Former University of Malta rector Juanito Camilleri has been appointed non-executive chairman of Vodafone Malta. 

Camilleri has extensive experience in the telecoms sector, having served as the founding CEO at Go Mobile before joining Melita Cable plc as Group CEO. He is currently a resident professor at the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation at the University of Malta and is a director on various boards.

He joins Vodafone Malta just weeks after it was bought out by Monaco Telecom in a €250 million deal. 

Camilleri said he was excited about the company’s vision, saying they want to retain Vodafone Malta’s strengths while “heralding innovative digital services beyond mobile communication.”

“Monaco Telecom forms part of a greater network of operators which are not only well rooted in Europe but also have extensive experience in providing state-of-the-art and innovative services in small states. They will be an asset to Malta and I am very pleased to be invited back to make a contribution to the telecommunications sector.”

New Vodafone Malta CEO Tamas Banyai described Camilleri as a pioneer in the local telecoms industry, saying “Juanito’s reputation precedes him.”

Monaco Telecom, which recently acquired Epic – the first alternative operator in Cyprus – is a member of NJJ Holding, a European family of telecoms companies made up of leading operators in the markets of Monaco (Monaco Telecom), Switzerland (Salt), Ireland (Eir), Cyprus (Epic) and, as of today, Malta. NJJ Holding is owned by French entrepreneur Xavier Niel, who also controls Iliad-Free, a leading telecommunication player in France and Italy.

Monaco Telecom completed the acquisition of Vodafone Malta on April 1. The company will continue to operate under the Vodafone brand for a transitional period.