CC interview
Of change and growth: Creating a modern Chamber As Perit David Xuereb approaches one year in office as President of the Malta Chamber, Sarah Micallef catches up with him about the experience so far, the work being done, and his ambitions for the organisation representing the business sector on the Maltese islands.
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Photos by Inigo Taylor FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020
ooking back on his experience as President of the Malta Chamber thus far, Perit David Xuereb describes it as “personally enriching”, revealing an energetic drive and determination to achieve the organisation’s goals. “I’ve learnt a lot and worked with fantastic people, not only at the Chamber but also within the Board of Management and the Council. I have had discussions and conversations that I previously thought were impossible and discovered that if we are honest in the way we project ourselves, we can make changes and influence matters more than we could ever have expected.” I refer to The Commercial Courier’s initial interview with Perit Xuereb, at the beginning of his tenure, in which it was clear that one of his top priorities included a regeneration strategy for current business needs and increasing the Chamber’s appeal to younger generations. Tireless in his quest to drive change for the betterment of the organisation and the country at large, the President maintains that a lot has been done, and while there is always more that can be achieved, he believes that there have been the necessary movements in the areas of adaptation that he wished to see. “I discovered that it wasn’t just my dream, but also the ambition of the vast majority of Council and Chamber members.” And the feedback, he says, has been encouraging. “Today, we have a Chamber that you want to be a part of, one in which you feel more enriched and one where you can share your own experiences to make others’ better. It is what energizes me every day to come here and do what I do.” An integral part of this is what he refers to as the courage to speak the truth. Referring to the unprecedented political turmoil within the final months of 2019, Perit Xuereb asserts, “we have had the opportunity to stand up and be counted. Rather than shy back, we decided to take the front seat to express our opinions, and hopefully influence change in a positive way.” Speaking of the way in which the rocky
situation within Malta’s political landscape has affected local business, the Chamber President maintains that a sense of postponement of important decisions was felt, and in some cases, “postponements have yet to be clarified and decisions to be taken, hopefully in favour of Malta as a jurisdiction to do business.” Affirming that some of the decisions taken in the last few weeks have encouraged the Chamber that this could be the case, there’s still a lot more to be done and enforcement to be put in place. “Throughout all this, the Chamber did not shy away from speaking the truth, whether it was positive or critical, with the sole intention of the country coming out stronger.” “Our members have complimented us on this approach, and it also forms part of our own process of change. Before any of this happened, we had already begun a process of looking at what we need to do to make ourselves better as a Chamber,” Perit Xuereb explains, speaking of the organisation’s new business plan, which includes ensuring that resources are well spent in the interest of members and lowering the average age of membership. After engaging an independent third party to carry out a survey to find out what members and non-members expect of the Chamber, a few things came to the fore, Perit Xuereb explains. “One is that, in terms of its operation, the Chamber should be as good as or better than the operations of our members’ institutions, so we are going through a process of regeneration which will, in time, crystallise our position as a role model for our membership.” “In the past, while a lot of work was being done, it was not necessarily calibrated with members’ expectations or needs. We are now carrying out dramatic changes to ensure that our time and resources are spent in the areas in which they are truly appreciated. Apart from being at the forefront of lobbying, we are also focused on networking,” he maintains, adding, with a hint of pride, that there have been events for which they’ve had to turn people down due to a full house. 31