When we put our team together, we made it a point to choose people who came from diverse disciplines and who possessed different skills. This makes our team truly complementary and enables us to challenge conventionality and to find disruptive solutions.
Our people reflect our unwavering willingness to diversify and evolve. They bring broad expertise from academia, marketing, strategy consulting, telecoms, fintech, product development, security, logistics and many other sectors. Together we are able to analyse the bigger picture and present solid perspectives.
We are excited to be able to bring together a team that delivers so much professional experience. To our mind, experience is not counted in years, but its counted in ideas generated, projects delivered and challenges overcome. With that metre in mind – we know this is a group that can contribute and really deliver value.
Keith joined 1923 Investments, Hili Ventures’ investments’ arm, in 2020 and is responsible for the company’s success in achieving its commercial and investment objectives. He also manages shareholder relations and supports senior executives of the subsidiaries across the 1923 Investments group. Keith joined the company from Oceanwood Capital Management of London where he was Portfolio Manager – European Event Driven Fund since 2014. He was a Partner at Dalton Strategic Partnership, Vice-President, European Debt Restructuring at Blackstone Advisory Partners, part of the Blackstone Group, and a senior analyst within the Investment Banking Division at Credit Suisse in London. He holds a Master’s in Corporate Finance from SDA Bocconi Business School and is ACCA-qualified. Keith is also a member of the board of various Hili Ventures’ subsidiaries.
Melo has led Hili Ventures since its inception in 2013, having joined the family business in 1988. He started out at Motherwell Bridge, then a joint venture with Motherwell Bridge Group of Scotland, where he served as a managing director for twenty years. Melo was named Developmental Licensee for McDonald’s in Malta in 2005 and went on to expand the business across Europe, obtaining licenses for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 2007, Greece in 2011 and Romania in 2016. Under his stewardship, the Group has diversified into new sectors through investments in real estate, technology, and hospitality businesses.
Peter graduated from the University of Malta in 2016 with an Honours degree in International Relations. After some time on the staff of the Embassy of Malta in Washington DC as a Policy Officer, he joined Hili Ventures, as a management trainee. In 2017, Peter relocated to Canada for a placement with McDonald’s in Ottawa and was appointed Restaurant Manager at McDonald’s Bay Street in Malta the following year. He was named Business Consultant at Premier Restaurants Malta in 2019 and was then promoted to Managing Director in 2020. In addition to his role of Managing Director for Malta, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer at Premier Capital in 2022, and most recently, Chief Commercial Officer in 2023. Peter also serves as a board member for various companies within the group.
Stephen spent 30 years at Deloitte Malta and was appointed Partner in 2000. For 19 years, he held various leadership roles at Deloitte, serving as Head of Audit, Financial Services Industry Leader, and Head of Risk and Regulatory Advisory. Throughout his career, he led audit and non-audit assignments for clients operating in diverse sectors. Stephen was a council member of the Malta Institute of Accountants and a lecturer in Auditing for several years.
Jacqueline held various roles at AX Holdings between 1990 and 1998. Following this, she joined the team at the Foundation for Medical Services responsible for the opening of Mater Dei Hospital and served as Directorate Management Accountant at Stock Mandeville Hospital in the UK. She has provided financial consultancy to the private and national health sector in Malta and worked on privatisation processes, strategic reviews and business evaluations during her time at MIMCOL. In 2010, she was appointed Director General Finance and Administration at the Ministry for Health, Elderly and Community Care. In 2014, Jacqueline was appointed Chief Executive Officer of retirement village Hilltop Gardens, a subsidiary of AX Holdings. She served on the board of the Foundation for Medical Services between 2005 and 2010 and was Vice Chair of Malta International Airport between 2008 and 2013. Jacqueline now provides business advisory services and is a Non-Executive Director of various boards, including Hili Finance Company plc since 2018 and Harvest Technology plc, within the group. Jacqueline is a Certified Public Accountant, having graduated from the University of Malta with a B.A (Hons) in Accountancy and holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School. She is a fellow member of the Malta Institute of Accountants.
Yasmine was appointed Data Protection Officer for Hili Ventures’ Malta operations in 2019 to set up the DPO office and working closely with subsidiaries to ensure group alignment on all privacy matters. She was promoted to Head of Privacy in 2023, responsible for privacy governance across the group, ensuring that it is aligned with the wider overall strategy. She also continues to provide strategic and regulatory compliance support while guiding, supporting and liaising with other DPOs across the group. Yasmine holds a Doctor of Laws from the University of Malta. She is also a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and the International Technology Law Association (ITECHLAW). She joined Hili Ventures from Malta law firm GVZH Advocates, where she was named Associate.
