Karol Gabarretta

Karol Gabarretta is the Secretary General of the Malta Bankers’ Association (MBA) as from the 23rd July 2018. Mr Gabarretta represents the Association on various local bodies, such as the Management Committee of the Deposit Compensation Scheme and Board of Governors of FinanceMalta. He also sits on the Executive Committee of the European Banking Federation (EBF). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (B. Comm. Econ.) and a post-graduate degree in Financial Services (M.A. Fin. Serv.) from the University of Malta. Mr Gabarretta was employed by the Central Bank of Malta (1979-2001) and subsequently by the MFSA (2002-2018) and is a former member of the ECB’s Supervisory Board. Mr Gabarretta also served as Chair of the Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS) Task Force on Supervisory Disclosure (TFSD) and provided assistance within the EU Commission’s TAIEX program as an Expert on Banking Provisions of Financial Services Acquis.

Fiona Borg Catania

Fiona Borg Catania joined the Malta Bankers’ Association as Office Administrator on the 26th September 2017.

Mrs Borg Catania holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance (B. Comm. (Hons.) and a post-graduate degree in the Arts of Spiritual Companionship (M.A. Spirit. Comp (Melit.)) from the University of Malta. Mrs Borg Catania worked for approximately seven years in two retail banks carrying out operational duties within the branch including providing a professional service in the advances section of various retail branches.

Rita Sammut Buontempo

Rita Sammut Buontempo joined the Malta Bankers’ Association as Assistant Secretary General on 23rd September 2019.

Mrs Sammut Buontempo has extensive experience in the banking industry, holds an Honours degree and a Masters, both in Accountancy, and is a Certified Public Accountant and Fellow of the Malta Institute of Accountants.

She started her career with Mid-Med Bank Ltd in 1984, where she occupied various roles in different sectors, including Regulatory, Finance, Credit and Retail Banking. Mrs Sammut Buontempo was then employed as a Senior Manager with HSBC Bank Malta plc, in 1999, where she specialised mainly in Finance, Regulatory and Treasury Accounting, until 2014 when she took early retirement from the Bank.

Mrs Sammut Buontempo headed the technical delegation, representing Mid-Med Bank plc, on the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) Technical Working Group, which implemented the Capital Requirements Directive BD08, in 1998. She also headed the technical delegation, representing HSBC Bank Malta plc, on the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) Technical Working Group, from 2005 to 2006, which implemented the Basel II regime (EU Directive – Recast 2000/12).

Subsequent to her banking career, Mrs Sammut Buontempo entered the field of banking advisory services with 2 of the Big 4 audit firms. In one of the highlights of her advisory career, she was responsible for the audit of a local Significant Bank’s Own Funds under the Basel III regime, during the Asset Quality Review conducted by the European Central Bank (ECB).

Mrs Sammut Buontempo has also worked in the field of property management, as a finance manager.