Godwin Xerri is the CEO and one of the founding members of Combined Maritime Services Limited, Malta’s leading multi-disciplinary specialist in maritime consultancy. He is also Managing Director of Focal Maritime Services Co. Ltd and Delta Container Services Ltd and Director of GreenwaveShipping.mt.

In the past, he served as Managing Director of Sea Malta Co. Ltd and as a director on various Boards of corporations and companies, including Malta Freeport Corporation, Bank of Valletta International and Tug Malta Co. Ltd. Throughout his career in the maritime and logistics industry, he has remained involved in the academic sphere through regular lecturing at the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) and the Institute of Transport and Logistics as well as through involvement in the UK Chartered Institute of Shipbrokers, of which he is a fellow.

In April 2023, Godwin Xerri was appointed Chairman of the Malta Maritime Forum. In May 2023, he became the first Maltese to be elected Chairman of the Worldwide Ship Agencies Association (WWSA) – an influential organisation on a global level based in Antwerp. Godwin Xerri has contributed several specialised features in local and foreign fora and publications.

Alex Montebello is the CEO at Malta Freeport Terminals. He started his career at Malta Freeport in 1989 at the time of the Company’s inception and has since then occupied various positions within the Company.

In his early days as an IT Specialist, Alex was responsible for setting up and implementing the Terminal Operating Systems, which were created in-house alongside the Company’s development and expansion. Added to this, Alex has been responsible for the operations of the Terminals, the marketing of the Container Terminals as well as negotiation and management of contracts with the shipping lines resulting in the client mix that has been attracted to the Freeport’s facilities.<br />

Alex serves as board member on the Malta Maritime Forum and heads the Marketing and Internationalisation sub-committee. He is also a member of the Institute of Management and a member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers.

A graduate in Economics, Mr Kevin J Borg is an accomplished professional with over 25 years experience in leadership of the business community. In fact, before being appointed CEO of the MMF, Kevin occupied other prominent roles including Non-Executive Director of Bank of Valletta plc, Director General of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, and Director General of the Malta Employers’ Association – a position he continues to hold.

Throughout his career, Kevin has a built for himself a distinct reputation for integrity and professionalism with all stakeholders he has connected with including entrepreneurs, political leaders and social partners. In his present position, Kevin also sits on the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development as well as on the National Productivity Board set up on the recommendation of DG ECFIN of the European Commission.

Dr Matthew Attard is the President of the Malta Maritime Law Association (MMLA) and is a Partner within Ganado Advocates’ shipping and yachting practice. Matthew has a particular focus on shipping registration and sales/acquisitions of vessels, including superyachts, as well as the formation and support of shipping organisations and companies. He also provides advice to clients on corporate matters and M&A transactions. In addition, he regularly assists major financial institutions, owners and ultra-high net worth individuals in the financing of vessels and related matters.

Robert Aquilina worked all his executive career in the family business, Salvo Grima Group. A business established in 1860, he occupied the post of Managing Director and eventually Chairman and CEO of the group in 2003. During his tenure, Robert was instrumental in growing the business from just ship suppliers to multiple business activities including freight forwarding, Freeport warehousing, travel retail outlets in Malta and Palma De Mallorca as well as an FMCG distribution company in the Netherlands.

Outside the Salvo Grima Group, Mr. Aquilina has served at public level as Chairman of the Malta Shipyards (leading to its privatisation) as well as a director at Enemalta Corporation, Malta Resources Authority and privately at Nordic Offshore Services A/S Denmark (NOS), Valletta Cruise Port plc and MelitaUnipol Insurance Limited.

In April 2016, he relinquished his position as CEO of the Salvo Grima group and became non- executive Chairman of the Group in line with the family charter.

Mr. Aquilina has been a member of the Malta Chamber of Commerce since 1983, has served as council member (10 years) and Senior Vice President (5 years) at IMPA (the International Marine Purchasing Association) as well as a Founding Member of the Airport Tax Free Association and the Duty-Free Port Shops Association in Malta.

Mr. Aquilina today sits on the Board of Directors of a number of companies established in Malta, including companies regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) and companies having issued debt securities to the public. In this regard, Mr. Aquilina also acts as Chairman of the Board of a licensed financial institution (and member of the compliance / remuneration committee) responsible for board meetings and maintaining corporate governance standards.

