The Malta Independent on Sunday
Driving transformation
MBR: What is your feedback about Malta’s Best Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2016?
MS: The Malta’s Best Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2016 brought together a great number of success driven individuals together with their closest teams and families. This alone highlights the success of such an event, which reached its peak during the very well organised and highly entertaining gala dinner at SmartCity. This event will go down in my book for the, interactive sessions, private meetings, valuable learning and a truly memorable night of celebration at its best!
MBR: And can you tell us about your emotions on the night when presented with Malta’s Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year award?
MS: Winning the Malta’s Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award came quite as a surprise given the competition. I was obviously overwhelmed on the night, and humbled at the same time. This award could not have been possible without the great work done by my team at Altern. This will propel me to embrace change and work more to improve and better our community. This is recognition for young entrepreneurs who are embracing the power of entrepreneurship to change and improve our economic and social state.
MBR: You became an entrepreneur by opening your own company, Altern Ltd. How did this happen?
MS: Altern Limited was set up in 2008 solely as a research vehicle at the time. Its principle objective was always focused on sustainable tech- nologies and alternative energy solutions. It was only later in the years that the company shifted to a more commercial nature. Today Altern has three main pillars, R&D, which remains an important driver for other business units, Services focused on Energy Management, and Products, including Photovoltaic, LED lighting, and Combined Heat and Power.
MBR: They always say it’s better to work for yourself than to work for the MAN. You get to do your own schedule, be your own boss and so on. But my own experience tells me that you don’t exactly sit on your butt all day and let the money flow your way. So how is entrepreneurial life?
MS: As all entrepreneurs are aware, starting a company can involve long days, and nights, but what keeps you going and looking ahead is the team backing you along the way. Altern has grown to be the company it is today thanks to the hard-working individuals in the organization, where every individual, including myself, gives their utmost for the good of the company. Our strength lies in the core values of cooperation and team work, as we believe wholeheartedly that we are most successful when working together.
MBR: How do you get to balance life with work?
MS: Managing a company can easily consume most of one’s life, and this was the case in the early years. Yet, as one grows and matures, the importance of finding a balance between work and life becomes more relevant. I cherish family time greatly, as well as keeping a healthy lifestyle through sports. At the end of the day, the healthier mind performs better.