Speakers
Sina Bugeja - Member of the EULAR (European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology) Advocacy Committee
Sina is a retired public officer who initiated her career in the Nursing profession. She also trained in Social Work, Mediation and Project Management. She read for a Master of Science in Health Promotion and Health Education at the College of Medicine, University of Wales. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, UK. Besides contributing to the academia, as lecturer and later as senior lecturer, she held headship positions in the Public Service / Sector since 1998. She has represented Malta on several European and International fora in various fields related to both health and social welfare. She sits on the board of several local NGOs and is currently the Chairperson of the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation. She also sits on the EULAR (European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology) Advocacy Committee where patient advocacy is central to its focus. She joined this committee after having been actively involved for a number of years with the same organisation on its PARE Committee.
Dr Gertrude A. Buttigieg - Patient Advocate
Gertrude is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist. She holds a master’s degree in health management from the University of Malta, as well as a second Master’s in International Patient Advocacy Management from the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome. Currently, she works full-time at the Office of the Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Mental Disorders. In addition to her professional role, she volunteers as Chairperson of the Malta Health Network (MHN), an umbrella organization representing over 40 health-related entities. Dr. Buttigieg has spoken at numerous conferences both in Malta and internationally. She has served on the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector since 2013 and has been Chairperson since March 2023.
Brian Cardona - Founder at ElectroWaste Malta Ltd
Brian is the founder, owner, and director of Electro Waste Malta Ltd, a leading Maltese recycler of electronic and electrical waste. Starting off as a self-employed operator in 2004, he grew the business into a fully licensed company in 2011, now operating from Ħal-Għaxaq and Ħal-Far. Under his leadership, the company has expanded from local recycling to importing e-waste from abroad and is currently developing a new facility in Tunisia. With over 20 years experience in the sector, Brian has established Electro Waste Malta Ltd into a trusted, compliant, and forward-thinking leader in sustainable WEEE management across the Mediterranean.
Jesmond Friggieri - Principal & Director at the Malta Leadership Institute
Jesmond is a seasoned professional in Counselling, Business Consultancy, Coaching, and Mentoring. Certified Clifton’s Strengths Coach. Completed Master of Arts (Counselling & Psychotherapy) at the University of East London in 2020 and earned Master in Business Administration from the University of Leicester in 2005. Additionally, Jesmond hold degrees in Sacred Theology from Institut Catholique de Toulouse and Arts, from the University of Malta. He also has a Diploma in Systemic Practice from the Tavistock Clinic, UK, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Counselling from the University of Malta. He has led teams in Family & Psychological Services and Customer Service and has also been actively involved in professional associations, as a member of the Malta Association for the Counselling Profession, on the Board of the Foundation of Education Services, and as the General Secretary of the European Association of Counselling. Currently, he is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, UK and an outgoing member of the Council for Counselling Profession.
Joanna Gatt - Non‑Executive Director at Vivian Corporation
Joanna is a Non‑Executive Director at Vivian Corporation, following a distinguished 45‑year career with the company. During her professional journey, she served as Managing Director, leading a period of strategic transformation that shaped Vivian into the specialised healthcare company it is recognised as today. She later served as Executive Director, and continues to support the organisation with strategic insight, a strong commitment to sustainability, and a collaborative approach to long‑term value creation. From 2023 to 2025, Joanna served as Chair of the Healthcare Executive Committee at the Malta Chamber of Commerce, where she also led the Market Access Task Force. In this capacity, she was a strong advocate for equity in access to innovative medicines, championing the principle of the right medication, for the right patient, at the right time, every time. Widely respected for her patient‑centric perspective and collaborative leadership style, Joanna has worked across industries and stakeholders to advance meaningful improvements in healthcare delivery and outcomes. She is currently a member of the Hekatech.Health Conference organising committee, where equity in access to innovation remains a central theme, reflecting her lifelong commitment to improving patient outcomes through dialogue, partnership, and shared responsibility.
