Steve Ellul is set to be appointed CEO of one of the government's hottest and most controversial agencies, Times of Malta can confirm.
Sources close to the Infrastructure Ministry said the former Project Green CEO is expected to take the helm of Infrastructure Malta in the coming days after it was confirmed earlier this week that current head Ivan Falzon will be stepping down.
Ellul's appointment might explain why, earlier this week, sources said the new CEO will help the government take the roads agency "in a different direction".
Ellul - who until last month was vying to become one of Labour's MEPs - previously held the role of the first CEO of the government's agency tasked with greening urban and other public spaces.
Project Green vows to spend €700 million over seven years to create greener, cleaner and more open public spaces, and sources said it was time that environment-oriented vision was also applied to the planning of other infrastructure projects.
"It doesn't mean the government will stop building roads," one source said. "But we need to start looking at infrastructure differently.
"We believe that was one of the messages voters sent us in the election."
IM has been criticised over uncoordinated road works and Falzon himself stirred controversy last week when he told an interviewer on RTK103 that a proposed Chamber of Architects alternative to the Msida Creek flyover project was a “Photoshop exercise” that would prolong commutes.
When contacted for comment about Ellul's appointment, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bonett only said the new CEO will be announced in the coming days.
The official announcement is expected to come early next week.
Meanwhile, when contacted on Friday Ellul did not wish to comment.
Ellul, 38, is a financial analyst and lecturer at the University of Malta and previously held a senior position at Bank of Valletta. He has also worked as a consultant in Miriam Dalli’s energy ministry and spearheaded the PL’s economic policy group.
No official reason was given for Falzon's decision to step down, but multiple sources said there was a mutual agreement between him and Minister Bonett for an "amicable separation".
During Falzon's tenure, Infrastructure Malta completed the Mrieħel underpass, the airport flyover project, the widening of Pembroke's main road and the reconstruction of the Għadira and Ċirkewwa roads.
He was about to begin work on the massive Msida Creek project and had promised that another road project for Paceville would follow.
Bonett is yet to fill another top job in his portfolio - the role of Transport Malta CEO - after former CEO Mark Mallia was appointed head of secretariat at the Office of the Prime Minister last month.
It is yet unclear who the top contenders for that job are but the prime minister said earlier this week that decisions on both positions are imminent.