Dr Gordon Cordina is a leading economist in the Maltese Islands, with a professional experience spanning 25 years covering banking, policy-making, academia and private sector consultancy. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors, the ESG Committee, and the Nominations and Remuneration Committee. He also is a member of the Risk Committee and the Compliance and Anti Financial Crime Committee. Dr Cordina is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and the University of Malta. His main area of academic interest is the growth and macroeconomic dynamics facing economies that are prone to heightened risks.
Dr Cordina has several years of Board and Risk Committee experience in major financial institutions in Malta, amongst which at Bank of Valletta p.l.c. Dr Cordina served as Manager of the Research Department of the Central Bank of Malta, Director General of the National Statistics Office of Malta, Head of the Economics Department of the University of Malta and Economic Advisor to the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development. Through the private consultancy firm he co-founded in 2006, he is involved in a number of local and international research projects and consultancy assignments with institutions including the EU Commission, NGOs and private sector entities. Dr Cordina is a visiting senior lecturer at the University of Malta.
Dr Cordina was appointed Chairman of the Bank of Valletta p.l.c in October 2020, of MAPFRE MSV Life p.l.c in September 2021 and director of MAPFRE Middlesea p.l.c in September 2022.
Dr Marthese Portelli is a law graduate from the University of Malta specialized in applied business law and IT. Throughout her 27 years of working experience she occupied several managerial posts and spearheaded nationwide projects within the public and the private sector. In 2013 she contested the general election successfully and was re-elected again in 2017, during which she shadowed challenging portfolios including EU affairs, energy, environment, transport, infrastructure, capital projects, planning and property. Following her departure from politics, she ventured into the sphere of sectoral representation while working as a management consultant in her professional capacity. Since 1st May 2021 she took on the role as CEO of The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry. She is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta and sits on the Board of Directors of PBS Ltd, Malta Business Bureau (MBB), Education Malta and Tech.MT.
Mr David Spiteri Gingell was the chair of pension reform groups between 2004/2012 and a member of the Pension Strategy Group between 2013/2021. David stewarded the first national strategy on financial capability and set up and led ĠEMMA, which was responsible for its implementation. David held various chair, board, and CEO positions in government and NGOs. David was bestowed the Order of the Terra Mariana (Fourth Class) by the President of Estonia in 2001.
Mr Eduardo Ripolles de La Pena, head of Institutional Business Development & Sales at MAPFRE AM. Eduardo has more than 25 years of experience in the finance sector. He began his professional career at MORGAN STANLEY and has worked at companies such as BANCO MADRID and UBI BANCA INTERNATIONAL. He was Business Development Manager at TREA AM until 2019, when he joined MAPFRE AM. He holds a degree in Business Sciences from Complutense University of Madrid, an INTERNATIONAL MBA from IE Business School and has been a member of the EFPA since 2003. CESGA (Certified ESG Analyst) since 2021
Dr Gonzalo de Cadenas Santiago is the Executive Director of Mapfre Economics. Previously he held several senior positions at various strategy and research departments in the private sector and still frequently collaborates with specialized think tanks such as the Geneva Association. Gonzalo holds a PhD from the University of Berlin where he holds an academic advisory position. Gonzalo focuses his work on global geoeconomics and sectorial dynamics in an effort to help navigating these uncertain times.
Dr Patrick Ring is a qualified solicitor who holds an LLB (with Distinction) from the University of Edinburgh, a BA (Hons) (First Class) Social Sciences from the Open University, an MSc Applied Social Research (with Distinction) from the University of Stirling and a PhD in Pensions Policy from Glasgow Caledonian University. He is also a Member of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment and Chartered Insurance Institute, an Associate of the Pensions Management Institute and a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. Patrick’s teaching and research interests include pension policy and reform; financial regulation and compliance; trust and risk, including risk culture, in financial services; and financial education and awareness. He has published widely in these areas. Recent funded projects include looking at the effectiveness of financial inclusion projects in Glasgow, Scotland, and examining the financial management and coping mechanisms of vulnerable financial consumers in the UK through the use of financial diaries. He is also currently part of a £1.7M UK-wide project on extending the use of fintech in financial SMEs. Patrick has been an External Examiner, and is currently a visiting academic, at the University of Malta.
Dr Petra Ellul-Mercer is a dedicated Financial Literacy Advocate passionate about empowering individuals through financial education. With a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Behavioral Economics, Petra possesses a unique blend of knowledge in human behavior and economic decision-making. She leverages this expertise to deliver training through educational pathways, focusing on core financial capability competencies such as money awareness, debt management, saving and budgeting skills, and retirement horizon planning. Petra's expertise lies in her ability to inspire positive behavior changes, leading individuals of all age groups towards healthier financial lifestyles.
Mr Adrian Sacco is since 2013 Assistant Director Contributory and Family Benefits at the Department of Social Security. His experience is mainly focused on the maintenance of Social Security Contribution records, occupational Short Term Benefits, and Children and Maternity benefits. His daily work routine involves the interaction between a person’s contribution records and how such records provide necessary national insurance coverage for Sickness, Unemployment and Occupational Injury benefits in the short term, and to eventual contributory pensions in the long term. Outside the office, Adrian spends time with family and friends, and loves travelling abroad with his motorcycle to near and far destinations.
Mr Bernard Attard joined PwC Malta in 1998 after graduating in Bachelor of Accountancy Hons. from the University of Malta. He was admitted to the partnership in 2011. During his years with the Firm, he has been involved in various tax and related assignments both internationally and locally for clients in a wide variety of industries and sectors. In 2007, he was also seconded to the International Tax practice in Berlin. Bernard addresses various technical seminars and conferences and lectures in Tax Law at the University of Malta. He is also a member of the Tax Committee of the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners of Malta. He has been involved in various forums in relation to pensions, their sustainability and reform in Malta. Furthermore, Bernard leads the Private Clients practice at PwC Malta, which also focuses on the various aspects of pensions.
Ms Victoria Muscat is a Senior Manager within PwC's tax service line, with over 20 years of experience working on corporate and individual tax matters. She holds a B.Accountancy (Hons). degree from the University of Malta and an Advanced Diploma in International Taxation awarded by the UK's Chartered Institute of Taxation. Over the years Victoria has been involved in a wide variety of tax assignments for a large portfolio of corporate clients and public interest entities operating in various sectors both locally and internationally. Her specific areas of expertise include pensions regulatory and tax matters, and she currently heads PwC Malta's Pensions Team. She regularly participates in seminars and conferences and contributes to the firm's publications and insights on tax matters relating to pensions.
Professor Frank Bezzina (PhD) is Pro-Rector for International Development and Quality Assurance at the University of Malta, after having served as Dean (2016-2021) of the Faculty of Economics, Management & Accountancy (FEMA), Deputy Dean (2012-2016) and Head of the Department of Management (2013-2021). He lectures in the fields of management science, decision analysis, and business research methods. His research interests are varied but mainly focus on investigating phenomena in the organisational sciences. He published papers in international journals of repute such as the European Management Journal, The International Journal of Human Resource Management and Expert Systems with Applications and co-edited book series such as Emerald's Contemporary Studies in Economic and Financial Analysis (Vols. 97 & 98) and Springer's Public Administration, Governance and Globalization'(Vol. 22).
