Licensing Jurisdiction Announces New CEO

March 16, 2009 (InfoPowa News) — The Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta, which regulates and licenses online gambling companies operating from the Mediterranean island jurisdiction, has announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer to replace former CEO Mario Galea.
 
Reuben Portanier, who graduated with an honors degree in economics from the University of Malta in 1996, is the appointee.
 
Portanier has senior management experience in the ICT industry and in management consultancy, where he was Group Chief Officer (Strategy and Business Development) with the Datatrak Group and Chief Information Officer with MITTS Ltd. Apart from holding the position of Chief Information Officer with MITTS Ltd, he also occupied the positions of Department Manager for Strategy and Business Development and Department Manager for Human Resources with the same company.
 
As a Senior Executive with MITTS Ltd, he was also the chair of Malta government's CIO Council, was a member of the National Information Society Advisory Council and was Malta's representative on the International Council for Information Technology in Public Administration (ICA). In 2006, Portanier co-authored government’s Industry Strategy for Malta 2007-2010.
 
His cv includes management consultancy experience both with the government's in-house change management agency and with an international audit and advisory firm, having advised various blue-chip companies. In 2004, he assisted the government of Bermuda in its capacity building exercise on ICT and eGovernment Strategic Planning.
 
"After a period of building the Authority’s framework and operations, the LGA is now moving into its next evolutionary phase, where we are in the process of consolidating our legislative framework, streamlining our practices, and broadening our outlook to continue being at the forefront of industry developments," said LGA Chairman Nick Xuereb.
 
"The Board is confident that Mr. Portanier's strong strategic business acumen, strong leadership skills, and his extensive experience in the ICT industry will steer the LGA ahead and will position the Maltese jurisdiction as an international centre of excellence." 
 
He thanked Michael Gonzi for his valid contribution over the past months as LGA's Acting CEO following the departure of former LGA chief Mario Galea at the end of October 2008.