

The Alf. Mizzi & Sons Annual Group Conferences
In its 109 year history, Alf. Mizzi & Sons Ltd. has grown from modest beginnings to a conglomerate of 27 companies either fully owned or owned in partnership with other companies. As the Company continued to expand over the years, a strong management structure was built based on principles of good corporate governance. Significant investments were made in human resources throughout the years with training becoming a key pillar of the Group. In the early autumn of 1995, to coincide with the Company’s 80th Anniversary, Julian Sammut put forward the idea of holding an annual gathering for the Alf. Mizzi & Sons Group Managers. It was decided to hold an Annual Group Conference, inviting all Group Managers. The idea behind this was to create an event during which the many managers of the fast-expanding Alf. Mizzi & Sons Group would have the opportunity to meet up, get to know each other, discuss and exchange views, and basically create a Group camaraderie. This annual event has continued to be held ever since.

1995
The first conference was held at the Coastline Hotel. Although there was no formal title for this seminar, the various company representatives all gave a short exposé about their company. Although this was a rather informal affair, the seed was sown and would grow into an annual event for all Group managers.

1996
1996 was the first fully-fledged conference. This took place on the 15th and 16th November at the San Ġorġ Corinthia. This conference’s theme centred around Quality and was moderated by Steve Tarr. Guest speakers outlined how quality was central in the work they did. These included Jonathan Wright (Quality Consultant), Anne Marie Thake (AMSM Ltd.), Patrick Agius (Standard Publications Ltd.) and Madeleine Tarr (Total Quality Management).

1997
‘New Thinking’ was the subject for the 1997 Group Conference and this was held between the 18th and 19th November at the Westin Dragonara Resort. Prof. Edward de Bono of lateral thinking fame explained his concept of Six Thinking Hats.

1998
‘Managing Change’ was the subject tackled during the 4th Group Conference held between the 13th and 14th November, 1998 at the New Dolmen Hotel. Dr. Graeme Salaman drove home the point that change drives innovation and growth and that we need to question why we do things in the way we do and whether we can do better.

1999
During the Gulf War of 1990 – 1991 Squadron Leader John Peters was shot down, captured and held hostage for 7 weeks by the Iraqis. Determination and keeping focus on what counted helped John Peters pull through and survive to tell the story. ‘Improving Personal & Staff Perfomance’ was the subject chosen to align John Peters’ experiences to the Group. That memorable conference was held between the 22nd and 23rd October 1999, at the Corinthia Palace Hotel.

2000
With the Country gearing up for EU membership, which was eventually obtained in 2004, it was crucial for the Group to prepare itself for inevitable membership and the changes this would bring to the economy. ‘The Impact of European Union Membership on our Business’ was the theme chosen in 2000. Simon Busuttil, supported by Joanna Drake and assisted by Mariosa Vella Cardona, explained the opportunites and challenges such a union would bring to Malta. The conference was held at The Westin Dragonara Resort between the 3rd and 4th December.

2001
The 7th Annual Group Conference was held at The Westin Dragonara Resort between the 9th and 10th November 2001. The conference dealt with ‘Improving Communication Skills’ and was run by Madeleine Tarr who had spent many years working with various companies within the Group as a management consultant. She was assisted by Steve Tarr and Eliza Krantz.

2002
‘Leadership Skills for Today’s Managers’ was the theme chosen for the eighth Annual Group Conference. The guest speaker was Fr. Alfred J. Darmanin, whose informal approach went down very well with the audience. Fr. Darmanin, known in Malta as the guru on leadership, presented his own original modern interpretation of religious concepts, applying them to four aspects of creative leadership which he defined as Values and Attitudes (The Creed), Skills and Behaviour (The Ten Commandments), Ideals (The Eight Beatitudes) and Shadows (The Seven Capital Sins) of Leadership. The conference was held between the 15th and 16th November 2002 at the Corinthia San Ġorġ Hotel.

