OPM chief of staff appointed president of St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation
Mark Mallia will take over for one year as museum extension works run over delayed deadline
The Head of Secretariat at the Office of the Prime Minister Mark Mallia has been appointed president of the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation.
The appointment, announced on Friday, runs from August 1 for one year.
A military leader with 25 years’ experience in the Armed Forces, Mallia served as senior aide-de-camp to George Abela when he served as president of Malta. He was later appointed as CEO of Identita’ Malta where he served between January 2022 and February 2024 before taking up the helm of Transport Malta for five months.
In June 2024, Mallia was appointed head of secretariat at Castille.
Mallia is also chairing the subcommittee overseeing the public consultation on the proposed reforms to the planning laws.
Established in 2001 following an agreement between the government and the Archdiocese of Malta, the St John’s Co-cathedral Foundation is the “guardian” of the cathedral and is tasked with “ensuring that this heritage is conserved to internationally accepted standards”.
In a statement announcing the appointment, the foundation said Mallia’s leadership comes “at a pivotal moment” in its efforts to preserve and promote this national treasure.
A €13 million extension to the cathedral’s museum, originally planned for completion in 2018, will not meet its revised deadline of 2025.
Commenting on his appointment, Mallia acknowledged “the year ahead brings important projects that will continue to strengthen the Co-Cathedral’s role as a sacred space and a national cultural landmark”.