Joseph Calleja is the General Manager at Palumbo Malta Shipyard Ltd, which makes part of a most extensive Palumbo Group comprising nine locations in the Mediterranean and one in the Atlantic Ocean. Joseph has held this position since 2010, which was the first year of Palumbo operations in Malta. He has contributed for the various achievements that Palumbo Malta Shipyard has accomplished through the years with the latest being the ranking as the 3rd shipyard worldwide in the cruise-ship refitting sector. In 2014 he has been appointed as Director on the Board of Directors of the Company. Joseph graduated from the University of Malta with an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry, compiled his thesis in Organic chemistry, furthered his studies in Petroleum products, Asbestos, Shipbuilding-Naval Architecture, LNG/LPG, other gases and oils, Safety and in Environmental Management. An ex – MDD apprentice, with 30years of experience in the sector, Joseph is also AAA certified from the British Occupational Hygiene Society and qualified in the handling of gases and oils, a recognized Competent person by Transport Malta and is also certified by NEBOSH International Board in Occupational Health and Safety and also in Environmental Management. Joseph has participated in a number of seminars and conferences locally and abroad, on both the Maritime sector as a whole and also specifically on Ships’ conversion and repair. Joseph was also involved in extensive projects locally, abroad and offshore. Joseph Calleja has been a Director on the Board of the Malta Maritime Forum since its inception back in 2015.

Miriam is an ardent lover of books, art, music and the theatre and a keen follower of international tennis. Within the constraints of her busy schedule she is an avid walker. She looks back with nostalgia at her own experience completing the demanding Camino de Santiago de Compostela.<br />
Her professional passion is transport, particularly maritime transport. She has been involved in the transport industry for almost forty years. Her first brush with the maritime industry was as a young child at the shipyard run by her father. It was an inquisitiveness and experience that was eventually to develop into a deep commitment and involvement. This notwithstanding, her early years were with the national airline to become the first female load control officer. After more than ten years the sea claimed her back.<br />
Her first years ‘at sea’ were on the Administration side familiarising herself with the international and national regulatory aspect, particularly affairs of the International Maritime Organisation. She formed part of the team within the maritime administration that was to revolutionise Malta’s maritime legal infrastructure and marketing strategy. This revolution led to Malta becoming one of the foremost international maritime registers in the world. Miriam represented Malta at IMO meetings and a number of marketing initiatives, including the one that launched the concept of Maritime Malta. Today she participates at meetings of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the Social Affairs Committee within the European Community Shipowners’ Association.

Crossing over to the private sector she had a couple of years stint in Greece acquiring her first close insight of the international shipping sector. In 2001 Miriam set up MCConsult providing services in the main to the ever increasing number of shipowners and financiers attracted to the Malta flag. She is a licensed company service provider while the core mission of MCConsult is to provide to an international clientele legal and administrative representation related, in the main, to corporate affairs (as Miriam Camilleri), ship registration and financing and, crew certification under Maltese law. Miriam is a firm believer that one of Malta’s and also her company’s strengths is the ability to deliver an efficient and personalised service. To this day, true to her words, together with her staff she ardently puts into practice her company’s motto that she developed, Proud To Be Of Service.<br />
Forty years later down the line, Miriam is still actively involved in what had long been the focus of her professional life. Today, Miriam shares the intensity of her involvement with her daughter, not surprisingly, a maritime lawyer. Of course transport is still deeply ingrained in her and, the allure of the maritime industry is not easy to resist. Miriam remains an active member of a number of organisations such as the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, the Chamber of SME’s and, is a board member of the Malta Maritime Forum.

Ms Camilleri has been a member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, C.I.L.T. (U.K.) for over thirty years and since 2016 she chairs the Malta Branch of the Institute. Until recently she was also the Vice President of the Malta Maritime Law Association. Ms Camilleri is the local Malta representative of the Korean Register of Shipping, an internationally recognised classification society. Proudly she is also the Honorary Consul for Georgia.

Capt. Terence Farrugia began his maritime career in 2003 as an officer cadet with Bremer Bereederungs GmbH, while pursuing his studies at the MCAST Maritime Institute. He later graduated as a Master Mariner from South Shields Maritime College in the UK in 2012.

During his seafaring career, he served on a wide range of merchant vessels engaged in international trade, gaining extensive experience on general cargo ships, container vessels, and bulk carriers, including participation in several newbuilding deliveries in China. In 2015, Capt. Farrugia transitioned to a career in maritime pilotage when he joined the Malta Maritime Pilots Cooperative. He also developed specialised expertise in ship-to-ship operations, having served as a mooring master for a number of years.

