BOV announces new Chief Risk Officer and Chief People & Culture Officer

Bank of Valletta has announced the appointment of Roderick Bartolo as Chief Risk Officer – Designate and Lawrence Schembri as Chief People & Culture Officer – Designate.

Mr Bartolo will assume the role of Chief Risk Officer upon successful completion of the regulatory approval process. Mr Schembri will assume the role of Chief People and Culture Officer (CPCO) upon successful completion of the process of regulatory approval, and upon the retirement of the incumbent CPCO, Ray Debattista, in September of this year.

Mr Bartolo joins the Bank from outside the organisation and brings over 14 years of experience in banking, quantitative analytics and data science. He currently serves as a balance sheet optimisation consultant to the Bank on capital efficiency, funding strategy and banking book risk/return dynamics. Prior to that, he was Head of Quantitative Analytics and Financial Forecasting at MeDirect Bank Malta.

As Chief Risk Officer, Mr Bartolo will be responsible for establishing, maintaining and continuously enhancing a robust, independent and forward-looking enterprise-wide risk management framework.

The bank said that Lawrence Schembri is a seasoned people and culture professional with extensive experience in governance, employee relations, and organisational development within a regulated banking environment. He is currently Head of Quality & Governance within the People & Culture function at the Bank, where he leads the design and oversight of governance frameworks, policies and risk management relating to human capital.

As CPCO, Mr Schembri will be responsible for shaping and executing the Group’s People & Culture strategy to enable long-term organisational performance, leadership effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and a values-led culture.

Kenneth Farrugia, Chief Executive Officer of BOV, said: “We have taken these steps with our long-term strategy and stakeholders’ trust in mind. By strengthening our risk management leadership and reinforcing our people-first culture, we are positioning the Bank for continued success. I am confident that our appointees will provide the expertise, stability and governance needed to keep the Bank on course as we continue to serve our customers, colleagues and community, and drive our strategic transformation forward.”

Cover image: Roderick Bartolo and Lawrence Schembri. Photo by BOV