Lecturers

ANDRE FARRUGIA MSc FCII FIRM

Chartered Insurance Practitioner

Director of Studies

Mr Andre Farrugia is currently employed with the Malta International Training Centre as Director of Studies. He commenced his professional career working in the insurance industry with Gasan Insurance Agency in 1991. Since then, he ventured in taking up professional qualifications achieving the Fellowship of the Chartered Insurance Institute (FCII-UK) and later another Fellowship with the Institute of Risk Management (FIRM-UK). Lately, Mr Farrugia has completed an Msc in Risk Management with the Glasgow-based University of Caledonian.

During his professional career, Mr Andre Farrugia has contributed to the industry by way of publishing articles, technical write ups and through a variety of career talks and technical seminars.

Mr Farrugia was a member on the board for the setting up of the National Vocational Qualifications in Malta and is currently a Board member on the Malta Education Consultative Council, Company Secretary of the Malta Insurance Institute and founder member of the Malta Institute of Loss and Risk Management. On the European front, Mr Andre Farrugia represents Malta within the European Forum of the National Institutes for Professional Insurance Institutes and on the Board of EFICERT.

He has delivered various lectures and talks in Malta and Overseas namely; the Chamber of Commerce, MCAST, the University of Malta, the Foundation of International Studies and conducted training in Kosovo, Dubai and Ghana.

TERRY CALLUS ACII CIRM

Senior Technical Executive

INSURANCE DIVISION

Mr Terry Callus started his career in 1990 as a Motor Underwriter and Motor Claims Officer with Fogg Insurance. Mr Callus was engaged by Hayes Insurance in 1993 as Motor Claims Manager. He then left the Island in 1998 and spent a period of 6 months as Personal Lines Claims Officers with QBE Insurance in Melbourne Australia. Upon his return, Mr Terry Callus joined Galdes & Mamo as a Personal and Commercial Lines Underwriter, which subsequently merged with Gasan Insurance. Mr Callus lead the Commercial Underwriting team at GasanMamo Insurance Ltd before joining MITC in 2008 as a lecturer and then as a Senior Technical Executive for Insurance matters.

Mr Terry Callus is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute and a Certificant of the Institute of Risk Management. He is currently undertaking the Diploma of the Institute of Risk Management Diploma – MIRM.

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CONRAD CHETCUTI ACII

Mr. Conrad Chetcuti has joined the insurance industry in 2005, employed with GasanMamo Insurance Ltd in the Personal and Commercial Claims Department as a Claims Handler. He has obtained the ACII of the Chartered Insurance institute at the age of 19 following his studies at the Malta College of Arts Science and Technology and the Malta International Training Centre. Currently, he occupies the position of Underwriter in the Commercial Underwriting Department at GasanMamo Insurance Ltd. He is also employed by the Malta International Training Centre on a secondary basis and has delivered various lectures, talks and training both in Malta and overseas

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MALCOLM ELLUL ACII – CHARTERED INSURANCE PRACTITIONER

Between 1991-1996, after a brief banking career started insurance studies at the Mediterranean Insurance Training Centre. Joined Middlesea Insurance plc and operated in the Marine and Non Marine division. Specialized in marine insurance and was eventually appointed to manage the marine insurance department at MSI.

Between 1996 -2007, Mr Ellul was Assistant Manager of the Commercial Lines division at Laferla Insurance Agency Limited who represented various Lloyd’s Syndicates in Malta. Moved to Rausi Insurance Agency, who also represented Lloyd’s Syndicates and lead their marine department for the next 10 years. This role entailed full responsibility of the marine operation including all marine underwriting operations, claims management and corresponding with the Lloyd’s Syndicates represented by the agency and since 2007 Mr Ellul moved as Divisional Director at Mediterranean Insurance Brokers (Malta) Limited. Here he is responsible for the development of the marine portfolio of the company as well as for supporting the management of existing client portfolios with operations in the marine industry within the Corporate and Private Insurance teams. He is one of two company’s expert advisors on marine business with objectives targeting internal training, servicing standards and product research and development in his specialist area. Malcolm is now heading the Personal Insurances & Affinity Business Division

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CATHERINE GALEA ACII, Dip. T&D (Leic.)

Catherine Galea is a Manager in the General Business Underwriting Department of Citadel Insurance plc. She has been working in the local insurance sector for more than 16 years with broad underwriting experience ranging from personal lines to large commercial risks. Her experience also varies from working in an agency setting to a local company setting. She is a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) of the UK and has also completed the Associateship (ACII) in 2002.

Catherine has a keen interest in training and in 2009 has completed a Diploma in Training in Development with the Centre for Labour Market Studies of the University of Leicester in the UK. In fact, she currently compliments the lecturing staff at the Malta International Training Centre.

