Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/761508
43 Events maltatoday, SUNDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2016 Castille at Sigma 2016 CASTILLE, a leading specialist re- cruitment and search firm in Tech and Financial talent participated in Sigma 2016 organising panels in relation to HR, Regulation, En- gagement & Retention in the Gam- ing Industry. The opening statement to the se- ries of panels referred to one of the articles of the Harvard Business Review wherein engagement with millennials in general was cited as a top 3 concern for leading CEOs. Panellists Jamie Debono (Igam- ing Academy), Thomas Mahoney (MGA), Michael Caselli (Igaming Business) & Saviour Balzan (Mod- erator/MediaToday) discussed the unique position of Malta to devel- op its global relevancy in iGaming on a global scale through educa- tion. They also discussed why compa- nies in Malta should support the education effort and how these courses can help professionals de- velop further and in turn increase talent to our country since at any one time there are over 1,000 va- cancies within gaming in Malta along. The second panel discussed the delicate subjects of Skills Short- ages, Emerging Employment trends and the associated Legal and Tax implications. With their extensive knowledge in legal, audit and recruitment, Dr. Paul Micallef Grimaud (Ganado), Dr. Matthew Brincat (Ganado), Mirko Rapa (PwC) and Matthew Camilleri (Castille) discussed the reasons and evolving trends behind skills shortages, with candidates capa- ble of software development be- ing a prime example of the situa- tion faced by many firms around the world. The demand is always exceeding the supply of available talent and Ian Busuttil Naudi as moderator questioned the panel- lists on ways of mitigating these shortages through different meth- ods, mainly through targeting of more EU candidates and third party nationals, using remote working, providing Internships and partnering with outsourcing providers. During the 2nd part of the event, Nathan Farrugia, CEO at Ultimate Performance took the stage and spoke about how one can future- proof their people to outperform competition. In this keynote, neu- roscience met human resource management, motivation theory and performance strategy, to stim- ulate the audience into thinking about how to prepare the work- force for massive change. The final panel had a greater fo- cus on Employee Engagement for Digital Workers. From the expe- rience of specialists and industry research, it is known that Digital Workers request and need varying workplace elements, not necessar- ily requested by other industries. The panel members Omar Bitar (Poker stars), Katharina Mifsud (Tipico), Martin Schillig (Betsson), Marvin Cuschieri (FHRD) and Matthew Camilleri (Castille) con- tributed by using their experiences in using the "HR Tool Kit" in order to optimise employee engagement and retention. Such tools include Training and Development, Re- wards and Compensation, Techni- cal Challenges, Positive Working Environments, Diversity in the working place and the possibility for employees to thinking outside the proverbial box. Further details about the panels are available on request. Panellists Jamie Debono (Igaming Academy), Thomas Mahoney (MGA), Michael Caselli (Igaming Business) & Saviour Balzan (Moderator/MediaToday) discussed the unique position of Malta to develop its global relevancy in iGaming on a global scale through education. For Dubai and Australia, Emirates is your partner IT could be time to make a dream a reality, starting this new year with a trip to Australia. Why Australia? Many Maltese dream that one day they will visit their relatives that they may not have ever met in their lives. So why not materialise your dream and do it. Australia is an unusual country – from its eclectic cities, swathes of sandy beaches, panoramic land- scapes, to rainforests abundant with nature and animal wonder. It is one of those destinations that seem designed with the adventur- ous traveller in mind. Packed with attractions, experiences and activi- ties to meet every traveller's needs, it is truly an ideal holiday destina- tion. Emirates flies daily to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth in Australia from its hub in Dubai. Today it operates 77 flights per week to Australia, 49 of these are flown with the A380 aircraft. Australia is the third larg- est A380 destination for the airline globally. On Emirates' A380s, First Class passengers can look forward to quiet luxury in the comfort of their private suites and enjoy the industry's only Onboard Shower Spa. First Class and Business Class passengers can socialise and sam- ple canapes and cocktails at the popular Onboard Lounge and passengers in all classes can enjoy the gourmet cuisine, its award- winning inflight entertainment, ice, with more than 2,500 channels and free Wi-Fi, which is available on all of Emirates' A380s. This year, Emirates also cel- ebrated the third anniversary of its codeshare partnership with Qantas, which allows Emirates customers to connect to Qantas' Australian domestic network of more than 50 destinations