As Chairman and Founder of AX Group, Angelo Xuereb is synonymous with entrepreneurial success in Malta. As a child, Mr Xuereb dreamt of becoming a successful businessman while he worked tirelessly on his father’s farm, planning and constructing rooms out of rubble. Even at a young age, there was no doubt in his mind that his hard work and savvy business acumen would take him all the way to the top.

Mr Xuereb began his career in his father’s construction and property business, and quickly realised he had found his calling in the construction industry. He set out to forge his own path, and after marrying his wife Josephine, he invested a modest sum of 200 Maltese lira (about €500) they received in wedding gifts into his own construction enterprise. Launched in 1975, AX Construction fast became one of Malta’s leading building and civil engineering contractors, with operations expanding into a hard rock quarry and the first state-of-the-art pre-cast and pre-stressed concrete factory on the island. Since then, AX Construction has completed many prestigious projects, including luxury hotels, a private hospital, a retirement village, specialist restoration works on landmark sites, and many civil engineering structures that have strengthened Malta’s infrastructure. Ever guided by his long-term vision, Mr Xuereb eventually diversified his company. He started by expanding into the hospitality sector with the opening of the four-star Sunny Coast Holiday Complex in Qawra in 1983, followed by the four-star Suncrest Hotel in 1988 – and the latter remained Malta’s largest hotel for 20 years. Under the AX Hotels brand, Mr Xuereb has launched many more award-winning hotels, including the five-star AX The Palace, the four-star AX The Victoria, as well as Palazzo Capua – a 200-year-old palazzo which Mr Xuereb meticulously restored to its former glory, inside and out.

Mr Xuereb has long harboured a vision to restore value to Malta’s capital city of Valletta. In keeping with this spirit, he has completed several noteworthy projects, including the superstructure of the new Parliament House at City Gate, the Old University campus, and the relaunched Is-Suq tal-Belt (City Market). An entrepreneur at heart, Mr Xuereb has continued to pursue many other business ventures, ranging from restaurants, private healthcare and Malta’s first retirement village to creating the Valletta Cruise Port and the total regeneration of the Valletta Waterfront. Mr Xuereb has also enjoyed a very active civic life. In 1994, he won a landslide victory and was elected independent mayor for Naxxar Local Council for two terms, even winning the award for Best Managed Local Council. He has also served as Vice President of several clubs and societies and was a council member of the Malta Federation of Industry, Chamber of Commerce, and Building Industry Consultative Council. In 1982, he was bestowed an honorary knighthood by the Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem. And, together with his wife, Mr Xuereb also launched the AX Foundation in 2006, which continues to leave a positive impact on Maltese communities by raising funds and awareness in support of various charities, community initiatives, and organisations. In 2012, Mr Xuereb published his autobiography ANGELO, which chronicles his life story and the challenges he overcame in his career. He wrote the book to inspire budding entrepreneurs to pursue their greatest ambitions with determination, creativity and integrity.

Then, in 2017, AX Hotels opened the Saint John Boutique Hotel in Valletta, followed by the five-star Rosselli – AX Privilege on Merchants’ Street. Housed in a beautifully restored 17th-century palazzo, this luxury boutique hotel is the home to the Michelin-starred Under Grain, one of Malta’s first fine dining restaurants to achieve this coveted, internationally recognised rating. And to this day, Mr Xuereb continues to keep his eyes peeled for valuable pieces of architecture that will regenerate Valletta to its former glory. Throughout his career, Mr Xuereb has won many prestigious awards, including Employer of the Year and the EY Entrepreneur of the Year in Malta. He was also nominated at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Awards held in Monaco.

Mr Xuereb and his wife have a son, Richard, and two daughters, Claire and Denise, who are actively involved in the family business and continue to drive the company forward. In 2020, 45 years after Mr Xuereb began his journey from a humble home office, AX Group relocated to the AX Business Centre in Mosta, a state-of-the-art office complex. Masterminded by Mr Xuereb himself, this flagship HQ building was designed to be a true reflection of the high level of quality AX Group is renowned for. Today, AX Group is a multi-million asset corporation comprising a diverse range of companies operating in construction, development, hospitality and healthcare.

Dr Christian Farrugia is an advocate by profession. He studied law at the University of Malta leading to the conferment upon him of a doctorate degree in 1986. He subsequently pursued and successfully completed his LL.M post-graduate studies in Maritime & Insurance Law at University College London. Upon returning to Malta in 1988, he immediately joined a legal firm which had been set up by his late father and practiced in civil and commercial law and litigation for several years. In 1995, he set up the firm’s international practice which over the years supported clients operating in a multiplicity of industry sectors, including the real estate, construction, maritime, technology, health and hospitality, and online gaming sectors. In the year 1996, Dr Farrugia also set up F&A Services Limited (today known as ARQ Fiduciaries Limited), a company which is licenced by the MFSA to provide trusts and fiduciary services under the Trusts & Trustees Act. ARQ Fiduciaries Ltd today forms part of the ARQ Group, a multi-disciplinary professional services organization of which he is also a founder and director.

