JD Capital announces leadership change as Josef Dimech assumes executive responsibilities

JD Capital plc has announced a change in its executive leadership, with long-standing executive director Josef Dimech assuming responsibilities previously held by CEO Franco Azzopardi.

In a company announcement issued on 30th December, JD Capital confirmed that Franco Azzopardi will step down from his role as Chief Executive Officer of the JD Group with effect from 31ST December 2025, and will also resign from his position as executive director of the company. The Board stated that the responsibilities previously vested in Mr Azzopardi have been assumed by the Group’s other executive director, Josef Dimech.

Mr Dimech is the majority shareholder of the Group and a former CEO, bringing with him over three decades of experience in the aluminium, steel and stainless-steel industry. His journey began at the age of 16, working part-time in his father’s metalwork garage in Msida, where he learned the trade hands-on and developed a deep understanding of wrought iron and bespoke metalwork.

Driven by an entrepreneurial ambition from a young age, Mr Dimech went on to establish his own company at 25 and, by the age of 35, had grown the business into a market leader in its field. Over the years, he continued expanding and diversifying operations, including a strategic move into real estate and the establishment of a group of companies with securities listed on the Main Market of the Malta Stock Exchange.

Having relinquished the CEO role previously, Mr Dimech retained his position as executive director, focusing on business development. His current strategic priorities include consolidating the Group’s various enterprises under a single holding structure, strengthening governance and risk management frameworks, and optimising long-term group value.

Meanwhile, Mr Azzopardi steps down after an extensive career spanning public practice, corporate leadership and governance. A Certified Public Accountant with a UK postgraduate MSc in Finance, he spent 27 years in public practice, including a decade with Deloitte Haskins & Sells and later as co-founder of a local firm. Since 2007, his work has focused on board-level strategy, governance, risk and finance across regulated, listed and private companies in sectors ranging from banking and insurance to logistics and software.

He also previously served as CEO of a leading logistics company in Malta, where his tenure focused on sustainable growth, investor-family governance and readiness for public listing. In parallel, Mr Azzopardi played a significant role in the development of the Malta Institute of Accountants, serving on its Council for over a decade and as President between 2015 and 2017.

The Board of Directors extended its best wishes to Mr Azzopardi in his future endeavours, while signalling continuity in leadership as JD Capital moves forward under Mr Dimech’s executive stewardship.