Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/364850
Events 39 maltatoday, Sunday, 17 auguSt 2014 HSBC UK Contact Centre bringing more jobs to Malta HSBC UK Contact Centre Malta, based at Swatar, is inviting all prospective applicants possessing customer services skills to become part of the country's largest con- tact centre community and start their banking career while making a difference to the lives of thou- sands of customers spread across the UK. Owing to the steady growth and high quality service at the centre, new hiring opportunities have arisen in the shape of a new role of Customer Advocate for Payment Protection Insurance. Addition- ally, the Centre is seeking to em- ploy more Contact Centre Service Associates to boost the existing teams. The PPI department in Malta has come about as a result of the suc- cessful track record of the Contact Centre in delivering superior qual- ity service. Customer Advocates will be able to deliver bespoke services by using their ability to enhance relationships to continue to deliver future growth. Meanwhile, Contact Centre Service Associates will cement the existing teams and provide a range of services to further sustain the level of customer satisfaction. HSBC UK Contact Centre Malta recently collaborated with vari- ous Local Councils and MCAST to deliver information sessions about employment opportunities and provide interested applicants a peek into the life at the centre. These sessions featured aspects of professional training, career pro- gression, and the highly social and motivating work environment. Apart from having a good com- mand of English and IT skills, there are no specific qualifications for the two roles. The team pro- vides a full induction training pro- gramme over a three-month pe- riod for all successful candidates, during which time all participants will receive full pay. More information about oppor- tunities at the centre can be found at https://w w w.hsbc.com.mt/1/2/ mt/careers. Age neutral CVs can be forwarded to malta.recruit- ment@hsbc.com. New Citroën C1, on the bright side of the street The new Citroën C1, a fresh take on a best seller that has notched up more than 760,000 sales since its launch in 2005. This new cit y car is available in 3- door and 5-door versions and also in a new open- top body st yle called Airscape. A car with a strong personalit y, delivering an upbeat response to urban mobilit y requirements, the new Citroën C1 ref lects the re- newal of Citroën. The new Citroën C1 features: more design, with dynamic lines and a cheerful front end with a cheeky gaze created by the head- lamps. Two-tone versions and brightly coloured interiors under- line the car's character and joy for living. It is clearly a member of the new family of Citroën vehicles. With its unique st yling and irre- sistible looks, it is an immediate eye-catcher. The Citroën C1 offers more comfort, for day-to-day driving. An agile car designed to nip in and out of traffic, it allies compact exterior dimensions (just 3.46m), with easy handling and a turning circle of 4.80m. It also delivers ex- ceptional suspension comfort and impeccable road manners It hasmore useful technology, to make life easier, with convenient features such as the 7'' touch- screen, and Mirror Screen tech- nology to copy and run smart- phone apps from the touchscreen. The new Citroën C1 can also be fitted with hands-free entry and drive, with a reversing camera, and with hill-start assist, for in- creased peace of mind. Citroën has optimised running costs: weighing just 840 kg, and shipping with new-generation petrol engines, the new Citroën C1 ranks among the best in class for fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Strong design The new Citroën C1 is available as a 3-door and 5-door vehicle, as a hatchback or an open-top vehi- cle with Airscape. The dynamic, lively st yling is underlined by the visual continuit y between the windscreen and side windows, with black windscreen pillars and, depending on trim, chrome-finish weather strips. The front end gains the features identif ying the new brand mod- els. The two-part headlamps and round inserts create a smiley front end with a cheeky gaze. The vertical daytime-running LED lights create a light signature emphasising the car's cheerful gaze and strong character. The glass tailgate and square lights add momentum to the rear end, creating a 3D effect. The new Citroën C1 is a car of freethinking design with an irre- sistible expression, underlined by compact, condensed volumes and wider tracks at both the front and rear. It is clearly a member of the fam- ily of new Citroën vehicles. With its strong personalit y, it has im- mediate appeal and the abilit y to attract attention. The new Citroën C1 is also avail- able with the new VTi 82 from the PureTech engine family. Built in France, this 1.2 litre 3-cylinder petrol engine developing 82 bhp uses innovative, efficient and economical technologies, for fuel consumption of 4.3l/100 km and CO2 emissions of 99g/km, allied with driveabilit y and nimble per- formance. With torque of 118 Nm and 0 - 100 kph acceleration in 