Joseph Galdes, IT Manager at AX Group Business Centre, shares his passion for theatre, explaining how his enthusiasm for the performing arts has not only enriched his personal life but also enhanced his professional experiences. Discover more about how he blends these two worlds below.

I am proud to share that our recent production “Pandemonju” was recognised at the Cospicua Short Play Festival, winning awards for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Production. This acknowledgment marks a highlight in my long-standing involvement in the theatre world, a passion that has been a part of my life since childhood.

My journey into theatre began early, with encouragement from Mr. Giovann Attard, an Education Officer in Drama in Education, who urged me to take the stage during my primary school years. In secondary school, at Liceo Mikiel Anton Vassalli, I expanded my skills to backstage production under the guidance of Mr. Paul Buhagiar, where I gained experience in stage building, lighting, and sound for the school’s prize day.

After a decade-long break, I returned to the theatre in 2010 with the Zebbug Pageant Group, and since then, I have been deeply involved in numerous productions. For the past seven years, I have volunteered at Teatru Dumnikan in Birgu, working alongside esteemed local actor and director Mr. Mario Gatt. We are part of the UNITAS theatrical company, staging productions in this beloved venue. I must say that the theatre is in need of refurbishment, and without adequate support, we risk losing this important cultural space! I hope that with this article I can raise awareness about this.  We welcome any form of assistance, whether financial contributions or hands-on support from those willing to offer their time and skills in the refurbishment process.

In my professional life, I serve as the IT Manager at AX Group, and while IT is my career, theatre offers a different kind of fulfillment, one that allows me to explore creativity and collaboration. These two worlds complement each other, bringing a sense of balance to my life.

My technical theatre skills have grown through various productions under directors like Mr. Patrick Vella, with shows such as “In Search of Rudolph,” “l-Elett,” “Tlieta Fuq il-Bank” and the more recent award-winning production “Pandemonju.”

I’ve also worked on productions like “Bank il-Għażż” and “Il-Kamra tal-Purtiera l-Vjola,” directed by Mr. Stefan Galea Debono.

My passion for theatre provides a creative outlet that enriches both my personal and professional life. I encourage you all to attend our upcoming theatre production; “Il-Ġisem li Nħobb” happening on the 15th, 16th and 17th November at Mikiel Anton Vassalli College, Malta School of Drama and Dance, Triq Mountbatten, Pietà. Buy the tickets from https://www.showshappening.com/ilgisemlinhobb/IlGisem-li-Nhobb. Hope to see you there!

Embarking on an internship is often seen as the first step into the professional world, a chance to gain hands-on experience and determine if a chosen career path is the right fit for you. Monica Teuma, who progressed from a successful intern to a full time Marketing Coordinator shares that “this step was more than just a trial run – it marked the beginning of a journey that eventually led to a full-time role within a company where I could further develop my skills”

Here’s more about Monica’s story of growth, learning, and advancement at AX Group.

 

Starting as an Intern

Monica comments that “AX Group, had always stood out to me as a company where I could truly develop my skills and build a meaningful career. When I was offered an internship with the Marketing & PR department, I knew it was an opportunity not to be missed. The chance to work with a well-established company was exciting, and I was eager to contribute and expand my knowledge in the field.”

The supportive environment at AX Group played a significant role in Monica’s development as an intern. “My colleagues were incredibly helpful, always ready to share their expertise and guide me through challenges.” The mentorship provided helped her grow her skills and confidence within the marketing field. “I learned to approach problems with a solution-oriented mindset and developed a keen eye for detail, which has served me well in my current role.” she adds.

 

The Transition to Full-time

“Shortly before completing my degree, I was approached by the Head of Department with an offer to join the team as a full-time employee. Receiving this offer was truly gratifying as it signified that my hard work had paid off and that I had made a positive impact during my internship. I was thrilled to accept the position, knowing that I would be working with a great team of people on exciting projects.”

 

In the Role of Marketing Coordinator

Monica explains that “today, as a Marketing Coordinator at AX Group, I draw on the experiences and skills I gained during my internship. The seamless transition from intern to full-time employee made it feel as though I had never left. I continue to be driven by the same interest and enthusiasm that initially attracted me to the company. My goal is to keep learning and growing, seizing every opportunity to enhance my skills and contribute to the success of the team.”

“Looking ahead, my aspirations are clear – to continue evolving within the Group, take on new challenges, and expand my knowledge and expertise in the field. My journey from an intern to a full-timer has been a rewarding experience and I am grateful for the opportunities that have come my way. I look forward to what the future holds as I continue to build my career with AX Group.” Monica proudly adds.

