‘Life may give you curve-balls, but they often add value’ – Economist JP Fabri

Though a sizeable portion of his day is dedicated to leading luxury-focused card issuing financial institution, Insignia Cards Ltd, for JP Fabri, economics still holds an important role in his life. In fact, he still fulfils his duties as partner at Seed, the research-driven advisory firm he co-founded in 2020.

Seed is a research-driven advisory firm which delivers a holistic approach to strategic, business and policy advisory. Described as ‘sector-agnostic’, Seed promises to leverage the best technical expertise, to bring together rigour, knowledge, and experience for all sectors of the economy.

With a master’s in economics and experience in policy development both in the public and the private sector, JP describes himself as a specialised generalist.

“In today’s world, with new sectors developing in front of our eyes, and older ones transforming overnight, one needs to maintain a wide visual of a variety of areas of interest more than ever. That is why I make it a point to keep abreast of developments, while constantly specialising in determinate areas which are relevant to the advisory practice.”

In fact, JP admits to being a bit of a serial academic, collecting certifications and qualifications along the way. “While I truly enjoy the thrill of learning new things, it’s all done of course in the context of personal growth, but also equipping oneself with the best possible arsenal of tools for the benefit of clients. The ultimate tool is then perhaps economics itself, which provides an unrivalled way of framing problems and solutions,” JP explains.

Seed may have been in operation for three years, but it has already assisted a number of large-scale companies with their long-term economic strategy, as well as government agencies, both locally and abroad. But the most significant chapter for JP was perhaps related to the recent pandemic, which threw everyone into uncharted territory.

“The COVID years were naturally a very challenging time for all businesses around the globe, and we were more than keen to advise companies how to best weather the storm. In fact, together we devised ways how businesses could strip away the noise and focus on what’s core to their operation. It was crucial to relearn certain basics, and most importantly embark on a future-proofing journey. For the more astute, COVID was a great opportunity to take stock of a business’ operation, really understand what was working and what was requiring attention – the rest was down to elbow grease and a steely determination to succeed,” JP expounds.

JP exudes a quiet sense of leadership that no doubt provides his clients with the necessary calm and confidence. “More often than not the answers are around us, and it is just a matter of finding them in chaos, recognising them, and ultimately implementing them.” 

On a personal note, JP makes it a point to maintain a fit body apart from a sharp mind, committing to a physical routine and healthy eating habits. Moreso, he is a self-confessed voracious reader, consuming multiple books at a go. “I try to read as varied a selection of books as possible. Currently I am reading The Pyramid Mind by Vlad Beliavsky, which takes deep-dive in the psycho-analytics of the brain, as well as the two books by Phil Stutz being Coming Alive and The Tools which also look at mind tools. While I might enjoy a good history or philosophical book, I no longer resort to fiction and it is something I want to work on in the coming summer months.”

Leading the transformation of Insignia Cards, JP is a big believer that change is the only constant in life and in business. “Don’t be scared to change the status quo,” JP warns. “Sometimes we are hesitant to do what needs to be done for fear of rocking the boat. This is counter to what a path towards growth and development is all about. Growth is often outside our comfort zone,” JP concludes.

This interview forms part of the 50 Business Leaders project. The new online serialisation on MaltaCEOs.mt will feature 50 distinguished business leaders, CEOs, and emerging business minds to create debate and encourage business leaders to share their journey with our readers.

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