Born in 1951 at Zebbug Malta and has considerable experience in banking, finance and economic matters.
His expertise in business management was proven both in the private and the public sector. He is associated with success stories like the Portomaso project, the Chairmanship of Mid-Med Bank, the defence of private shareholders from the unfair take-over bid by HSBC, the leadership of Super One Radio and Television and the establishment of his own investment services firm Crystal Finance Investments Ltd as a leading investment services provider of the local market.
He worked closely within Malta Labour Party for several years. Between 1992 – 1995 he was the chairman of the committee responsible for fund raising for the National Labour Centre at Hamrun. Between 1999 and 2001 he was the Chairman of One Productions Ltd. the media company owned by the Party running ONE TV & Radio.
He has written profusely about economic, financial and political matters in the local media and his opinion has occasionally served to shape the agenda of local discussions.
Personal Details
Date of Birth: 04 Oct 1951
Residential Address
43, Triq Birbal
Balzan BZN 9017, Malta
Profession
Retired banker, finance professional , management consultant, portfolio manager and investment advisor.
Advisor to the Ministry for Finance MALTA. Former Chairman of Mid-Med Bank and former Deputy Governor Central Bank of Malta. Former non-executive director and Chair of Risk Committee at Bank of Valletta; Currently Arbiter for Financial Services.
Advisor to the Ministry for Finance MALTA. Former Chairman of Mid-Med Bank and former Deputy Governor Central Bank of Malta. Former non-executive director and Chair of Risk Committee at Bank of Valletta; Currently Arbiter for Financial Services.
Qualifications
Associate of the Chartered Inst. Of Bankers (UK) - 1973
Financial Studies Diploma - Chartered Inst. Of Bankers (UK) - 1982
MBA (Financial Services) - Sheffield Hallam University 1992
Professional Memberships
Chartered Institute of Bankers (UK) - Fellow
Fellow - Salzburg Global Seminar
Career
Barclays Bank DCO - Mid-Med Bank ( 1969/1981) Started as a junior clerk and fast-tracked Managerial grade.
Diamantino Manfre' & Co. - Management Consultant (1981 - 1985)
Set up private consultancy in management and corporate finance (1985 - 1996)
Chairman Mid-Med Bank Group (1996 -1998)
Returned to private consultancy (1999)
Set-up Investment Service Company ( Crystal Finance Investments Ltd) representing UBS Asset Management(2000) and acted as chairman thereof 2000 - 2014
Advisor to the Minister for Finance Malta (2014 - 2015) (2018-2019)
Deputy Governor Central Bank of Malta (2015 - 2017)
Advisor to the Minister for Finance Malta (2014 - 2015) (2018-2019)
Deputy Governor Central Bank of Malta (2015 - 2017)
Director - Bank of Valletta (2019 - 2023)
ARBITER FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES (2023 ongoing)
Directorships
Relinquished all directorships
Previous directorships
MIB/Bain Hogg/Aon Malta (Insurance Brokers)- 1986 -1998
Malta International Business Authority/Malta Financial Services Centre (Regulator for investment services and offshore financial services) Governor - 1992 - 1996
Eurojet Ltd (executive air taxi service) 1995 -1997
Malta Hotels &Restaurants Association (Deputy Chairman) 1995 -1996
Mid-Med Bank and subsidiaries (Chairman) 1996-1998
Mid-Med Bank is Malta's largest bank and was acquired by HSBC in 1999 and now being renamed HSBC Malta.
