18
e Malta Business OBSERVER
| June 28, 2018
CASE STUDY
Mdina International provides people-focused solutions for business success Jo Caruana
MANAGING DIRECTOR ALEX GALEA AND GENERAL MANAGER MYRA PEARSON. PHOTOS BY ALAN CARVILLE
“From teambuilding to training, the iGaming industry really has upped the level of the way things are being done in Malta, but even in innovative sectors like this one, it’s important not to rest on your laurels.” – Alex Galea, Managing Director
In today’s competitive market, businesses know one thing for certain: they need to stand out. There are all sorts of ways to achieve that, of course – including honing your marketing, branding, and products. Beyond all that, there’s also development, and the concept of investing in the focused progression of your personnel and your business optimisation. But how do you take your team and elevate it to the next level? One particular company has the answer. “Mdina International was created to help other businesses become the best they can be,” explained Managing Director Alex Galea, who joined the company a decade ago. “Our founder – the company’s chairman Steve Tarr – conceived the idea behind Mdina International 34 years ago, and the company has been growing ever since.” The original company pillars were management solutions and sales development. Two additional pillars – HR Services and Process Optimisation – were brought into focus in the years that followed. Mdina International knows that by investing in their people, companies can hope to enjoy fantastic results. With that in mind, they create bespoke solutions and programmes for teams of all levels – from executive level all the way up to C-level. The key thing throughout the company’s journey has been the tailor-made approach that they have taken with every client; they simply do not believe in out-of-the-box solutions. With that in mind, Mdina International puts its relationship with its clients at the very core of everything it does. “The origins of our company actually date back to when Steve Tarr worked for a blue-chip company. He was trying to find a trainer that would provide the service he was looking for, but he kept receiving the same syllabus from everyone he approached, and it just didn’t work. That’s when he realised there was a gap in the market, and he decided to start providing custom-made training himself,” Mr Galea explained. However, the team here is quick to underline that their offering is so much more
than training. “It’s really all about development,” continued Myra Pearson, the company’s General Manager. “So much goes into the process, whether it’s research, feedback, consultation, coaching and learning programmes. Our role is to get to know our client, look at their workings from both the outside and the inside, and suggest an approach that will help them to achieve development or change that they actually need. It’s very holistic and we leave no stone unturned.” Clearly it’s an approach that has worked, as Mdina International has enjoyed exponential growth since it was first launched. The company now has offices in the UK, Germany and Malta, and is exploring plans for further expansion over the next couple of years. “Our international approach is also very much part of our core ethos,” Ms Pearson continued. “Our team of trainers and coaches travel on projects to ensure global thinking is part of every exercise, as we know that that adds value to our clients’ results. Nowadays, we also optimise on technology, and coach people via Skype or other tools, which means there are literally no boundaries when it comes to the people we can work with.” Mdina International has been offering HR services for over eight years, and has assisted various companies by implementing or enhancing their HR practices. A more recent service line that has been introduced is process optimisation. Consultants conduct detailed audits on current processes within organisations and find leaner and more efficient ways through which they can operate. One common thread amongst Mdina International service lines remains that, when it comes to organisations: “it is all about the people.” Of course, this very much ties in with one of the biggest challenges that many Maltese companies are facing – attracting talent and retaining it. “We come at this from a different angle and really help our clients to develop their team’s potential, and encourage them to enjoy long-lasting business relationships. We have also embarked on a number of research exercises to help provide insight into this phenomenon. For instance, we recently worked with our partners Business Leaders Malta on a proj-