On a final note, she mentions that “while the commute from Gozo to Malta can be demanding, the opportunity to work with AX Group makes it worthwhile. The positive work environment, my talented colleagues and opportunities are well worth the journey. Plus, being known as the ’Gozo expert’ around the office comes with its perks—though I might start charging for those insider tips soon!”

 

Introducing Jillian Mallia, Marketing Manager at AX Hotels Qawra, who shares her journey of walking the Camino Português.

“I have always been an outdoorsy person, loving various sports as a child and well into my twenties. So, when my Dad pitched the idea to walk the Camino Português together in 2020, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. Unfortunately, COVID decided to derail our plans a little, which pushed our trip to 2022. I believe in ‘things happen for a reason’ as the end of 2021 and most of 2022 was a tough period for me in my personal life, so embarking on this journey made it all the more significant. I needed to get out of my head and challenge myself with something a bit out of my comfort zone.”

“So, Dad and I trained for a few months, took part in the local Walkathon, got all geared up and then on Friday 27^th May 2022 it was time to jet to Spain to begin our 5-day 132km trek. The Camino Português is an official route of the Camino de Santiago, and a beautiful coastal one at that. It starts from Porto (hence its name) and finishes off in Santiago. All roads lead to Santiago, as pilgrims say, no matter where you start from. And to ‘prove’ that you actually completed the minimum 100km, you need to stamp your ‘Camino Passport’ along the way. Our journey consisted of five stops; starting from the beachside Baiona, to city Vigo, townscape Pontevedra passing through quiet Redondela, the little town of Caldas de Reis, followed by the country town of Padrón, and finally, the historic town of Santiago. Each day’s trek ranged from 18km to 35km and we had to battle various terrains and weather conditions. In the 5 days we were walking, we experienced extreme sunshine, cloudy weather, pockets of rain and full-on showers. But the one motto there is in such a trek is: don’t stop; rest if you need to, but don’t give up.”

“During the trek I had to push not only physically but also mentally to get to the much-awaited finish line. I remember on Day 2, which was our longest stretch (35km), I developed a very nasty blister on my left heel halfway through the day (apart from dealing with chronic tendinitis flare ups in both ankles and knees). The pain was excruciating but I couldn’t stop. We had to keep going because we had to get to our next accommodation before sunset. I vividly remember removing my gear to head into the shower and actually seeing the blister and I burst into tears. All I could think of was, ‘How am I going to manage another 3 days of walking?’ because at that point, we had about another 80km to go! My Dad patched me up and the next day we headed out early to give us enough time to get to the next destination while also taking it a little slower because of my condition. I had to adapt my gear and my pace to the situation.”

“The next three days weren’t without their challenges (including having to walk 15km straight in pouring rain on Day 4 and getting soaked to the bone!), but they were incredibly rewarding. Arriving at Santiago was an experience in itself. You come across people you met along the way and other pilgrims walking different routes. Walking into the church square gave me an indescribable feeling – you’re surrounded by fellow pilgrims who just completed a trek just like you. Rucksacks (weighing at about 5kg) are finally off our backs, and everyone is relaxing on the ground or taking photos to commemorate the occasion. There was a sense of unspoken community to end a beautiful journey. All I can say is, this experience was challenging, beautiful, difficult, messy, eye-opening and an experience I’ll remember forever. And – I’ve never been so relieved and excited to see a church in my entire life!”

“Having to adapt in various weather conditions and taking into account my physical condition, together with pushing through physically and mentally has taught me to constantly persevere in whatever I do. And it has also taught me to take care of my mental wellbeing and to take time to rest when needed. I’ve always been an ambitious person, wanting to not only hit but exceed targets I set, and this has been a valuable lesson and life experience. As a woman in management, I approach anything that is thrown my way with courage coupled with perseverance to see projects through and conclude them with the best possible outcome. However, I’ve also learnt that if something isn’t quite going the way you imagined, it is important to take the time to regroup, brainstorm again and repropose.”

“They say life is a marathon, and you need to continue on, no matter what is thrown your way. The Camino truly taught me that – having to soldier on but also adapt conditions to improve the outcome. Keeping perseverance at the forefront and never giving up, while acknowledging and accepting when to adapt to different situations and change course to better the outcome is the key to success in my opinion.”

“As we say in the Camino Way, Buen Camino! – meaning ‘Happy Trails’ but I’ve come to interpret it as that no matter what life brings, I always remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel and to persevere to the very end.”

