Malta Institute of Accountants appoints new president

Fabio Axisa has been appointed as the new president of the Council of the Malta Institute of Accountants (MIA) for the term July 2019 – June 2020 during the 55th Annual Meeting of the MIA on July 11, according to a press release sent to Business Malta. Mr Axisa is taking the role over from William Spiteri Bailey.

“First of all, congratulations and sincere gratitude to the outgoing president for the significant work carried out. William was instrumental in many areas considering the pressures and challenges faced by the profession,” said Mr Axisa during the meeting

“We will continue building on the work carried out by subsequent MIA presidents throughout recent years. Gone are the days when strategy and direction are modified every two years as soon as a new president is elected,” Mr Axisa added. 

In addition, he highlighted five core pillars underpinning the MIA’s strategy in the coming years:

• ensuring the MIA is home to all qualified accountants;
• elevating quality within the profession;
• working with all stakeholders to enhance the education and qualification process;
• fostering collegiality and comradeship among accountants;
• striving to make the MIA’s voice heard, loud and clear, on issues which are important for the profession but also on national strategic issues.

“We want to continue conveying this message in a strong manner,” Mr Axisa said ensuring that MIA is “not a club solely for the largest firms. But only fully-qualified accountants should be considered as and actually call themselves accountants,” he added. 

The president promised that they “will continue working with the regulator to push higher up the bar, as we need to strive to do the right thing professionally in all circumstances, even if this entails a cost.”

Therefore, the MIA will continue to strengthen its efforts in the areas of education and qualification processes. The new president acknowledges that the quality and quantity of accountants in the marketplace is a fundamental aspect of the profession. 

Additionally, the MIA promised to dedicate more time and effort to reinforce a sense of collegiality and comradeship among accountants.

Moreover, the MIA welcomed its new members Christian Gravina, Etienne Borg Cardona, Franz R. Wirth, Lucienne Pace Ross, Mark Bugeja, Noel Mizzi and William Spiteri Bailey, who joined Annabel Zammit Pace, Christopher Balzan, David Delicata, Fabio Axisa, Ivan Grixti, Jonathan Dingli, and Shawn Falzon, who are serving their term ending in mid-2020.

The council has also appointed David Delicata as Vice President, Noel Mizzi as Secretary, and Franz R. Wirth as treasurer.