2003
The name George W. Borg was synonomous with one of Malta’s largest textile companies, the American-owned Blue Bell (Malta) Ltd., which produced Wrangler jeans. George W. Borg, a trained industrial engineer, gave a highly interesting talk called ‘My Experience’ about his experiences during the formation of that company right through the difficult times of the 1980s, until its demise as a company and the birth of a new company, VF Malta. The conference that year took on a different approach and was held over one day. It was held on Friday, 14th November at the Intercontinental Hotel.

2004
The 10th Annual Group Conference was attended by 100 delegates from various companies within the Group. This was double the figure of those who attended the first conference in 1995. The theme chosen for that year’s conference was ‘Strategic Brand Management’ and the guest speaker was Kevin L. Keller, a professor from the University of Dartmouth, USA, who was a pioneer in the research and study of Brand Management. All aspects of a brand’s success were touched upon by Prof. Keller. Though focusing on international brands such as American Express, Disney, Ford, Levi-Strauss and Intel, he brought a lot of relevence to the local scene too. The conference was held at the Hilton Hotel on the 3rd November.

2005
‘Getting to YO!’ was the title for the Group’s 11th Conference held on the 8th November. Guest speaker was Simon Woodroffe, founder of YO Sushi fame. He dealt with ‘how you can achieve anything you put your mind to as long as you have the drive to do this’. It was interesting to listen to Simon Woodrooffe explain how he overcame numerous obstacles to achieve what he did. Problems encountered in themselves are opporunities, if one learns from them. The conference was held at the Westin Dragonara Resort.

2006
The 12th Annual Group Conference was held on the 29th November against a backdrop of family mourning for the Group. Jackie Mallia (neé Mizzi), a shareholder and manager, had passed away the previous day. The Conference still went ahead, though no reception followed. That year the Group engaged the South African Psychologist, Dorianne Cara Weil and the subject chosen was ‘Emotional Intelligence – The Deciding Factor’. It was held at the Hilton Hotel.

2007
Needing no introduction to the Group, and after the success of the 8th Group Conference, Fr. Alfred J. Darmanin was again engaged to communicate with the Group’s managerial staff, this time dealing with ‘Stress and Time Management’. Held at Le Meridien Hotel on the 13th November, a number of unusual exercises were carried out by the delegates themselves. Fr. Alfred J. Darmanin stressed the point that one has to find a right balance between work and play, which keeps the body fit and the mind sharp.

2008
The first person to ever reach the North and the South Poles, and live to tell the tale, was Sir Ranulph Fiennes who was described by The Guinness Book of Records as the best living explorer of our time. Fiennes spoke about his various feats during his life and the central theme was always to go ‘Beyond the Limits’. Persistence, flexibility and mental strength, together with a will to succeed, were the ingredients of this presentation. The Conference was held on the 6th November, at the Hilton Hotel.

2009
Hot on the heels of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, another English legend, this time in the field of rowing, was invited to address the 15th Annual Group Conference. Sir Matthew Pinsent, winner of four consecutive Olympic gold medals addressed Group delegates on the 5th November, at the Le Meridien Hotel. ‘Winning Through’ was rated as one of the best Group Conferences ever, as Matthew delivered a gruelling account of the build up and culmination of his sporting achievement. In one of the classic sporting moments of all time, he led Great Britian’s coxless four to victory over the Canadian world champions by only 8/100 of a second.

2010
The guest speaker for the 2010 conference was Sahar Hashemi, one of the UK’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs and a powerful speaker on innovation and entrepreneurial mindset in corporations. She shared with the audience her captivating personal stories of building two famous brands, Coffee Republic and Skinny Candy. ‘Switched On’ was held at the Hilton Portomaso on the 2nd November.

