New Secretary General for the Malta Bankers’ Association
Karol Gabarretta is the new Secretary General of the Malta Bankers’ Association (MBA) as from the 23rd July 2018. He succeeded Mr James Bonello who retired after 14 years in office.
Mr Gabarretta was previously the Director of Banking Supervision at the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), which he joined in 2002. He also sat on the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank. Prior to joining the MFSA he spent 23 years at the Central Bank of Malta where he worked in several divisions including Economics and Research, Banking Regulation and Financial Stability. Mr Gabarretta holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a post-graduate degree in Financial Services from the University of Malta. Past appointments include that of Chair of the CEBS’ (Committee of European Banking Supervisors) Task Force on Supervisory Disclosure (TFSD) and as an Expert on Banking Provisions of Financial Services acquis within the EU Commission’s TAIEX program.
In his capacity as MBA Secretary General, Mr Gabarretta will also be representing the Association on various local bodies, such as the Board of Governors of FinanceMalta. He will also sit on the Executive Committee of the European Banking Federation. The MBA is a full member of the Federation which is committed to supporting policies that foster economic growth and jobs, and unites 32 national banking associations in Europe that represent some 3,500 banks employing about 2 million people and making loans in excess of €20 trillion available to the European economy.
Commenting on the appointment of the new Secretary General, MBA Chairman Marcel Cassar said: “Karol’s appointment comes at a time of unprecedented challenges for the banking industry and I am sure that his extensive international experience and connections, together with his wide knowledge of regulation and supervision, will be very opportune for the Maltese banking community. The MBA itself will be looking at its future development so his arrival is very timely. We wish him well.”
