MSE’s Joseph Portelli on What’s Ahead for Malta’s GRC & ESG Conference

The Malta Stock Exchange’s (MSE) Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and ESG Conference returns for its fourth edition on 5th to 6th March 2026 at the Hilton Malta. Executive Chairman Joseph Portelli, who will deliver the opening address, discusses the themes shaping this year’s conference, the growing partnership between the MSE and the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), and what delegates can expect.  

The GRC & ESG Conference has grown considerably since its launch in 2023. How would you describe what the event has become?  

When we launched the conference in 2023, we wanted to create a space where regulators, corporate executives, and financial services practitioners could come together to discuss the governance and compliance challenges that really matter. Four years on, I’m proud to say that it has become a notable summit in the risk and compliance space. What started as a single-day event has evolved into a multi-day programme attracting speakers from leading institutions and global firms. While the core mission remains the same, the scope has broadened over the years with the Conference covering such a wide variety of topics from digital assets to workplace culture.  

The Conference is a joint effort between the MSE and the MFSA. Why is collaboration between the two entities so vital? 

The partnership between the MSE and the MFSA is what makes this conference distinctive. You have the country’s stock exchange and its financial services regulator standing shoulder to shoulder, sending a clear signal that Malta takes governance and compliance seriously at every level. The MFSA brings deep regulatory expertise and supervisory insight, while the MSE contributes its perspective as a market operator and its engagement with listed companies and market participants. Together, we are able to deliver a programme that bridges the gap between regulation and practice.  

You have been Executive Chairman of the MSE since 2015. How has the role of a stock exchange evolved in the broader governance and compliance landscape? 

Enormously. When I took over as Executive Chairman, my priority was to modernise and internationalise the exchange. Stock exchanges are no longer just trading platforms, we are gatekeepers of market integrity and standard-bearers for corporate governance. At the MSE, we have expanded our offering significantly, from the main market to the Prospects MTF for SMEs and the Institutional Financial Securities Market for wholesale securities. But beyond the platforms themselves, we have invested heavily in building the governance infrastructure around them.  

The speaker line-up is remarkably international. How important is it for Malta to attract this calibre of participation, and what does it say about the island’s standing in the financial services world? 

It is very important, and I believe it speaks volumes about how far Malta has come. We have speakers this year from the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the European Commission, the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and numerous other national regulators and supervisory authorities. We have senior compliance and risk leaders from Revolut, Amazon, Monzo and other leading firms. When people of this calibre choose to come to Malta and share their expertise at our conference, it reinforces the message that Malta punches well above its weight. Despite being a small country, we have built a financial services ecosystem that commands international respect. The conference is a platform not only for learning and networking but also for Malta to demonstrate that it belongs at the table when the most important governance and regulatory conversations are taking place in Europe and beyond.  

The Malta Stock Exchange GRC and ESG Conference 2026 takes place on 5–6 March at the Hilton Malta, with a pre-event cocktail reception on 4 March. For tickets and the full agenda, visit grcweekmalta.com.