George Debono has been appointed CEO of Camilleri Holdings, the company announced in a statement on Monday.
Debono takes on the job three months after resigning as Chief Commercial Officer at BNF Bank. He fills a position vacated last June by Christos Barmperis.
Debono has over 30 years of experience in the banking sector, having set up HSBC Malta’s first premier centre in 2010 before leading a number of its corporate banking teams.
In July 2019 he moved to BNF Bank, helping it set up an office in London, issue its first bond and win Bank of the Year honours for three consecutive years. He quit last September at the same time the bank’s chief financial officer also resigned.
Both those resignations came after a troubled few months in which BNF came under regulatory scrutiny due to a botched IT systems upgrade that left various customers fuming. The bank insisted the resignations were unrelated.
As CEO of the Camilleri Group, Debono will oversee a portfolio of companies and investments that spans fashion brands like Mothercare, Matalan and Promod, as well as the group’s historic confectionery business. The company employs roughly 250 people.
The company raised €15 million through an unsecured 10-year bond issue in 2024. The Camilleri group announced his appointment, which is effective immediately, in a market announcement on Monday.