In the year 2009, Dr Farrugia merged his legal practice with other established legal practitioners, to set up Fenech Farrugia Fiott Legal – a leading business law firm with offices in Valletta and B’Kara. His areas of professional focus today include corporate law, maritime law, mergers and acquisitions and financial services.

Throughout his career, Dr Farrugia acted as legal counsel to the boards of numerous corporate clients across several industries. He currently also holds the position of director of five regulated entities including A.X Real Estate PLC, Merkanti Bank plc and Advent Insurance PCC Ltd. He acts as Chairman of the latter two.

Dr Farrugia is a part-time lecturer in maritime law at the University of Malta and honorary consul to the Commonwealth island of Vanuatu in Malta.

Claire Zammit Xuereb is an influential entrepreneurial leader with a history of significant accomplishments in the hospitality industry. Through her vision, passion, and determination, Claire
remains committed to seeking untapped opportunities within the market to create a diverse range of forward-thinking and successful hospitality businesses.

Claire is the director for two of AX Group’s divisions: hospitality and care. In her role as Hospitality Director, she manages a highly regarded portfolio of seven hotels and 14 restaurants, which has become synonymous with exacting standards and stellar guest service throughout. Highlight properties under the AX Hotels brand include the five-star Rosselli AX Privilege boutique hotel in Valletta, the five-star AX The Palace in Sliema, and Grain – Malta’s only brand to house two MICHELIN-awarded restaurants under one roof. Having led AX Hotels from strength to strength over the past years, Ms Zammit Xuereb was also appointed Director of AX Care in 2022. Ms Zammit Xuereb brings in a wealth of leadership experience and passion for positive change to the company’s established and highly successful healthcare brands, namely Malta’s only luxury retirement village Hilltop Gardens and Simblija Care Home in the heart of Naxxar. She believes that building a sense of community is essential to quality and genuine healthcare.

Claire holds a BSc in International Hospitality Management from the University of Wales and has read for a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the Centre International de Glion. Claire’s ambition to broaden her business acumen has seen her take on roles in the global tourism industry. Her experience abroad continues to inspire her to develop new products and hospitality offerings that add quality and value to the local sector.

In addition to her directorship duties with AX Hotels, Claire also sits on the Executive Board of AX Group and has held various positions within the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association and the ITS Board of Governors. As Chairperson of the AX Foundation, Claire continues her tireless work to assist persons living with invisible disabilities, primarily those on the autism spectrum. Under her auspices, the Foundation has made strides in contributing to national policy-making to drive positive social change that will create a more inclusive future for all.

Michael Warrington is CEO of AX Group, and his AX journey started over two decades ago. Originally approached for financial advice, Mr Warrington became CFO of AX Group in 2000. He retained the position until 2016 when AX Group Chairman and Founder Angelo Xuereb appointed him as the Group’s new CEO. From the get-go, Mr Warrington has drawn on his extensive background in banking and finance to lead with a forward-thinking but measured approach, driving AX Group towards steady year-on-year growth.

Mr Warrington came to AX Group as a highly skilled executive with experience across several industries. He holds a BA Hons in Accountancy and an MA in Financial Services from the University of Malta. He is also a Certified Public Accountant, a Fellow of the Malta Institute of Accountants, and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in the UK. The CEO’s varied career began at Bank of Valletta in 1979 at a very formative time in Malta’s financial services industry. The company underwent an IPO on the Malta Stock Exchange in Mr Warrington’s time there, and he was also involved in forming two subsidiary banks: BOV International Ltd and Valletta Investment Bank Ltd.

After qualifying as an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Mr Warrington spent four years as CFO of Air Malta, leading the airline to unprecedented profitability. Since then, Mr Warrington set up his own firm, joined the team that opened The Westin Dragonara Resort, and was instrumental in establishing FCM Bank Ltd in 2011 and restructuring Novum Bank Ltd between 2013 and 2016. Mr Warrington serves as a director on the board of several private and public listed companies both in Malta and internationally. He has held board positions with GO plc, Malta Properties Company plc and various family-owned businesses. He is currently director of AX Group plc, AX Investments plc, Cablenet Communications Systems plc, Together Gaming Solutions plc, Novum Bank Ltd, Citadel Insurance plc, Nissan International Insurance Ltd, and Valletta Cruise Port plc.