Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1483254
10 INTERVIEW 03.11.2022 Recently, eCabs has undergone a significant restructuring of its operations. Luca, you were promoted to Chief Technology Officer at eCabs, Matthew you moved on to become the CEO of Cuorium Technologies while Andrew Bezzina was named the CEO of eCabs. How did this major transformation come about? Luca Di Michele: In 2019 I spear- headed the establishment of our pro- prietary ride hailing technology. 3 years have flown by like a flash. It is extremely satisfying to look back and see how much ground we have cov- ered and the growth we have achieved, moving us far ahead enough to make this quantum leap into the interna- tional market. During this period, we have gone through exciting phases of renewal and transformation, building a highly competent, enthusiastic team of dedicated professionals who are driven by an incredible passion and the ambition for creating ahead-of- the-curve mobility technologies and solutions. Matthew Bezzina: Our joint efforts have resulted into impressive growth, despite the international econom- ic climate and the upheaval caused by the pandemic. Faced with these challenges we had some fundamental choices to make. We could have either retrenched and focused on keeping on winning the local market battles or as- pire to become an international brand in mobility technology and provision of ride-hailing services. We could have decided to do like many others and just invest in property or take the plunge and the risk that comes with a significant shareholder investment of €7 million. Today, we are reaping the first dividends of these decisions, wherein despite all the headwind we faced we now have a platform creat- ed in Malta that is ready to go beyond our borders and proudly fly our na- tional flag in this growing tech driven industry. How does this restructuring effort feature in the growth path of the Company and its platform? MB: Our organisation's transforma- tion journey started kicked off in 2017 and has been through multiple itera- tions. However it was towards the end of 2019 that we have really changed gears and growth accelerated in a fly- wheel effect as soon as the pandem- ic hit the globe. The pandemic had the effect of a giant pause button on the industry which gave us the space to shape our platform, build a multi- cultural team, spin-off a technology company with one of the largest cadre of developers on the island and start charting the path towards our inter- national aspirations. The bottom line was that of thinking out of the box, keep eyes on the ball and act with agility. LDM: My development team has grown from an in-house cosy group of four people to a more than 50-strong talented team serving as the founda- tion, engine and R&D for our own technology platform. What each one of us at eCabs Technologies learns is that working here brings a massive ad- vantage for technologists to test their skills against the world's bests, whilst learning, developing themselves, and growing into leadership positions as the company matures. MB: An essential part of this success has also been the huge competitive advantage of having everything we need from an operational perspec- tive within a 100-meter radius. Our headquarters practically resemble a giant laboratory with the ability to have on-field testing and instant feed- back of results. We have also been blessed with the immeasurable ben- efit of direction from over a decade of operational knowledge and expe- rience which facilitates development and improvements at speed, whilst competing with the world's largest and most-funded players. Competing with the ilk of Bolt and now Uber has been a blessing with both companies backed by billions of Euros in fund- ing, respectively. We're playing in the champions' league, which forces us to be the absolute best we can be and al- ways aspire to be better and measure up against these technology giants. What are the tangible results of your organisation's development approach? LDM: Our investments in Cuorium Technologies and eCabs have made us a considerable technology and soft- ware development business dedicated to mobility. We can stand out in the local market based on such a solid foundation. 'We're playing in the champions' league... we must be the absolute best that we can be' Business Today sat down with Matthew Bezzina, Chief Executive Officer at Cuorium Technologies and Luca Di Michele, Chief Technology Officer to grasp an insight into one of the most exciting commercial ventures growing in Malta, charting the path for the eCabs flag to be sported in European cities We have also been blessed with the immeasurable benefit of direction from over a decade of operational knowledge and experience which facilitates development and improvements at speed, whilst competing with the world's largest and most-funded players.