Catherine is also a certified and licensed NLP Practitioner by the Society of Neuro- Linguistic Programming. Besides her professional life, she is an active member of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Malta and as a Certified National Trainer (CNT) she delivers training both locally and overseas with the aim of creating a positive change in the members’ personal and professional life.

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ALFRED GATT ACII

Mr Alfred Gatt is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute (ACII). He commenced his career in Insurance in 1976, and had been involved actively in the insurance business up to December 2009, when he had to retire due to reaching pensionable age. Within these 33 years, he has occupied several senior positions within two of the leading Maltese insurance companies and has attended various conferences and programmes, both in Malta and abroad. Within these years, he also lectured at MITC and within the various companies that he worked. He has served as a member of the Malta Insurance Institute and is presently an examiner at MITC, besides being an examining member of the Malta Trade Testing Board.

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FRANCIS VALLETTA ACII

Francis Valletta is a Chartered Insurance Practitioner and has been working in Motor insurance for the last 20 years. He currently holds the post of General Manager of the Motor Insurance Division with GasanMamo Insurance Agency, one of Malta’s largest motor insurers.

He is currently the Chairman of the Motor Sector Committee of the Malta Insurance Association, the Malta Green Card Bureau and the Motor Insurers Bureau, and a member of the Motor Insurance Pool Management Committee.

Francis lectures regularly at the MITC and at the University of Malta and has published a number of articles relating to Motor insurance in the local press.

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TONIA PARASCANDALO ACII

 Tonia Parascandalo joined Bank of Valletta in 1985, working in several Head Office Units. The longest posting so far was at the Bancassurance Unit ( October 1996 – April 2010) where she was responsible for the training of BOV’s Bancassurance representatives.

Ms Parascandalo, an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute (UK), has been a regular guest speaker on the BOV Investor Education Programme; local radio and TV programmes relating to financial services. She is also a regular lecturer at the Mediterranean Insurance Training Centre. In July 2006 she presented a Bancassurance case study during an EFMA (European Financial Management & Marketing Association) conference held in Barcelona, Spain.

In April 2010 Ms Parascandalo was appointed as Manager Personal Banking in a BOV Branch.

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PETER SPITERI FCII MIRM

Mr. Peter Spiteri is a Fellow of the Charted Insurance Institute and Associate of the Institute of Risk Management (Both UK).

Mr. Peter Spitieri is currently occupying the post of Executive Head, at Insurance International Management Services IIMS member Co, a member of the Middlesea Insurance Group. Mr. Peter Spiteri holds 28 years of working experience starting off at MIB moving on to HSBC Life in 1996 and joining the current company in the year 2000

Peter Spiteri is a regular lecturer at MITC and has been delivering lectures both locally and overseas for the past 10 years and has been lately appointed by the University of Malta to lecturer on the BComm Insurance and Finance programme.

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JOANNA VELLA B.Com. (Hons.) Mgt

Joanna Vella graduated from the University of Malta with B.Com. (Hons.) Mgt. She specialised in Economics and Management during the first three years of the course and in Management during the final (Honours) year.

Following her studies, Joanna started her teaching career in an independent school where for six years she taught business subjects at Advanced Level and Intermediate Level. Joanna then joined MITC where she was employed on a full-time basis between 2005 – 2007 and on a part-time basis as from 2008.

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REIN CARUANA, FInstSMM, ACII, CII (Award), MIM
Chartered Insurance Practitioner

Rein Caruana has more than twenty years experience in the Insurance Industry spanning a broad range of functions and roles in various areas of the insurance industry and has been instrumental in the acquisition of a number of world renowned insurance principals in Malta.

Mr. Caruana started his career in 1990 with the local agent for the Guardian Royal Exchange Assurance plc but later moved to join SMS Insurance Agency Ltd being the local agents and attorneys for Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc in 1996, in the capacity of Assistant Manager for Sales and Marketing. He was later promoted to General Manager and subsequently, Executive Manager of the SMS Group. He also spent some time managing Allcare Insurance Brokers Limited. To date he is the Divisional Head of Business Development and Marketing for Citadel Insurance plc.

Rein Caruana, was conferred a Fellowship from the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management, UK. He is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute with a Chartered Title, a holder of the Financial Advisors International Qualification and is a Member of the Malta Institute of Management.

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EMVIN MIFSUD – F.C.I.I. M.I.R.M. Chartered Insurer

After a spell of five years working within the Securities Department of the then Lohombus Corporation Ltd., Mr. Emvin Mifsud shifted his career to insurance in April 1992 being employed as a property underwriting clerk. At the same time he commenced his insurance studies with the Chartered Insurance Institute and in 1999 completed his Associateship and attained a Chartered Status.

