Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1500456
2 NEWS 1.6.2023 EXPRESS Trailers have just an- nounced the appointment of Etienne Attard as their new Chief Executive Officer. Etienne Attard, who for the past seven years has occupied the role of general manager of a leading auto- motive company, started his career over 30 years ago in the maritime industry, working in port opera- tions for fifteen years before mov- ing to the banking sector and sub- sequently, into the construction and retail sectors. In a message of welcome to the new CEO, Chairman Edmond Brin- cat said "Mr Attard's academic back- ground in logistics and transport will surely facilitate the transition and adaptation at Express Trailers. Etienne is a dynamic business lead- er who is values-driven and brings a diverse background of experienc- es and an excellent record. We are highly confident that with the sup- port of the professional and experi- enced colleagues who surround him and who have been with Express for decades, Etienne will prove his operational effectiveness and expe- rience." Etienne Attard expressed his pride at having been selected to lead Ex- press Trailers in the coming years. "Before joining the company, I al- ways regarded Express Trailers as one of the main leaders in the trans- port sector with a passion for logis- tics. Now that I am in the office I am witnessing from within the values of Express Group, the talent of my colleagues and their commitment to the company and to its custom- ers' needs and expectations," added Attard. ATLAS Insurance announced the ap- pointment of Malcolm Booker as the new Chair of the Board of Directors of Atlas Insurance PCC Limited from May 2023. Booker, who succeeds outgoing Chair Lawrence Zammit, had been ap- pointed an independent non-executive director of the group in June 2022. A chartered accountant by profes- sion, Booker spent most of his career at Deloitte Malta, where he became a partner in 1997, subsequently serving as CEO for six years between 2014 and 2019. During his career at Deloitte, Book- er also served as an international tax partner and was Lead Partner to a number of companies operating with- in the financial services and consumer products sectors. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, a Fellow of the Malta Institute of Accountants, and a Fellow of the Malta Institute of Taxa- tion Whilst welcoming Booker's appoint- ment, Atlas Insurance expressed its gratitude and appreciation to Lawrence Zammit for his significant contribution to the company's success between 2012 and 2023. In 2012, he formed part of the first board composed of a majority of non-executive directors and took over the chair of the Remuneration and Nominations committee. From 2014, Zammit took over the chairs of both the Atlas Insurance and Atlas Holdings boards as well as the chairing of the Investment Committee. Zammit will continue to chair the Atlas Holdings board of directors. Express Trailers appoint new CEO MBB-MCST event highlights direct EU funding opportunities for businesses New Chairman for Atlas Insurance Malcolm Booker Etienne Attard THE Malta Business Bureau (MBB) and Malta Council for Science and Technol- ogy (MCST) organized a business confer- ence titled 'Navigating EU Direct Funds – Unlocking Financial Opportunities for Business.' is was organised through the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) pro- ject, which aims to assist SMEs in their journey towards sustainability, digitalisa- tion, and resilience. e primary objective of the conference was to enhance accessibility to direct EU funding programmes, such as Erasmus+, LIFE, COSME-SMP, Horizon 2020, and EIT, among others, for the national busi- ness community. e benefits of capitalising from the EEN service were also highlighted, as it facilitates the connection between fi- nance experts and local businesses seek- ing funding opportunities. Opening the event, MBB President Ali- son Mizzi said, "One thing that we have learnt throughout these years is that while businesses have many ideas for projects that may be eligible for EU funding, they find it complicated to identify the correct funding stream where to propose their ideas for funding. As such, the MBB, un- der the auspices of the Enterprise Europe Network, is here to advise businesses on identifying the correct funding stream for their project ideas and connect them with the relevant contact points to pursue their project application." On his part, MCST Chairman Dr. To- nio Portughese commented that "by pri- oritising innovation, digitalisation, and sustainability, we can drive economic growth, create new job opportunities, and enhance the quality of life for our citi- zens". Dr. Portughese reaffirmed MCST's dedication to supporting R&I that drives the growth and prosperity of Malta's sci- entific and technological landscape. Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds Chris Bonett stressed that, despite the challenges the country has faced in re- cent times, Malta has adapted, innovated, and grown due to the government work- ing hand in hand with the private sector. e Parliamentary Secretary closed by emphasizing the importance of financial support for digitization and sustainabili- ty, for businesses to adapt these factors in their operations. A presentation on direct funding pro- grammes and their potential value for local businesses followed, led by MBB Senior Projects Executive Michele Agius and MCST National Contact Point for Horizon Europe Martin Vieira. e event included two panel discus- sions with international and local funding experts, together with businesses with ex- perience in tapping direct EU funds. ese explored how such funding can support investments in sustainability, digitalisation, and R&I. e first panel discussion on R&I opportunities featured insights from Mario Balzan, Founder of Ecostack Innovations, Oxana Mercieca, Eureka Eurostars National Project Coor- dinator at Malta Enterprise, Gonca Kara, EIT Climate KIC Senior Research Officer at MCAST, and Lili Kankaya, Senior Ex- ecutive at MCST. Anthea Fabri, Director Framework Programme at MCST, facil- itated the discussion. e second panel was moderated by MBB CEO Joe Tanti, focusing on the green and digital trans- formation and the role of EU funding. is included interventions from Joel Fernandes, Project & Policy Advisor at Eurochambres, Denise Fiorentino, CEO of Servizzi Ewropej Malta, and Morgan Parnis, CEO of Business Leaders Malta. Businesses interested in finding out more about the EEN or other available funding schemes are encouraged to contact MBB'S EEN project coordinator, Michele Agius, at magius@mbb.org.mt. Panel discussions explored how funding can support investments in sustainability, digitalisation, and R&I