Capt. Farrugia has been actively involved in maritime education, sharing his knowledge and experience as a maritime lecturer reflecting his dedication to the development of future maritime professionals. He attained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Henley Business School in 2024.

Today, Capt. Farrugia serves as the President and Chief Pilot of the Malta Maritime Pilots Cooperative, bringing over 22 years of experience to the role. He also holds directorship positions on the boards of  MaritimeMT, Ocean Care, and Port Logistics Operations (PLO).

A Mechanical Engineer by profession, Ing. Ryan Fava is currently the President of the Malta Dockers Union. He started his career with Methode Electronics Malta as Manufacturing Engineer in charge of producing conceptual designs, supervising implementation and commissioning assembly lines achieving a very high Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) in the process, by leading and guiding various teams of technicians and engineers. With an eye for detail and commitment towards customer satisfaction, Ryan was promoted to Principal of the Design Automation Department. During his career, Ryan’s portfolio of clients boasted the likes of GM, Ford, Audi, VW and Aston Martin amongst others. In 2009, Ryan joined a fuel sector company responsible for designing, installation, commissioning and certification of fuel filling stations. In 2010, he was in charge of carrying out a national study commissioned by the Malta Resource Authority (MRA) to bring Maltese filling stations in line with regulations governing stages 1b and 2 vapour recovery including a due diligence in cost estimates from various suppliers for pipe work, dispensers, underground storage tanks, interceptors, and other ancillary equipment. In April 2010 aquired a licence as Licenced Portworker and in July 2014 was elected from a general election as shopsteward and President of the Malta Dockers Union were its members are the registered licensed Portworkers being regulated by the Port Ordinance and local legislations. During his term he managed to diversify the team in various portwork with the aspiration to setup this group more professional to perform and excel in their service providing towards the local industry. Ryan obtained a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons.) from the University of Malta in 2002 and is certified by the Association a Petroleum and Explosives Administration (APEA). He also obtained a Masters degree in Building Services with Sustainable Energy from Brunel University – London.

Ann Fenech is the head of the marine litigation department at Fenech & Fenech Advocates and the past Managing Partner of the firm having occupied the position of Managing partner from 2008 to 2020. She qualified in 1986 and joined Holman Fenwick and Willan in London. From there she moved to Chaffe McCall Phillips Toler and Sarpy in New Orleans. On joining Fenech & Fenech in 1992, she created the marine litigation department. She has dealt exclusively with maritime issues for the past 36 years ranging from salvage to charterparty disputes and from towage to enforcement of mortgages. She lectures at the University of Malta and the International Maritime Law Institute and is a regular guest speaker at overseas maritime fora. She was the President of the Malta Maritime Law Association from 2008-2022 and is a board member of the European Maritime Law Organisation since 2008. In 2012, 2014 and 2015 she was awarded Best in Shipping Law at the European Women in Business Law Awards held in London. From 2000 to 2010 she was the Chairman of the Pilotage Board and responsible for the drafting of the Pilotage Regulations 2003. In 2013 she was appointed Honorary Patron of the Malta Law Academy. In 2014 she was elected to the Executive Council of the Comite Maritime International (CMI). She was one of the founding members of the Malta Maritime Forum in 2015. She was the co-Chair of the CMI international working group on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships and CMI Co-Ordinator of the project at UNCITRAL leading to the approval of the Commission of the Draft Convention on the international effects of judicial sales of ships in June 2022. In November 2018 she was elected Vice President of the CMI and re-elected to the same position for a second term in 2021. She was elected President of the CMI during the General Assembly of the CMI held in Antwerp on Friday 21st October 2022. She is the first female to occupy this position in the 125 year history of the CMI.

Manuel Portelli has been in the shipping business for the past 38 years and boasts a vast experience in all sectors of the trade.   He joined Sullivan Maritime Limited in 2001 and currently serves as Senior Manager.   In his capacity, he oversees various departments, including commercial operations and vessel management.   He is directly involved in the daily operational activities and has the determination to explore and develop areas that can offer potential to the organisation to diversify its areas of business.

In 2018, he was appointed Senior Manager of MMOS (Malta Motorways of the Sea Limited), a part of the Grimaldi Group based in Naples.  He is also well-informed about market intelligence and maintains excellent contacts with all local authorities, particularly in the maritime sector.   His role and disposition have led to him enjoying an excellent working relationship with all the company’s Principals, and his continuous participation in various conferences and business trips empowers him to expose the organisation and nurture the company’s client base.

