Morris Pentel - CEO of Interaction Analysis

Moderator & Speaker

Morris Pentel is a prominent figure in customer experience (CX) design and strategy. His career focus on innovations has influenced many of the technologies we take for granted. He has been a senior leader in major corporations, including running the first Customer Experience programme in Lloyds Bank. He has been an advisor to global organisations and governments for 40+ years, as well as managing large programmes and business units in telecommunications, financial services and healthcare.

He is the CEO of Interaction Analysis, where he focuses on blending advanced AI and interaction technology with habit-based engagement to drive transformation in performance, culture, revenue, a nd customer / employee experiences.

Pentel is a recognised thought leader, sharing insights on CX and contact strategies sharing insights to a worldwide audience as a popular public speaker, conference chairperson and mentor.

Elena Marcelle - Customer Experience
Strategist

Keynote & Workshop Speaker

Elena Marcelle works on customer experience as a question of how organisations decide. Her background spans more than a decade of digital and customer experience work across European markets, most recently leading customer experience and product within financial services and regulated sectors.

What she keeps seeing is the same pattern: the experience a company delivers is rarely better than the decisions behind it. Culture, in her view, is not what an organisation puts on the wall. It is what its everyday decisions make possible, especially now that automation, AI and compliance quietly shape so much of what customers feel. Through her work and writing, Elena explores how organisations build trust, consistency and long-term value through the choices they make.

Balakrishna Murthy – CX & Innovation Leader
| Former Director of CX & Innovation, Majid Al Futtaim

Keynote Speaker

Balakrishna Murthy has spent his career asking one question: why do organisations that care about their customers still deliver experiences that disappoint them? His background spans 22 years across the Middle East, leading CX strategy, service design and innovation in consulting practices and at enterprise scale, most recently as Director of Customer Experience and Innovation at Majid Al Futtaim across 14 markets in the Middle East and Africa. Before that, he led consulting practices delivering CX, CRM and service design programmes for clients across Automotive, Healthcare, Retail and Hospitality.

What he keeps seeing is the same pattern: organisations invest deeply in building customer-obsessed cultures and wonder why the experience still breaks down. In his view, the answer lies not in the intentions of the people delivering the experience, but in what has been designed, or left undesigned, around them.
Over two decades of building and leading CX systems across the Middle East, and as a member of the CXPA Middle East Regional Leadership Council, he has seen what happens when organisations design for the customer without designing for the people delivering the experience, and what becomes possible when they do both.

Dr Joyce Cassar – Permanent Secretary, Division for People & Standards, OPM

Live Executive Dialogue Speaker

Dr Cassar is a multidisciplinary professional holding postgraduate and Master’s degrees in Religious Studies and Hospitality & Tourism Management, as well as a PhD from the University of Malta focused on free will and addictions. She began her career in the manufacturing sector, gaining managerial experience and expertise in industrial relations, before spending over a decade in the tourism industry, advancing to senior roles in human resources and general management.

During her doctoral research, she transitioned into the social sector, leading outreach services for drug users and later overseeing the establishment of Caritas Malta’s first female residential programme. She joined the Public Service in 2014 as Director General Human Resources for the Ministry of Health, eventually becoming Permanent Secretary of the Division for People and Standards within the Office of the Prime Minister in 2017.

Dr Cassar's career showcases her dedication to organisational development, leaving a lasting impact on human resources, standards, and training within the government sector.

Prof. Alexiei Dingli - Professor of AI
Founder of Digital Brain

Live Executive Dialogue & Workshop Speaker

Prof. Alexiei Dingli is a Professor of Applied Artificial Intelligence at the University of Malta and the founder of Digital Brain, an AI company helping organisations turn AI hype into measurable business results. Through Digital Brain, he provides AI training, strategic consultancy, and the development of practical AI-driven solutions tailored to real business needs. With over 20 years of experience in the field, he has supported numerous companies in successfully understanding, adopting, and implementing AI. His work has been recognised as world-class by international experts, and he has received awards from organisations including the European Space Agency, the World Intellectual Property Organisation, and the United Nations. He is also an author, speaker, researcher, and member of the Malta.ai task force, which is helping position Malta as a global leader in AI.