2011
‘Creating a Legendary Rice’ was the topic of the 2011 Group Conference held at the Radisson Golden Sands on the 10th November. Rohit Samani, CEO of Tilda Ltd., delivered his hour-long presentation outlining the history of Tilda Ltd. and how this grew from a small company dealing in a basic commodity, into a major market player of branded rice. Suffice it to say that Tilda had 50% of the market in Malta during 2011, making it the market leader. The presentation was an excellent blend of historical video footage, stills, graphic representations, all woven to create an interesting insight into how Tilda came about and how it saw its future.

2012
With the digital age becoming more and more evident in Malta, it was time to focus on the emerging communication trends hitting the globe. ‘Welcome to Disruption’ by Alex Grech was the theme for the eighteenth Group Conference held at The Westin Dragonara Resort on the 22nd November. Alex Grech’s presentation was as stimulating as it was entertaining and presented an insight into this medium which is revolutionising the way in which we communicate with each other.

2013
SEE, FEEL, THINK, DO: ‘The Power of Instinct in Business’ was the title of the 2013 Conference. In his keynote speech, Shaun Smith outlined how in every industry, some brands stand out from the crowd because of their distinct way of doing things. These companies challenge conventional wisdom and industry norms to win in their markets. They see their customers and employees as members of a like-minded community, deliver unique and remarkable customer experiences and are able to create an almost cult-like following around their brand. The conference was held at Villa Bologna on the 14th November.

2014
‘A Life in Business’ was the title of the group’s 20th Group Conference which was held at The Casino Maltese on the 19th November. A long-standing business partner of Alf. Mizzi & Sons, in Consolidated Biscuit Co Ltd, set up in 1982, Arthur Lok Jack was invited to be the guest speaker for that year’s milestone conference. Adopting a Q & A format, Arthur Lok Jack was quizzed by Alec Mizzi on a number of subjects spanning his successful career as a businessman in the Caribbean. Very striking to one and all at the conference were the similarities between Arthur Lok Jack and Albert Mizzi, who were both involved in the aviation industry, were both business leaders in their respective communities and both headed a number of private and state-owned entities.

2015
The 2015 centenary celebrations of the Alf. Mizzi & Sons Group kicked off with the 21st Annual Group Conference which took place on the 24th June at the Hilton Hotel. The speaker chosen aimed to dazzle and dazzle he did. Stephen Fry regaled the gathering, which for this unique occasion also included members of all the Mizzi family as well as delegates’ spouses and partners, with his wit and humorous anecdotes about run-ins with celebrities. ‘An Evening with Stephen Fry’ will surely be remembered as one of the great conferences.

2016
Delivering an impassioned presentation, Eliza Krantz from Baton & Baton took to the stage at Xara Lodge on the 15th November to illustrate how ‘Creating High Performance Teams’ from the existing human resources within each and every company is doable and ultimately benefits both the company and the individual.
For the first time, the conference also featured a secondary speaker. Dr. Joan Abela enthralled the audience with the restoration work being carried at the Notarial Archives in Valletta sponsored by The Alfred Mizzi Foundation.

2017
Lord Igor Judge, a ‘Son of Malta’, was the 2017 main speaker. Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Judge delivered a brilliant and down to earth speech about law and the rule of law bringing into play the various facets surrounding this topic. A complicated and highly specialised area to discuss, Lord Judge gave a simple yet eloquent exposé about his own personal experiences.
Leonid McKay from Caritas Malta was this year’s supporting speaker. He dwelt on the work being carried out by Caritas Malta in conjunction with our very own Foundation.
Held on the 14th November at Verdala Castle, Buskett, the 2017 conference must surely have been the wettest one to date when all the heavens poured down on all the delegates arriving.

2018
Brought all the way from the USA, Kristen Hadeed addressed the gathering about her experience working with young people and what makes them tick, enabling them to create a meaningful and lasting impact on people by creating environments in which they thrive.
The conference’s supporting speaker was the indefatigable Nora Macelli, from the Saint Jeanne Antide Foundation, who highlighted the plight of the marginalised in our society. The conference was held on the 11th October at The Phoenicia.

