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14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 DECEMBER 2019 COMMERCIAL 200 APS Bank senior officers, managers and the senior management team congregated to The Xara Lodge in Rabat for the last Update Meeting of 2019. These meetings, which com- plement the winter and summer Townhalls, serve to inform staff with latest updates on pro- gress in the Bank and Group. CEO Marcel Cassar introduced the event fo- cusing on the recently announced organisation review and its purpose. CFO Noel McCarthy reported on the financial performance for the period 31 October 2019 providing analysis as well as comparisons with 2018. The highlight of the afternoon was a panel discussion led by Hervé Delpech, Chief Strategy Officer, which involved various members of staff from across the Bank who were joined by others from the audience. The theme of the discussion was the roll-out of the Business Plan 2020-2022 as it transits from that of 2019-2021 presented ear- ly in the year. It was a most enjoyable session with staff engaging and participating actively in the topics that were discussed. Mr Delpech commented: "It is vital to keep staff informed on all that is happening in the Bank, including the many projects and the progress on the Business Plan. We engage regularly with the staff to also reinforce the importance of always keeping the customer at the centre of all our actions." APS Bank holds last Quarterly Update Meeting for 2019 SEVEN teams put their trivia skills to work during a recent quiz night organized by the Atlas Group Social Club. The teams, made up of Atlas em- ployees and family members enjoyed a fun night out at sports bar Extra Time in Mo- sta. The winning team, with a grand total of 190 points was composed of six members: Margherita Cachia, Vinay Aarohi, Byron Magri, Glenn Mercieca, Ivan Distefano and Luke Aarohi. The Atlas Social Club organ- izes various events during the year, including the popular an- nual treasure hunt, summer events, quiz nights and Christ- mas party. These events give employees the opportunity to enjoy each other's company in an informal and relaxed at- mosphere. THE Gilt Monstrance Throne (Gelan- dra) located at the St Dominic Church of the Annunciation in Birgu has been me- ticulously restored through the support of Bank of Valletta and the National Lotter- ies Good Causes Fund. The Gelandra, dating back to 1894, is the work of Guzeppi Decelis. It had possibly been moved to Rabat during the turbulent years of the Second World War, when the church endured heavy bombing. It was also kept inside the Inquisitor's Palace during the years following the war, until the new church was constructed. These various moves, and the handling required to set up and dismantle the Ge- landra, all took their toll on the structure, thereby requiring extensive expert restora- tive works. Karl Spiteri, Head PR and Marketing at Bank of Valletta, visited the church to view the restored Gelandra, meeting up with church prior Fr Aaron Zahra OP and Rod- erick Abela from Re-coop, The Restoration and Conservation Coop Ltd, who were en- trusted with the restoration works. 'This Gelandra is probably the largest and most artistic of its kind on the island', said Roderick Abela. 'In carrying out the resto- ration, we took every care to conserve all the original parts, filling in only the missing areas and ageing the new gilding to blend in with the original.' 'Extensive photo and written documen- tation were used in the process to ensure that both the historical value and visual aspects of the Gelandra were maintained. All intervention was done using techniques and reversible materials to ensure minimal interference with the original', continued Mr Abela. 'Although the Gelandra is set up on the main altar for a few days each year, plans are in place to have it permanently exhib- ited within the church,' said Fr Zahra. 'We gladly welcome back one of the few artistic items left after the church was com- pletely destroyed during the war. We thank both Bank of Valletta and the Good Causes Fund for making this project possible.' Karl Spiteri concluded by saying that 'this project, among many others of its kind, forms part of our extensive Community Programme. At Bank of Valletta we appre- ciate our customers' trust, and this project is our way of giving something back to the communities we serve. BOV supports restoration of Birgu Gelandra Atlas Group organises quiz night for its employees