Our Business Centre employees recently participated in an engaging team-building activity organised by Outdoor Living. Out and about on a crime-solving mission in Valletta, employees from various departments united to showcase their problem-solving skills and team spirit.

The adventure concluded with a celebration at Cheeky Monkey in Valletta, where colleagues enjoyed refreshing drinks and delectable bites. The atmosphere was filled with anticipation and laughter as they relaxed, previewed photos of their adventures and celebrated the winning team.

This team-building event provided a fun and engaging break from the daily routine while reinforcing the importance of collaboration and communication in the workplace. AX Group continues to demonstrate its commitment to creating a dynamic and supportive work environment where employees can thrive both professionally and personally. Cheers to our detectives for their enthusiasm and dedication!

Value Creation is the term that defines how the organisation of a business’ resources, both tangible and intangible create value for stakeholders in such a way that the outputs exceed the inputs. Value Creation goes beyond profit.  It is about fostering stronger customer relationships, driving innovation and interacting positively with communities and the environment.

In financial accounting terms we look at shareholder value by measuring the changes in “shareholder’s equity” and “profitability”.

Stakeholder value goes beyond this because it recognises assets such as brands, knowhow, reputation, the knowledge held by employees, corporate strategy and how these effect and translate into value for a broad range of stakeholders including customers, owners, employees, regulators, suppliers, financial backers, communities and the environment.

A comprehensive picture of Value Creation requires alignment between many factors including business practices, tangible and intangible assets, material financial and non-financial capital risks, the corporate strategy, its engagement with multiple stakeholders, sustainability and governance.

How have we at AX embraced key elements in our Value Creation process.

We recognise that value is created through our business model and the manner in which we manage and deploy our capital.   We define our capital in a broad sense.  It goes beyond our equity and includes.

1. Our reputation
2. Our property developments and their associated business models
3. Our core values
4. Our intellectual property
5. Our brands
6. Our employees
7. Our commitment to sustainable practices
8. Our commitment to the environment
9. Our strong spirit of Innovation
10. Our Financial performance

All of these factors are interdependent and result from a thinking organisation that values its relationships with all its stakeholders.

As a business we recognise that we have strong interactions within the communities where we operate.   We understand that commercial activity has an impact on these communities not just in the visual aspects of our developments but also in the functionality of these activities.

In doing so we have set “building communities” as a core principle and value for the Group.  Our concept of development goes beyond simply building nice properties.  We strive to optimise the relationship of those properties within their physical context,  giving importance to a broad range of factors, their impact on the surrounding properties, traffic and people movement within and around the development, preserving key elements such as natural light and vistas, serviceability of the property etc.

Our current development at Verdala has replaced the old hotel with three individual blocks.  Two of these blocks are designed for residential use and one will be a hotel.  The old Verdala hotel had 200 guest suites and was visually intrusive on the Rabat ridge.  In redesigning the new development we have lowered the building height, broken up the building mass into three elements rather than one very large block, extended the street scape in between the two most prominent blocks so as to create vistas from the road to the ridge which previously was blocked by the old hotel, factored into the development extensive parking to minimise parking and traffic congestion, created piazza to form a central open space within the property and designed a much smaller hotel that will materially reduce the traffic impact within the area.

Our Hilltop Gardens Retirement Village was developed on the site of the AX Group’s former construction yard out of which the Construction company operated for many years.  Following the redevelopment of the site, we created a tranquil residential development.  We built just 55% of the site in order to create the right environment for the residents of the Complex.  We incorporated open spaces to ensure good light, ventilation, vistas and used some of the area for gardens and recreational facilities.  The operating business model of the Retirement Village and Care Home focus on Community through social and cultural activities thus creating a thriving and secure community.

The AX Group’s business model is a customer centric approach.  We believe in delivering value to our customers, enhancing loyalty and customer satisfaction, building strong brands, embracing innovation and technology to deliver our products and services as well as to enhance efficiency and cost management.

The AX Group has long had a strong presence on the Malta Stock Exchange and this has created a culture of accountability and strong governance within the Group.

Our reputation within our communities is valued and is reflected in the manner in which shareholders take up our financing instruments whenever we approach the market.

We have developed over 40 brands many of which are recognised as market leaders.

As an employer we strive to be an “Employer of Choice”.   This with a view to attracting the best talent, creating a positive work culture, retaining knowledge within the businesses, working in the multi-cultural realities and the opportunities this brings, minimising employee turnover, and optimising productivity.

It is the management of all these elements and objectives that have created the positive and strong business that is today’s AX Group.