ROCS Group has appointed Colin Aquilina (above) as its new CEO. He will assume responsibilities with immediate effect.

Colin has been part of the group for the past 15 years, starting in 2000 as producer and later co-presenter for the Maltese TV show Tista’ Tkun Int! before being part of the rebranding exercise, which in 2007 saw a number of companies owned by the Vella family merge into one household brand – ROCS Group.

In 2007 Mr Aquilina was responsible for the company finances, business development, marketing, HR and legal aspects. During that time, the company’s travel and insurance divisions grew considerably and Inglot, Inglot the Studio and Perumes&more were launched.

“Today is a very humble day for me. It reminds me of my very first day at ROCS, 15 years ago. I joined the company because I understood how it empowered people to do magical things with their capabilities,” Mr Aquilina said.

“It is an incredible honour for me to lead and serve this company. Charles, Rita, Simon and Rachel have taken it from an idea to one of the most recognised companies in Malta. While we have seen great success, we are hungry for more. The industries we operate in do not respect tradition – but innovation and constant change. This is a time of opportunities for all of us. I wish to thank the Vella family for giving me such a great opportunity and for showing trust in my capabilities.”

Conceived in 1971 by chairman Charles Vella and his wife Rita, and later their daughter Rachel and son Simon, the group has grown in different sectors – from media to real estate, broadcasting, travel, insurance, financial services, leisure and retail.