Katrina Attard – CEO, Panta Group

Live Executive Dialogue Speaker

Katrina Attard is the CEO of Panta Group, one of Malta’s leading building services engineering firms delivering electrical, mechanical, HVAC and lift solutions across residential and large scale projects. An economist by profession, she has spent over 15 years transforming a legacy business into a modern, professionally governed organisation ready for its next chapter of growth.

What distinguishes Katrina’s leadership is her belief that success lies not only in technical excellence, but in the people who make it possible. Her current focus is building a sustainable, rewarding and diverse culture grounded in meaningful purpose. This people centred approach shapes both employee and customer experience — and it is the perspective she brings to the HR GIG conversation.

Mark Laurence Zammit – Journalist, TV host, and Media producer

Workshop Moderator

Mark Laurence Zammit is a 34-year-old, award-winning journalist, television host and media producer. He currently works for Times of Malta as a journalist and assistant editor, and is also known for his work on Malta’s most-watched current affairs TV show Xarabank (2012-2020).

He hosted several TV shows and debates on live television, interviewed political and religious leaders in Malta and abroad, and reported for Times of Malta from New York, the Vatican, Strasbourg and Vienna, among others.

In Malta, he also won awards for best investigative journalism and best feature in 2024 and for best filmed journalism three years in a row in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Maria Bugeja - Director at Saint James Hospital Group, CEO of Niumee Clinic & Managing Partner at the European Vocational Academy (EVA)

Workshop Speaker

As one of Malta's leading female executives, Maria is recognised for driving innovation, organisational transformation, and sustainable growth across healthcare, aesthetics, wellness, and of recently, education.

A firm believer in technology, lean operations, and exceptional customer experience, Maria has been an early advocate of digital transformation and is leading the integration of AI to redesign processes, enhance patient engagement, and empower teams. She is passionate about developing talent, particularly encouraging more women to pursue leadership roles, while fostering inclusive, high-performing cultures.

A natural networker and people person, Maria thrives on building meaningful relationships and believes successful organisations combine innovation with a human-centred approach.

At HR GIG, she brings practical insights into leadership, AI and organisational change.

Michael Bonello – CEO, Alliance Real Estate

Workshop Speaker

Oliver Scicluna – CEO, Aġenzija Sapport

Workshop Speaker

Oliver Scicluna, CEO of Aġenzija Sapport, is a prominent disability rights advocate and social reformer born with Spina Bifida in 1986. He holds degrees in Informatics, Youth Studies, and Public Administration, and has dedicated his career to advancing inclusion and equal opportunities. A co-founder of Breaking Limits, Malta’s first cross-disability self-advocacy NGO, he has also led several voluntary organisations and served as Chairperson and later Commissioner of the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability, where he was instrumental in strengthening legislative frameworks and launching innovative initiatives such as the Malta Business Disability Forum, a platform bringing together the business community, disability organisations, local councils, and mental health representatives for constructive dialogue.

After serving as a Member of Parliament, he now leads major disability sector reforms such as the national deinstitutionalisation policy, introducing personal assistance and personal budget reforms, and expanding community inclusion programmes.

In 2025, he received the European Social Network’s Leadership in Social Services Award.

Pauline Agius

Conference Presenter

Pauline Agius is a television presenter, producer, podcast host, and entrepreneur known for her engaging communication style and strong connection with audiences. With extensive experience across television, live events, and digital media, she has built a respected career centred on storytelling, public engagement, and content creation. Pauline has hosted and produced a variety of programmes and events, earning recognition for her authenticity, professionalism, and ability to connect with people from all walks of life.

As an entrepreneur, she is passionate about developing meaningful projects that inspire conversation and positive change. A dedicated mother of two boys, she often speaks about the importance of balancing family life with professional ambitions and credits motherhood as one of her greatest sources of strength and inspiration. Through her work and community involvement, Pauline continues to champion personal growth, resilience, and empowerment.