Stephen Xuereb, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Accountants and a Henley MBA graduate, was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Global Ports Holding in August 2016. He has been involved in the cruise industry since 2002, serving as Chief Finance Officer of Valletta Cruise Port plc between 2002 and 2014, and subsequently appointed as Chief Executive Officer in 2014, a position he still occupies as of today. In his role as Chief Operating Officer of the largest independent cruise port operator worldwide, Global Ports Holding plc, Xuereb is responsible for the overall performance of the 19 ports, across its portfolio in 13 countries across four continents. Xuereb has over 26 years senior management experience, 18 of which in the cruise industry. Previous to that he occupied posts in the audit and financial advisory sectors as well in the retail, property and hospitality industries.

Malcolm Custò is a Certified Public Accountant, a Fellow of the Malta Institute of Accountants, and a member of the Malta Institute of Management. He began his professional career as an Assistant Consultant with the Management Systems Unit (MSU) from 1992 to 1994.

From 1995 to 2000, Malcolm worked at KPMG (Malta) as an Audit In-Charge. Initially involved in the offshore business department, he later transitioned to the audit department, gaining extensive experience in the hospitality, manufacturing, and insurance industries.

In 2000, Malcolm joined Cutrico Services Ltd as the Financial Controller and General Manager. He reorganised the company&#39;s departments, set up internal controls, managed the finance department, and ensured compliance with legal obligations.

Since 2004, Malcolm has been with Med Tug Malta, where he initially served as the Finance and Administration Manager, later advancing to the role of Chief Financial Officer, and currently holds the position of General Manager. In the early stages of his tenure, Malcolm was part of a team responsible for preparing Tug Malta, then a government-owned entity, for full privatisation, which was successfully completed in July 2007.

Malcolm chairs the Port Infrastructure Sub-Committee.

Claudia Vella Casagrande is the Secretary General of the Malta International Shipowners’ Association ( MISA) – the national association representing shipowners and bareboat charterers of Malta registered vessels. She leads the association’s Secretariat and represents it locally, in European fora in particular in the various committees of the European Shipowners | ECSA  and internationally in particular in meetings of the International Chamber of Shipping ( ICS).

She is a lawyer by profession, having specialised in European law. Claudia has over 20 years of experience in EU and international advocacy, negotiations and policy making representing both the Malta government and the transport industry in a variety of fields. She thus has an extensive network in the EU and international institutions and stakeholders including social partners.

Her previous roles include, two postings at the Permanent Representation of Malta to the European Union, as Employment and Social Affairs Attache and subsequently  as Climate Attache, Director for Social, Fiscal and Legal Affairs at the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) and Director Europe Affairs at Einride (a Swedish company offering connected, electric, and autonomous heavy trucks).

She is a member of WISTA International’s Technology Committee and previously served as a Board member of WISTA Sweden. Claudia is a founding member of the newly set up WISTA Malta.

She is married to a Finnish national, Michele Casagrande, and they have two girls, Ella and Nina.

Judith Cilia is a certified public accountant and registered auditor. She graduated from the University of Malta with a bachelor of commerce in 1993 and an accountancy degree in 1995. She obtained the warrant of a certified public accountant in 1998 and that of a registered auditor in 1999.

She worked with one of the big audit firms in Malta for three years as an audit senior in charge of audit assignments, covering various economic sectors. She then worked as a senior accountant in a local shipping company and in 2002 took the role of financial controller at Focal Maritime Services Company Limited.

In 2004, she set up her own practice performing accounting, consultancy, taxation and auditing services to a number of clients.

Judith is a member of the Malta Institute of Accountants and sits on the board of directors of a number of companies.

Karin has studied Political Sciences, Constitutional & Socio-Economic History and International Law at the Universities of Bonn (Germany) and Florence (Italy). After her graduation, she worked as a Research Associate and Office Manager at the joint office of two Members of the German Parliament.</p>
<p>In 2000, Karin moved with her family to Malta. She held the position of Policy Research Coordinator at the Housing Authority before she became Research Administration Executive of the Malta Maritime Law Association in May 2010. In addition, she took over the duties of Administration Executive of the Malta Shortsea Promotion Centre in September 2017, which led to her joining the Malta Maritime Forum as Executive Secretary in March 2019.