Dorian joined the Hili family business in 1997 as an accounts clerk. He was promoted to Management Accountant in 2001 and later became the financial controller for the group’s IT arm and MB Services. In 2009, Dorian joined Premier Restaurants Malta as Finance Manager. He was later appointed General Manager for Malta, overseeing the McDonald’s operation of nine restaurants, and eventually became the Chief Financial Officer for the Premier Capital group in 2014. He was appointed Chief Financial Officer for Hili Ventures in 2021. He holds a CPA warrant and is a fellow of the Malta Institute of Accountants and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Adrian joined Hili Ventures as Company Secretary and holds this position for most of its subsidiaries. He previously served as Director and Head of the Company Administration Department at Fenlex, where he was responsible for corporate, compliance, and banking matters for international clients, while also acting as Director and Company Secretary for several Maltese-registered companies. He holds an MBA from the University of Derby and an Advanced Diploma in Strategic Management & Leadership from Pearson, and is also a member of the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners.
Neacail was appointed Chief Financial Officer at 1923 Investments in 2024. He had previously held the role of Integration Management Officer for iSpot and Cortland since 2023. As CFO, he leads the finance function, monitors trading performance of 1923 Investments’ direct subsidiaries, and consolidates financial statements, ensuring compliance with statutory fiscal and corporate obligaqtions. He is also a key player in the analysis of new projects, while managing cash flow and capital requriements. He joined the groupin 2016 as Finance Executive at Hili Logistics, and was promoted to Finance Manager in 2017. He went on to hold various senior finance positions within 1923 Investments, and relocated to Poland in 2023 to oversee the iSpot and Cortland merger process. Prior to joining the group, Neacail worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers within the Tax Department. He holds a Master’s in Accountancy from the University of Malta.
Mikaela holds the position of Director of Human Resources for Harvest Technology plc and its various subsidiaries. Mikaela returned to Harvest Technology plc in February 2022, where she was originally employed as an HR Coordinator back in 2019 . Prior to her return, Mikaela gained extensive leadership and HR management experience whilst working as an HR Manager within the automotive industry.
Over the years Mikaela has obtained various qualifications and certifications in the Human Resources field, including but not limited to: Human Resources Management, Effective Leadership, Performance Management, Employment Law, Occupational Psychology as well as Coaching and Mentoring.
Mikaela is committed to continue to offer strategic direction to the management and leadership teams, to grow and nurture a strong culture of inclusivity, and to increase engagement and retention within the business, by continuously implementing new initiatives and giving priority to employee voice.
Denise joined 1923 Investments as Data Protection Officer in June 2023. She is responsible for advising the companies on privacy-related matters, raising awareness, and driving the companies’ General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance programme. Denise also conducts initial audits for new acquisitions and projects, identifying gaps for compliance with GDPR requirements and oversees the implementation of improvement processes to ensure GDPR compliance. In 2024, Denise was also appointed DPO at Harvest Technology plc, a 1923 Investments subsidiary, to delve deeper into the group’s operation, ensuring that privacy and security sit at the heart of product development and that employees are up-to-date with data protection training. An experienced data protection professional with 10 years of experience in the field, Denise joined the Company from BNF Bank where she was the DPO, while also being responsible for setting up a regulatory compliance team.
Lorn was appointed Managing Director at PTL Ltd in 2024. He is responsible for leading the business, implementing a business growth strategy to develop existing verticals and expand into new markets and segments, whilst ensuring operational efficiency is maintained. He also oversees the entire operation and manages the leadership team, while spearheading the development of PTL IP generated software. Lorn joined 1923 Investments plc, PTL’s parent company, as Director of IT in 2021 from De La Rue Currency and Security Print Limited, where he was Site IT Manager. He holds an MSc in Business Information Systems Management and is highly experienced in project management, business intelligence and knowledge management.
George Kakouras is the Managing Director of Hili Properties plc, a division of Hili Ventures. He previously served as the Managing Director of Apco Systems Ltd, a subsidiary of Harvest Technology plc.
Earlier in his career, Mr Kakouras gained extensive international management and leadership experience at Intralot group and Maltco Lotteries, where he was Chief Operating Officer and a member of the board.
George Kakouras holds a BSc and an MEng in Electrical and Computer Engineering and an MBA in Engineering Economics Systems from the National Technical University of Athens.
Chris Demicoli leads Apco’s operations and manages the leadership team, focusing on implementing a growth strategy to expand into new markets and segments, enhancing the technology portfolio with additional brands, and maintaining operational efficiency.
Chris joined PTL Limited in 2018 as Head of Sales and was promoted to Chief Commercial Officer in 2022. Throughout his tenure, he played a crucial role in shaping PTL’s sales strategy, aligning commercial objectives with the company’s vision and values, and strengthening customer acquisition and loyalty. His contributions extend to developing product roadmaps and nurturing key partner relationships, establishing a foundation for sustained growth and innovation.