Boyden in Malta: Momentum in the Mediterranean

Boyden opened its Malta office in May 2024 in response to the rapid growth of our newly established Athens office and demand from clients with strong interests in Malta. The island’s strategic location, thriving economy, pro-business policies and highly skilled workforce made it a natural choice. Boyden Greece, Cyprus and Malta covers each regional market with a strong local presence, providing complete executive talent solutions—executive search, interim management and leadership consulting—to multinational and local organizations in a range of industries.

The Malta office is led by Dr. Vassilis Trochalidis, an established international business leader, board member mentor and CEO based in Malta. Vassilis is a professional with over 30 years of experience in developing and managing businesses, including both startups and established organizations at the international level. His industry experience parallels some of Malta’s fastest-growing sectors, with a focus on technology, particularly IT, telecommunications and iGaming.

The Maltese success story: key sectors and drivers

Malta has a thriving and diverse economy spanning many sectors. Manufacturing has been a mainstay since the 1950s and is now highly sophisticated. Healthcare and life sciences, particularly pharmaceuticals and medical devices, are also well-established. In the past decade, industries such as financial services, sustainable tourism, consumer products, and aerospace have grown rapidly—but Malta’s biggest success story is that of its high technology sector.

Malta has become a tech hub in the Mediterranean with a vibrant startup ecosystem and leadership in digital transformation. The Europe Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA) recognised Malta as “a top destination for innovative startups” in its 2024 Startup Nations Standard Report, due largely to its ability to attract, develop and retain tech talent. In addition, a pro-business environment, advanced digital infrastructure, and top-notch education have spurred growth across the ICT (information and communications technology) sector including iGaming, fintech, blockchain, AI and e-commerce.

The advantage of local expertise in Malta

Vassilis emphasizes the human capital aspect, saying “I have always maintained that technology, systems and products are secondary. The primary factor that brings sustained business success and lifelong development is people. The right people.”

Asked to share insights on how Boyden helps clients grow and succeed in Malta and abroad, Vassilis outlined the following:

• Filling skills gaps: As a global firm, we recruit leadership talent both for international companies with roles in Malta and for Maltese companies seeking to fill positions overseas.
• Acquiring tech talent: Boyden has access to executive talent at the international level across the tech sector and, when needed, can transition talent from adjacent tech industries to relatively younger industries like iGaming.
• Delivering diversity: Most tech companies in Malta have international employees. This diversity contributes to their success and we connect clients to an international pool of talent.
• Easing relocation: Boyden has hybrid and remote roles, but candidates who relocate to Malta find the transition fairly easy. We have an international population with many English speakers. The country is very safe and has a good education system and a strong public sector.
• Connecting with colleagues: We promote the creation of bonds with coworkers, especially for people who relocate to Malta.