‘Technology changes so rapidly that what was agreed at the beginning of the year can change halfway through’ – Joseph Aquilina

Under the leadership of CEO Joseph Aquilina, Smart Technologies stands out within the local technology sector as a testament to sustainable growth and thoughtful innovation, evolving from a Government IT contractor to one of Malta’s top it integrators. The company exemplifies how steady expansion and technical excellence can go hand in hand.

Smart Technologies CEO Joe Aquilina’s journey mirrors the evolution of the corporate IT landscape. “Back in 1995, one of my key tasks was to introduce email to the group,” he recalls with a smile, referring to his early days as a technician at the Hili Group – his first role in the industry, fresh from the technical institute.

While he references it in jest, this experience of implementing fundamental technological change would go on to shape his approach to leadership and innovation in the decades to come.

From these humble beginnings, Joe worked his way up to IT manager before co-founding Smart Technologies in 2007. The company’s first major breakthrough came through a Government tender that instantly set them apart. “We weren’t the average startup – right away, we had 14-15 employees deploying around 16,000 laptops and PCs across Government,” he explains.

What distinguished Smart Technologies even then was their innovative approach to service delivery. “We launched IT leasing – not just supplying equipment but also handling the financial part for the client, packaging everything into one, including hardware, services and financing. This was 2007-2008, when even this concept was new,” says Joe.

Today, after 18 years at the helm, Joe acknowledges the challenges of long-term leadership in a rapidly evolving industry. “There’s a lot of talk about succession, and you do feel peer pressure at times,” he admits. However, his enthusiasm remains undiminished: “I still feel excited coming to the office in the morning, and I still feel there’s a lot we can do.”

His distinctive leadership style emphasises collective innovation and open communication. “Leadership is about aligning our team’s innovative ideas with the needs of our clients,” Joe explains. “While I provide direction, the best solutions come from collaboration within the company, ensuring we deliver real value to our clients.”

His approach resonates particularly well in managing technical talent. “About 70 to 80 per cent of the company is made up of technical people, and I give them the space to come up with ideas,” he explains. “Some of the best ideas we’ve implemented in the past 10 years came from people within the company – I help develop and nurture these ideas, putting proper business plans in place, but giving everyone space is very important in a technical IT company like ours.”

Joe’s commitment to personal growth and social responsibility is also evident through the LifeCycle Challenge, a gruelling 2,000-kilometre charitable cycling event. Having completed it five times, most recently cycling from Gaborone to Cape Town, the CEO uses this experience to inspire his team and maintain perspective.

“For me, it’s my reset button,” he explains. “Spending 10 hours daily on the bike provides valuable thinking time away from distractions.” This commitment to personal challenges and social responsibility demonstrates a leadership style that extends beyond the boardroom, encouraging his team to find their own ways to push boundaries and grow.

“Today, we are leaders across multiple sectors, including hospitality, banking, retail, and manufacturing, where we excel in delivering tailored solutions that address each industry’s unique challenges,” Joe affirms, highlighting the company’s impressive growth trajectory. “This diverse expertise continues to position us as a trusted partner while attracting top talent to our team.”

Over the years, the company has distinguished itself through its focus on recurring revenue models. “Our focus on recurring revenue models ensures clients receive consistent, uninterrupted services. This approach allows us to build long-term partnerships, continuously improving the value we deliver to meet evolving client needs,” Joe observes.

Another innovative approach has been their hiring strategy. “Recently, we’ve been doing things differently, by employing people who aren’t from IT backgrounds in certain areas like hospitality,” says Joe. “They understand the business better than IT people, who study IT but don’t study accountancy or economics.”

And while many technology providers have rushed to embrace complete cloud solutions, Smart Technologies has taken a more measured approach. “Three years ago, everyone was saying that the cloud would be everything. We never believed that – we always believed that the cloud is just another part of the jigsaw,” the CEO explains. “Our strategic partnership with Melita allowed us to develop a local cloud solution that addresses the specific needs of sensitive sectors like banking and gaming. This ensures clients benefit from secure, reliable and locally managed cloud services tailored to their compliance requirements. We believe the strategy going forward will comprise some on-premises elements, managed services for users, Smart Cloud, local cloud, and public cloud options.”

Looking ahead, security has become a major focus area. “We’ve assisted customers who were hit with threats, and it’s not pleasant seeing people lose access to their data,” Joe shares. “We’ve seen companies stop production for weeks, losing their accounts data, not knowing who owes them money, or what they owe.” Such experiences have shaped Smart Technologies’ strategic priorities for 2025, with security offerings taking centre stage.

“We’re also focusing on using our back-office systems to offer the best service in managed services. We’re developing applications with Artificial Intelligence (AI) elements to prevent issues rather than just being reactive,” the CEO notes, affirming, “we’ve always been a data-driven company, focused on helping clients use their data to anticipate decisions, improve efficiency and drive growth. Our innovative solutions go beyond dashboards to deliver actionable insights tailored to their industries.”

As Smart Technologies moves into 2025, the company continues to balance growth with innovation. While international expansion is on the horizon, with some presence already established in Italy, Joe maintains a measured approach. “There are many opportunities, but it’s challenging and requires a different mindset,” he acknowledges.

The company’s success in consistently exceeding growth targets while maintaining technical excellence suggests their approach is working. “We’ve developed our internal systems based on real-time data, which helps us make decisions quickly,” he notes, highlighting how the company practises what it preaches in terms of technological innovation.

For Joe, the key to sustained success lies in maintaining the delicate balance between technical excellence and business acumen. “Technology changes so rapidly that what we agreed to do at the beginning of the year can change halfway through,” he observes. Yet it’s precisely this dynamic environment that keeps him engaged and excited about the future.

After nearly two decades of leadership, Joe has fostered a culture of innovation and responsibility, enabling Smart Technologies to consistently deliver sustainable solutions that empower clients to thrive in a constantly changing technological environment. “As we look to 2025, our mission remains clear: To empower our clients with innovative, secure and reliable IT solutions, helping them navigate and succeed in a rapidly changing world.”

In an industry often characterised by rapid change and disruption, Smart Technologies’ story stands as a testament to steady, thoughtful growth guided by clear principles – an enduring formula for lasting success.

This article is part of the serialisation of 50 interviews featured in Malta CEOs 2025 – the sister brand to MaltaCEOs.mt and an annual high-end publication bringing together some of the country’s most influential business leaders.