.

Oliver has been recognized as an authority on Islamic Law/Finance – being the first Western trained lawyer to sit on the board of an Islamic Finance Regulator (Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI)) and having established the first Islamically compliant law firm with its own Shari’ah Board in 2008 (and which was recognized at one point as the leading Islamic Law Firm practice, globally). He has been published on Islamic Law and Finance topics including in leading Law Review Journals, given talks at prominent Universities, served as an expert witness on Islamic Law/Finance topics and issued Islamic legal opinions (where required with additional scholarly endorsement) based on analyses of Quranic text, Hadith (saying and actions of the Prophet (pbuh)) and leading scholarly perspectives.

Ivan Zammit serves as the Chief Operations Officer at the Malta Financial Services Authority, where he oversees and strategically leads the organisation’s operational and corporate support functions, including People & Culture, Technology, Programme Management, Data Governance & Management, Finance, Communications and Administration. Bringing a depth of experience in operations, technology, and business management, and having a passion for innovation, employee and customer experience, Mr. Zammit is instrumental in spearheading MFSA’s ongoing strategic initiatives related to digital transformation and building high performing teams. He also actively contributes to MFSA policy matters tied to Digital Finance, AI, and ICT risk.

He has held several senior leadership roles in the private sector throughout his career across the technical, operational, product and business development domains prior to joining the MFSA in 2020. Mr. Zammit holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Malta and a Master’s in Business Administration from Henley Business School, UK.

Kenneth Farrugia is the Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Valletta Group. He sits on the Bank’s Board of Directors, chairs the Executive Committee and is a member of several management committees. Mr Farrugia is also a director on the Board of Directors of BOV Fund Services Limited, BOV Asset Management Limited and MAPFRE MSV Life plc. He is also Chair of the Malta Bankers’ Association.

Mr Farrugia began his career at Bank of Valletta in 1985 and has occupied various executive positions covering the bank’s asset management, retail banking, and credit business areas. Over the course of his career, he has also held various financial services related industry positions, including Chair of the Malta Asset Servicing Association, Board Member of the European Fund and Asset Management Association, Chair of FinanceMalta, Malta’s national promotional body for the financial services industry as well as Chair of Malita Investments plc, which is listed on the Malta Stock Exchange.

Kenneth Farrugia is an alumnus of Harvard Business School, having completed the General Management Program.

Gavril Flores is the Chief Strategy, Policy and Governance Officer at the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA). He brings over 15 years of expertise in regulation, strategic leadership and innovation policy. As the driving force behind Malta’s National AI Strategy and Vision, Malta’s cybersecurity certification authority and regulation of AI, data and cyber, Flores is helping shape the country’s position as a leader in ethical, trustworthy and compliant digital innovation through smart regulation and forward-looking governance. Gavril represents Malta in various international fora and is Malta’s representative on the Committee on Artificial Intelligence of the Council of Europe and alternate management board member of ENISA. He holds the position of Senior Visiting Lecturer at the University of Malta focusing on innovation management, ESG and marketing and digital innovation.

Annalise Vassallo Seguna holds the position of a Managing Legal Officer at the MDIA. She practices in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Data and Distributed Ledger Technologies law and manages the drafting of legislation. She graduated with a Master of Advocacy from the University of Malta in 2018 and was granted the warrant to practice law in 2019. Apart from her extensive experience in civil and commercial law, Dr. Vassallo Seguna also holds a Masters in Distributed Ledger Technologies.

Neil Micallef leads AI supervision and market surveillance at the Malta Digital Innovation Authority, with a focus on implementation of regulatory frameworks on trustworthy, human-centric AI. Previously, he contributed to AI research at CERN in Geneva and managed local projects in critical infrastructure and transport, where he specialized in solutions architecture. Neil holds a Master’s in Artificial Intelligence with distinction and is involved in AI research with the University of Malta, exploring the intersection of computer vision and biomedicine.

Mariana Kushev stands as a key figure in the fintech and cryptocurrency sectors, presently holding the position of Executive Vice President of Global Operations at Crypto.com. Her vast experience includes senior leadership roles at several industry giants, including Binance, Skrill (now a part of the Paysafe Group), and Syspay. Through these roles, she has showcased her operational leadership and her keen insight into evolving financial landscapes, both traditional and digital.

With more than 20 years of experience in the financial sector, Mariana has honed her expertise in guiding organisations through the complexities of digital asset regulations and blockchain-based financial services. Her in-depth understanding of the evolving regulatory environment has allowed businesses to thrive within the boundaries of compliance and explore new frontiers in the world of digital finance. As a forward-thinking strategist, Mariana has actively championed the adoption of digital assets and blockchain technology to revolutionise traditional financial systems.

Dr Justine Scerri Herrera is a lawyer, business owner, investor, and international speaker specialising in financial services, fintech, and virtual assets regulation. She is a Director at MK Fintech Partners, the Malta-based subsidiary of Michael Kyprianou & Co. LLC, where she leads advisory, consultancy, and licensing services across the EMI/PI, investment services, and virtual financial assets (VFA) sectors.

With extensive experience in crypto and blockchain regulation, Dr Scerri Herrera has guided numerous fintech companies through complex licensing and compliance frameworks, supporting their establishment and growth within regulated markets. Her work spans strategic advisory, board-level governance, and innovation-focused policy development.

PROGRAMME