Middle Sea Insurance (Malta's main insurance company doing composite business of life and general lines)1997 -1998
Malta Development Corporation - 1997-1998
Malta Information Technology and Training Services (MITTS) - 1997-1998
Maltacom plc (publicly quoted national telecom company) and various subsidiaries-Director (Non-Executive) and Chairman of Audit Committee. - 1999 to date (on subsidiaries - Maltacom's directorship relinquished in 2000)
One Productions Ltd - (Private TV and Radio Station) - Chairman -1999 to 2001
Malta Shareholders Association - Founder Chairman -1999 to 2001
Ariane Infrastructure Fund plc - Secretary 1999 to 2000
C. Fino & Sons. Ltd - Non-executive Chairman 2000 to 2008
Amalagated Investment Ltd plc - director (publicly quoted investment fund) 2000 to 2007
Bay Street Finance Co. Ltd – non executive director 2006 – 2009.
Allcare Insurance Limited 2012 -2104
AIB Insurance Brokers up to 2014
Crystal Finance Investments - up to 2014
Allcare Limited - up to Feb 2015
Forty Nine Limited - up to February 2015
Allcare Insurance Agency Limited - up to February 2015AlCA.In Limited - up to February 2015
Global Management Services Limited and AM 1951 Limited - up to February 2015
Other Contributions
Financial Journalist and public speaker on economics and financial matters. Sat on various committees involved with financial and economic matters ( e.g. Malta Council for Economic Development , Public Debt Committee, Privatisation Committee, New Initiatives Committee etc.)
Contributed regularly to the debate in local press on political, financial and economic topics with regular columns in The Times, The Independent, the Sunday Independent, Il-Kullhadd. Maltastar . A library of his published works is available on : www.alfred-mifsud.blogspot.com
Published book "MALTA'S RELATIONS WITH THE EU - a realistic way forward" October 1999 - PEG Publications ISBN 99909-0-239-9
Participated in various Malta based and EU Committees representing Malta/Central Bank of Malta (Governing Council of ECB; EFC; G20 working group;etc.)
Published Essay: The Euro: a curse or a cure for the EU? (2018)
Participated in various Malta based and EU Committees representing Malta/Central Bank of Malta (Governing Council of ECB; EFC; G20 working group;etc.)
Published Essay: The Euro: a curse or a cure for the EU? (2018)
Major Achievements
As Consultant to TUMAS group 1986- 1996 spearheaded the conversion of this family
owned group from a timid hotel and property group into a vibrant corporate organisation capable of handling $150 million investment PORTOMASO project ( real estate residential apartments, Hilton Hotel, Business tower, conference centre and marina) on its own and very successfully.
As Executive Chairman of Mid-Med Bank I re-vamped the Bank's organisation and profitability pushing the quoted share place 40% during the two years I was in position and having the Bank classified as No 14 in an international list (compiled by Investors Chronicle) of the best run banks from emerging markets. The Bank captured the attention of HSBC who acquired it in 1999.
As Chairman of a minority investors group I organised a campaign against the forced take-over of minority shareholders in Mid-Med Bank by HSBC. This meant that minority shareholders have gained profusely from the increase in their share price from the official acquisition price of the majority shareholding block by HSBC in June 1999.
As a member of the project team for the IPO of Maltacom plc handled the floatation on local and international markets extremely successfully capturing an order book many times over the offer and at prices which initially were thought impossible.
As Chairman of One Productions Ltd I re-engineered the organisation which was losing money and audiences and turned it into no. 1 media group (radio and TV) in Malta and operating in a positive cash flow mode with a strong and dedicated management team.
As Chairman and founder of Crystal Finance Investments Ltd I succeeded to get the franchise of UBS Asset Management to distribute their investment fund products in Malta - the first time UBS delegated such authority to a non-bank third party. Apart from flying the UBS investments products flag Crystal Finance grew into an investment service provider of quality in its own right.
As director of Allcare Insurance Group helped to grow this group in the foremost insurance agency and brokerage.
As Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Malta attended all monetary policy meetings of the Governing Council of the ECB at a time when low interest rates forced unorthodox QE measures and negative deposit rates.
As Non-Executive Director and Chair of Risk Committee at Bank of Valletta spearheaded the up-dating of Risk Policies and Framework in a way that earned recognition in the Bank’s SREP score by the ECB SSM Council.
