‘As a stock exchange, we recognise the challenges companies face’ – MSE Exec Chairman Joseph Portelli

Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) Executive Chairman Joseph Portelli on Thursday hinted towards its support to companies in order to continue improving Malta’s reputation as a business centre.

This comes as the MSE is set to hold the first annual Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) Summit on 2nd February 2023 at the Westin Dragonara Resort, St Julian’s. It will be addressing significant developments within the financial and corporate regulatory space, as well as the challenges faced by practitioners in the financial services industry and beyond.

The GRC Summit, which will be held between 8am and 5.35pm, will be attended by over 400 people in person, making it a full capacity event. It is anticipated that it could be “one of Europe’s premier summits” in the fields of GRC, featuring various keynote speakers and renowned international one, as well as a number of interactive panel sessions involving industry specialists and analysts.

“As a stock exchange, we recognise the challenges companies face,” Mr Portelli commented.

“Holding this GRC summit is a first for the MSE and will bring under one roof trusted professionals aimed at enhancing Malta’s reputation as a world-class business and financial services centre, and the MSE as a world-class stock exchange,” he added.

The conference is aimed at corporate executives, regulators, and financial industry practitioners who will come together to present, discuss, and debate emerging trends within the GRC sectors. Keynote speakers will include local and international experts including Minister for Finance and Employment Clyde Caruana, representatives from the European Central Bank, The World Federation of Exchanges, Bank of England, Deutsche Börse, and from the European Securities and Markets Authority, among others.

More speakers include top officials and experts from local regulators, financial services companies, banks, and other entities and organisations. The keynote speeches will be combined with panel discussions led by experts on different topics within the GRC sphere. MSE CEO Simon Zammit will make the closing remarks.

Some of the topics that will be covered include the creation of an effective board and corporate governance structure, the promotion of an effective compliance and ethics framework, AML regulation and the detection of financial crime, trends in financial regulation and supervision, an effective internal audit program, the role of technology in more effective and productive compliance, as well as cyber security.