Leadership appointments at ARQ Group


Amidst the challenges posed by COVID-19 global pandemic, ARQ Group has continued to strengthen its advisory team and to bolster its position in the market as one of Malta’s leading advisory firms. As part of its growth strategy it has recently announced three key leadership appointments that reflect the Group’s forward-looking vision.

Ramona Galea was recently promoted to Group Head of Operations & Human Resources.  Ramona, who holds an MBA as well as a Masters in Protocol and Soft Diplomacy Skills, is a seasoned professional with over 25 years’ experience leading and motivating dynamic teams in multi-cultural environments, across diverse industry sectors. Upon taking up of this new role within the Group structure, she has assumed oversight of operations across the Group entities and the harmonisation of the various functions.  In this role, Ramona will be instrumental in driving the board’s strategy of achieving excellence, improving efficiency and empowering the Group’s 100+ employees to reach their full potential through ongoing mentoring, training, and personal development.

AML/CFT compliance advisory is one of the flagship service areas of the Group. In recent years it has grown from strength to strength and today the Group provides advisory services to most domestic banks, financial institutions and top-tier gaming companies.  Martina Scalpello, a seasoned compliance professional with extensive experience in the financial services and gaming sectors, both as a regulator and as a consultant, has recently been appointed Head of Risk & Compliance (Advisory). In her role she will be leading a team of compliance professionals involved in assisting clients with their compliance needs, focusing primarily on financial crime compliance.

Another long-standing employee of the Group, Dr Denia Ellul, performs a dual role as the recently appointed Head of Financial Services (Advisory) at ARQ as well as Partner of law firm FFF Legal. In her role within the ARQ Group she will continue to develop the financial services advisory practice, focusing on advisory, licensing and compliance. She leads a multi-disciplinary team of professionals focused on providing support and solutions to entities licensed by the MFSA. Denia completed her LL.D. degree in 2014 and since then she has gained extensive experience in corporate and commercial law. Besides obtaining a professional certificate in taxation, she also successfully completed a Masters’ degree in International Trade and Investment.

Dr Manfred Galdes, Managing Partner of ARQ Group said “We are extremely proud to announce these appointments, not just because of the contribution of these professionals to the Group, but because they embody our core values. These individuals represent the future of the organisation and its commitment to excellence. Their leadership will be instrumental for us in achieving our goals.“