and 3,900 flights per week, while Qan- tas customers are able to access more than 45 Emirates destina- tions in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The biggest draw to Australia is Sydney – home of the iconic Syd- ney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bay and plenty of restaurants, bars and nightlife venues to keep trav- ellers entertained. Sydney's points of interest are many, and include quaint historical buildings, green city parks, a slick central business district of soaring towers, and the beautiful natural harbour, flanked by more than 200km of shoreline with nature reserves and public gardens. A 2-hour drive to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is another spectacular icon. Those in search of a more low- key experience tend to head to Melbourne instead. Despite being somewhat smaller than Sydney, Melbourne has plenty of attrac- tions to discover. Starting from the striking Federation Square hosting many art galleries and fes- tivals to South Bank promenade dotted with many restaurants, casinos and cafés. Melbourne is also famous for its many alleys full of hole-in-the-wall cafés, quirky bars, eateries, and boutique shops and sporting events. Emirates, the world's largest international airline, connects Dubai to the world and the world through Dubai. Between 1st April and 30 September 2016, Emirates carried 28 million passengers, which represent 9% more passen- gers during the same period last year. As a global airline, Emirates is serving 154 destinations in 83 countries from its hub in Dubai, currently operating 248 aircraft. Its fleet of young and advanced aircraft is equipped with industry- leading features and comforts, and supported by a team of talented men and women from over 130 countries, including Malta. In line with its vision to offer a superior passenger experience and improve environmental perfor- mance through modern aircraft fleet, Emirates has now retired the last Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft in its fleet from active ser- vice. This makes Emirates the first and only airline in the world to operate a fleet of all Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft for its pas- senger flights. Emirates continues to invest in new product development and service enhancements – both in the air and on the ground. Today's consumers lead digital lifestyles and increasingly demand connec- tivity on the go. To serve the grow- ing demand from our customers, Emirates invested US$22 million last year to install and operate in- flight connectivity systems across its fleet, which is now 70% Wi-Fi enabled. On a daily basis Emirates flies from Malta to Dubai on a Boeing 777-300 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft making connecting with exciting destinations, such as in Australia easier than ever before. For further information about Emirates' destination network and bookings kindly visit www.emir- ates.com/mt or contact the respec- tive travel agent, or else Emirates Sales Office at Malta International Airport on 25577255 HSBC is Bank of the Year for 2016 by 'The Banker' HSBC Bank Malta has been named Bank of the Year in Malta for 2016 as part of the Financial Times prestigious 'The Banker' magazine awards. The award recognises that HSBC Malta has been success- ful in rapidly adapting its business model to thrive within a changed operating environment for banks characterised by more demanding regulatory and compliance obliga- tions while continuing to support growth in the economy in a respon- sible way. The award was presented to HSBC Bank Malta CEO Andrew Beane and Chairman Sonny Por- telli at a ceremony in London, ac- companied by a group of outstand- ing employees from across the bank's business. Andrew Beane said: "This award is a testament to the hard work, professionalism and dedication of all my colleagues and I dedicate the award to them. We set out a new strategy for the bank at the begin- ning of 2016 and I am delighted that the progress we have made in a short period has been recognised in this way. Banking will always be about serving customers through long-term relationships built on trust, but today this can only be achieved where demanding regula- tory and compliance standards are also met." He added: "While our customers will find that HSBC asks for more information than they were accus- tomed to in the past, our unwaver- ing commitment to the highest standards of compliance can give them confidence that their bank is strong, safe and secure and this award demonstrates we are leading the industry in Malta and protect- ing future growth in the economy." The 'Bracken Award', named after Lord Bracken, the founding editor of The Banker in 1926 and Chair- man of the modern-day Financial Times from 1945 to 1958, was pre- sented to HSBC Bank Malta CEO Andrew Beane at a ceremony in London. A Bracken Award is hailed as an 'Oscar' in the global banking industry. HSBC Bank Malta CEO Andrew Beane, Chairman Sonny Portelli and a group of HSBC Malta colleagues with the prestigious 'Best Bank of the Year' in Malta 2016 award during the FT 'The Banker' ceremony in London