A night to remember – Malta’s Best Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2016

Imagine if some of the Malta’s greatest business minds came together to reshape the future. Well, they just did that last month at the 5th annual Malta’s Best Entrepreneur Of The Year™ in SmartCity’s Laguna Walk. This is Malta’s only celebration of entrepreneurial achievement that brings together more than 500 of the country’s top executives, advisers and investors who are leaders in innovation and masters of business transformation.

The theme chosen by the organisers MBR Publication Limited (MBR) for this year’s event focused on “Developing Talent, Encouraging Success”. This was brought to life by influential panellists, inspiring speakers and red-hot topics. They ranged from the future of social media to global growth in the most unexpected places. Among the highlights preceding the event, was a very well attended press conference with the Minister for Finance Edward Scicluna as its keynote speaker. The event welcomed some of the biggest names in business, including Professor Edward de Bono, founder of “The Edward de Bono Institute for the Design and Development of Thinking”. Professor de Bono is one of the very few people in history who can be said to have had a major impact on the way we think. He is famed for his Lateral Thinking teachings, philosophical thought, and in many ways he could be said to be the best known thinker internationally. His very presence and participation embodies the whole essence of this major event. The organisers held panels on new technologies, the use of innovation to help those in need and local youth employment. They even created a wall to showcase corporate pledges and those who committed to give more young people a chance at that all-important first job. MBR Publications Limited headed the grand finale and gala dinner, which is the largest locally organized award gala event to be held in Malta?

“Today is an important entrepreneurial milestone for Maltese entrepreneurs. We are gathered here at SmartCity this morning to launch the most prestigious business awards event held in Malta. This event not only honours the essence of entrepreneurship, but also honours all the business professionals who have deservedly been selected as the nominees of the awards’ respective categories, as well as to show appreciation to all the members of the media, whose work has contributed to the enhancement of entrepreneurs in the Maltese Islands,” Martin Vella, MBR’s Managing Director said.

Minister Scicluna thanked MBR Publications Limited for its perseverance and initiative to promote Malta’s foremost business impresarios – the best entrepreneurs in business, including the commercial sector, hospitality, real estate, banking, maritime, aviation and local industry; every major category is represented at this remarkable event.

Prof. Scicluna stated, “The economic development of our country depends on the entrepreneurship of the Maltese private sector, where the government intervenes only to weigh the sectors which are not attractive to this type of invest- ment.”

Prof. Scicluna explained the government’s role in the economy was to provide an umbrella wherein the private sector can operate and also provide services to the Maltese consumer, as well as facilitate the life and challenges of the entrepreneurs, and not compete with them. He stressed that the Ministry of Finance, besides being responsible for the country’s finances and fiscal policy, is also responsible for savings, investments and export. However, the Minister’s responsibility, and also that of the government, is to offer the right environment to the private sector so that they can both work together, and not compete with each other.

David J Dingli, Managing Consultant Resource Productivity Consulting Services, Judge Coordinator for the voting, thanked all the nominees and their companies, who through their participation were indirectly assisting growth in all sectors of the economy, which under this government have seen increased growth, the biggest performer were the financial and insurance sectors, where an increase of almost 14 per cent was recorded. He said, “Malta’s Best Entrepreneur Award of the Year stands as an inspiration which reminds us that there are increased opportunities in Malta for new investors in the professional, scientific and technical sector, technological, including other private sectors, where increases are being recorded namely in property, agriculture and fishing, wholesale and retail trade and information and communication.”

The aim of this high-status and largest local gala award event is to foster the participation of and recognition of Malta’s most outstanding and highly exceptional business entrepreneurs. “I am fully behind this wonderful initiative as we want to be prime movers to promote good governance ethics, sound values and best management practice and policies which distinguishes excellent business persons from the ordinary, and reward them for their positive contributions to our country’s economic growth, their enterprise to improve our business community and also their resourcefulness to act as role models for other entrepreneurs. Thus we are taking the lead to encourage and support tomorrow’s leaders,” explained Mr Dingli, also Maastricht University Professor.

Minister Scicluna also said that his ministerial portfolio and duties propelled the Ministry to uphold best entrepreneurial ethics and values in order to create and foster awareness on the importance of rewarding entrepreneurial culture and achievements at the highest level for their collateral benefits not just at the workplace, but also on a societal level, and thus recognise and celebrate the right entrepreneurial culture which stimulates innovation, drive and commitment of a variety of corporate business clusters, including small and medium enterprise (SME), ranging from iGaming to banking, from finance to industry, all key economic decision makers – the men and women that feed, clothe and grow our country.

Judith Galea, Head of Birkirkara Regional Office, MAPFRE MIDDLESEA plc, also addressed the audience, saying, “It is essential that we understand the importance of appreciating and rewarding inspirational business leaders. Entrepreneurs need this kind of recognition much more often than one tends to think. To have such a competent and well-versed adjudicating team look over your shoulder, probe your business plan, look at your balance sheet, question your sustainability and future strategies and to then give you the nod of approval is a source of great satisfaction.”

Malta’s Best Entrepreneur of the Year Awards are widely recognised as the finest accolade that honours bold entrepreneurs who achieve success by combining ability with opportunity. In particular, Malta’s Best Entrepreneur Awards of the Year 2016 acknowledges the benefits that entrepreneurs and their entrepreneurial spirit bring to the Maltese economy by creating employment opportunities and enhancing the competitiveness of Maltese enterprises.

Mr Vella, as organiser, congratulated all the nominees of the various categories of these awards and extended his thanks to everyone involved in the organization.