2019
Malta-born and bred, Anton Tagliaferro, who in 2019 was listed as one of the 99 most influential persons in finance across the world, was our guest speaker for the 2019 Conference which was held at the Hilton Hotel on the 29th October. Under the theme ‘Success in Business and the Stock Market’ Anton took the audience through a quick overview of the development of the Australian economy, tips on investing in the stock market and what’s safe to bet on and what is not.
Prof. Richard Muscat was the secondary speaker who described his research into the cause of strokes being undertaken at the University of Malta thanks to a grant by The Alfred Mizzi Foundation.

2020
The 2020 conference was a conference with a difference. Described as surreal then, the conference was held online due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The main speaker at the conference was one of the first African American’s to lead a Fortune 500 company. Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express, interviewed by Alec Mizzi, took us through his thoughts from the economic crash of 2008 right through to the COVID-19 crisis.
David Darmanin, founder of Hotjar, enthralled the audience with his presentation about his company and his vision for the future. The conference was held on the 9th December, 2020.

2021
For the second year in a row, the 2021 Conference was held remotely on the 23rd November due to COVID-19 restrictions. ‘The Climate Crisis: Time for Transformation’ was moderated by Karl Vella having had 10 years experience in sustainable development. The guests included Michael Zammit Cutajar, a global pioneer on the subject since the early 1990s and Pia Heidenmark Cook, a senior advisor within the IKEA Group. They respectively shared their insights into bringing to the fore the issue of climate control and how large companies could work towards sustainable development.
Gege Gatt, our secondary speaker, was invited to give a brief introduction on Artificial Intelligence. Unfortunately, Gege was unable to join the remote chat but prepared an interesting recording for the conference.

2022
After a hiatus of 2 years the 2022 conference was once again held in person. The speakers were Judge Emeritus Giovanni Bonello and Suzanne Sharp.
‘A Life for Rights and Heritage’ dealt with Giovanni Bonello’s illustrious career which included serving as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights for 12 years as well as a Human Rights lawyer here in Malta defending no less than 170 human right lawsuits. Giovanni Bonello, also a published researcher of all things Maltese, was considered one of the Conference’s most engaging speakers in its 28 year history.
Suzanne Sharp, born and bred in Malta, is the co-founder of the Rug Company as well as a designer in her own right. She was interviewed by Francesca Balzan about her career and her business.

2023
Following on the brief introduction by Gege Gatt about the fascinating subject dealing with Artificial Intelligence during the 2021 conference, Gege Gatt was asked to be a guest on a panel during the 2023 conference aptly entitled, ‘Harnessing The Power of AI’. Together with Prof. Oege de Moor, Emeritus Professor at Magdalen College University of Oxford, and creator of Co-Pilot, which he sold to Microsoft, and Vanessa Camilleri, senior lecturer at the department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Malta, all speakers discussed the opportunities arising from the current topic of Artificial Intelligence and more specifically its application in today’s working world. There was another speaker who presented a recording, a Maltese entrepreneur who operated in the US. Moderated by J. P. Casaletto, the conference was held at the Hilton Hotel on the 2nd November 2023.
Veteran Delegates
Of the 52 delegates who attended our very first conference in 1995, 14 are here with us today, still actively involved within the group. The following are our veteran delegates.

Steve Apap Bologna
Alf. Mizzi & Sons Marketing Group

Chris Grech
Alf. Mizzi & Sons Limited

Andrew Magri Overend
Mac Med Group

Raphael Micallef Trigona
Systec Limited

Alan Mizzi
Inspirations Limited

Alec A. Mizzi
Alf. Mizzi & Sons Limited

Alex Mizzi
Alf. Mizzi & Sons Limited

Joe Pace
Consolidated Biscuit Co. Limited

Albert Petrocochino
Sloane Limited

Julian Sammut
Kitchen Concepts Group

John Schiavone
Alf. Mizzi & Sons Marketing Group

Tonio Vella
Inspirations Limited

Patrick Wirth
Mac Med Group

Peter Wirth
The Alfred Mizzi Foundation