11 sec- onds, this engine contributes to the abilit y of the new Citroën C1 to head for the open road. Find the new Citroën C1 on: www.citroen.com.mt or follow Cit- roenMalta on Facebook. Zumba with Wesley and Ilona at Laguna Walk, SmartCity Malta Zumba sessions are currently being held at the stunning Laguna Walk, SmartCity Malta. Classes are held with the energetic Zumba® duo, Wes- ley and Ilona every Wednesday from 5.30pm to 6.30pm and will go on un- til 27 August. With a beautiful animated foun- tain, an azure lagoon and breath-tak- ing views of the Mediterranean Sea, the open-air amphitheatre of Laguna Walk sets the perfect mood for the fun-filled dance/fitness workout ses- sions. The two qualified instructors from Holland, Ilona and Wesley ensure that their Zumba classes are suitable for all levels of fitness from the age of 12 and upwards so everyone can join in the fun. The sessions are open to the public at a charge of just €5 per person, and thanks to the spacious amphitheatre, people do not need to reserve a place, but can simply show up and get ready for an energetic workout. Speaking about the classes at Smart- City Malta, Ilona said: "The versatile location is perfect for the Zumba sessions as it offers a lot of space for people to move around. The unique setting and the amazing surrounding scenery sets the right atmosphere for one to exercise in and enjoy." For information about other upcom- ing events at SmartCity Malta, kindly visit www.lagunawalk.com.mt. GO grows operating profits, outperforms benchmarks during first half of 2014 During the six month period ended 30 June 2014, GO delivered a strong and steady performance, increasing its operating profits before non- recurring items by 13.3% to €11.8 million and out-performing inter- national benchmarks for the tel- ecommunications sector. The Group's earnings before in- terest, tax, depreciation and am- ortisation (EBITDA) and before non-recurring costs, amounted to €24.3 million, a marginal increase over the comparative period. Group revenues amounted to €60.8 mil- lion (2013: €60.5 million). This re- silient performance is the result of a focused strategy and a number of initiatives to grow revenues and manage costs. Though the telecommunications market continues to be character- ised by intense competition across all product lines, resulting in lower average revenue per user (ARPU) levels, GO outperformed interna- tional trends and managed to grow overall retail revenue across its main product range. GO's recently revamped product portfolio, including the Limitless Mobile and Homepack proposi- tions, continue to perform well. Significantly the Group continues to grow its client base, with over 500,000 customer connections, across its main retail products. Growth is broad-based and cov- ers a number of sectors, including broadband, TV and mobile, and this compensates for the sustained decline in traditional fixed voice services. The positive performance of retail revenue also compensated for the negative impact resulting from the continued reduction in wholesale rates, particularly mobile termi- nation rates and roaming charges mandated by the Malta Communi- cations Authority and the EU Com- mission respectively. Cost of sales and administration costs, excluding costs of an unusual nature, size or incidence, amount- ed to €49.7 million, a decrease of €0.9 million over the comparative period. The Group successfully pursued cost reductions in most areas, though it experienced some increased costs in certain areas di- rectly related to its sales activity. The Group is committed to op- timise its operations and align its organisational structure to ref lect market conditions. As a result, this year's interim performance, as was also the case during the com- parative period, was impacted by voluntary retirement costs and, to a lesser extent, by pension obliga- tions, items considered to be of an unusual nature, size or incidence. After taking into account the com- bined impact of these items, the Group still managed to increase the operating profit for the period under review to €9.7 million (2013: €9.4 million). Group profit before tax increased by 3.1%, to €8.5 mil- lion. Cash generation from operations remains healthy and amounted to €18.4 million (2013: €17.2 million). Group borrowings net of cash hold- ings amounted to €47.7 million as at 30 June 2014, an increase in net debt of €5.8 million over December 2013. This increase was a result of the payment of a net dividend of €0.07 per share and a loan of €6 mil- lion extended by GO to Forgendo to enable Forgendo to participate in Forthnet's increase in share capital. Yiannos Michaelides, GO's Chief Executive Officer highlighted that these strong interim results validat- ed the Group's clear and focused ap- proach. ''Four key thrusts underpin GO's strategy; defending our posi- tion using our multi-play advantage, growing by focusing on new areas, enhancing operational efficiency and exploring new opportunities that go beyond the traditional core. It is clear that the Group's strategy is effective and we shall continue to pursue it vigorously.''