Marios Kouloumas - Honorary President of the Cyprus Federation of Patients' Associations (CyFPA)
Marios is a long-standing patient advocate at national and European level. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of ten, he has been actively involved for over 25 years in patient advocacy, particularly for people with rheumatic and chronic diseases. He has served as President of CyFPA and the Cyprus Organisation of People with Rheumatic Diseases, and as Vice President of the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR). He is a Patient Research Partner, founder of EUPATI Cyprus, and serves on several national health committees. He has received the EULAR Meritorious Contribution Award and the Democracy Award 2022.
Dr Clement Mifsud Bonnici - Partner at Ganado Advocates
Clement assists clients in commercial and contentious matters with a special focus on issues involving competition, State aid, public procurement and regulatory law. His experience spans a range of sectors including energy and resources, infrastructure, waste, health, transport, human resources management, and food and beverage. He also represents clients before the Office for Competition in anti-trust investigations, advocacy requests and merger control matters and he has handled private and public enforcement proceedings before the Superior Courts in Malta. He advises public and private sector entities on issues involving EU State aid law and the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, and regularly deals with Malta’s State aid Monitoring Board. Clement regularly assists both private bidders and contracting authorities with all stages of a public procurement process. Clement worked together with the Malta Chamber to propose reforms to Malta’s public procurement laws and policies. His private contentious work has regularly changed Government’s practices in public procurement. He leads high-stakes, complex disputes involving Government contracts, competition law, vertical agreements (distribution, franchise and agency), European Union law issues and shareholder litigation. He regularly appears before the First Hall Civil Court and the Court of Appeal. He has also handled international and domestic arbitration under ICC, LCIA and Malta Arbitration Rules. Clement holds an LL.M. in Competition Law from King’s College London, focusing on EU public procurement law, EU State aid law and EU competition law. His scholarly contributions include publications in the Journal of European Competition Law & Practice, the European Procurement & Public Private Partnership Law Review, and the European Competition and Regulatory Law Review. Since 2019, he has served as the Malta Contributor for the Oxford Competition Law Case Reports series, and since 2020, he has been the Malta Country Correspondent for the European Procurement & Public Private Partnership Law Review.
Fotios Rizos - Researcher and PhD Candidate at the University of West Attica at the University of West Attica (UNIWA), Greece
Fotios is an Expert in Sustainable Finance, ESG, and Quality Assurance in the healthcare sector, with extensive experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of sustainability frameworks, clinical governance, organisational excellence, and digital transformation. He has served as Project Manager and Sustainability Lead in certification, accreditation, and healthcare quality organisations, coordinating complex projects across both public and private institutions. He has also led more than sixty certification, accreditation, and operational transformation projects in the healthcare field. He possesses advanced expertise in international standardisation and accreditation frameworks, with substantial experience as a consultant, lead auditor, and technical assessor. Fotios' research focuses on sustainable finance and ESG evaluation in healthcare organisations. He has developed specialised tools such as the Sustainable Finance Evaluation Model (SFEM), LCC/LCA methodologies, and multi-criteria decision-making systems (MCDA). In addition, he specialises in the development and implementation of sustainability reporting in line with the requirements of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), integrating double materiality
Prof. Anastasios Sepetis - Associate Professor of Sustainable Development and Social Protection Policies and Finance at the Department of Business Administration, University of West Attica (UNIWA), Greece
Anastasios' academic work focuses on sustainable development, ESG and sustainable finance, sustainable healthcare systems, circular economy, and social protection policies. Since 2003 he has been teaching and conducting research on the economic and policy dimensions of sustainability, wellbeing, and inclusive development. His work particularly explores how sustainability policies, financial mechanisms, and governance frameworks can support healthier and more resilient communities and workplaces. Prof. Sepetis actively contributes to sustainability governance and public policy as a of the Working Group on Sustainable Finance and Green Economic Transition of the Greek Ministry of Finance and member of the Sustainability Committee of the University of West Attica. He also participates in the EU Horizon project CARING NATURE, which develops innovative solutions to reduce the environmental footprint of healthcare systems and promote sustainable wellbeing in communities.
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