Mr. Mifsud furthered his studies specialising in risk management and attained the Membership with the Institute of Risk Management. Subsequently he has also been elected to Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Mr. Mifsud is currently employed with Elmo Insurance Ltd. and holds the post of Manager Broker Development. Notwithstanding he is still involved in property underwriting and surveying. Mr. Mifsud is also a member of the Association of Insurance Surveyors in the UK.

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BRIAN BORG BA (HONS) M.A. Fin. Serv., B.Accountancy (Hons), CPA

Brian Borg is an accountant by profession (possesses the Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours) from the University of Malta). He also possesses the Master of Arts in Financial Services from the same University. Following the completion of his studies, Brian joined an audit firm where his main focus was external reporting and audit assurance, although he was also involved in income tax and VAT.

As a next step in his career, Brian joined the Malta Financial Services Authority (“MFSA”) (the single financial service regulator in Malta) within the Banking Unit and later moved to the Insurance Unit within MFSA. His day-to-day responsibilities focused on the monitoring of financial related aspects insofar as insurance companies are concerned from the quarterly management accounts and solvency computations in terms of the respective regulations. He also assisted in the processing of new applications for the setting up of insurance companies. At the Insurance Unit Brian was directly involved in the transposing into the Maltese insurance legislation new EU Directives insofar as financial reporting and solvency are concerned.

In 2006 Brian was granted a work placement scholarship by the Lord Mayor of The City of London under The Mansion House Scholarship Scheme. He enjoyed a working experience at the London Office of Aon UK Re gaining first hand experience in the operating environment at this top reinsurance brokerage firm.

Since 2006 Brian has been lecturing on a part-time basis at the Malta International Training Centre the capital adequacy credit for the UK’s Chartered Insurance Institute qualification. He also lectures on Solvency II, International Financial Reporting Standards and other financial aspects related to insurance. In 2009 he was appointed by the Commonwealth Secretariat in London to draw up a handbook for on-site insurance supervision.

After four years at the Insurance Unit at MFSA, Brian joined a leading insurance management company in Malta as Finance and Compliance Manager. His day-to-day responsibilities included the drawing up of accounts and other financial related reports for the Company’s clients. He also carried out the role of Compliance Officer on client companies.

In January 2009 Brian joined a French Insurance Group, where he is responsible for the finance and operations functions of the Group’s insurance and reinsurance subsidiaries in Malta. His day-to-day responsibilities include the preparation of all accountancy and finance-related aspects including the preparation of financial statements, budget preparation, preparation of reinsurance accounts, cash and treasury management and solvency-related calculations. He also takes care of all regulatory and compliance matters within the Maltese subsidiaries.

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Melvin Caruana CLJ ACII ACIM MIM

Melvin is the Director and founder of Alca Services Ltd., a marketing and risk management consultancy firm.  He also holds Directorship in Smart I.B. Ltd., a property development and leasing company.

He has been, for the past 14 years, involved in the Insurance Industry, through MelitaUnipol Insurance Agency Ltd, dealing in both life and general business insurance. For the last 4 years, Melvin has also been conducting risk management advisory within the hospitality, retail, property development and manufacturing industry.

Melvin has also published various articles and given talks on Insurance and risk management subjects on various local media.

Melvin has furthered his studies in Insurance with a particular highlight on Risk Management and has completed the ACII, Advanced Diploma in General Insurance, through the Chartered Insurance Institute (UK). He also holds a (Level 6) Professional Diploma, through the Chartered Institute of Marketing.Â

Melvin has been a member of various organizations and is currently the Hon. Secretary of the Malta Institute of Management. Besides, he also holds the rank of Commander of the Order, in the Chivalric organization of the Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem.

He has served for 2 years as a council member on the National Youth Council in Malta, with the role of treasurer.Â

Melvin has had other appointments as council member for various voluntary organizations.

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Stefan Lia ACII

Mr Stefan Lia is currently employed within the consumer affairs unit at the Malta Financial Services authority after working for over 4 years in the commercial department of Gasanmamo Insurance.

His role as Manager in the unit involves handling complaints related to various financial services products including insurance, banking and investments and assisting in implementing an education programme including presentations, tv and radio programmes and articles.

In May 2010 he was awarded the Associateship of the Chartered Insurance Institute (ACII) following studies at the Malta International Training Centre through which he also obtained the Advanced Applied Insurance Studies Diploma, focusing on commercial insurance subjects. Mr Lia also holds an IFS certificate in banking from MCAST which he obtained in May 2007 after studying Customer Relationship Manager, Managing People in Organisation, Managing Information, Marketing Sales and Customer Service, Financial Services, Structure of Accounts (including A level Accounting) and English for Business.

Is currently studying to obtain a BA (Hons) in Financial services. Interest include photography, football and music.

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