Read our insights, reports and more

The “Great Reset” will see the alignment of the economy with the most pressing social issues. How can Malta capitalise on this monumental change and make sure that its workforce will be equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in this brave new world?

The last two decades has shown that the globe is not static as major events such as the economic recession, the introduction of new technologies, terrorist attacks, environmental incidents, health emergencies and the introduction of new regulatory requirements occurred. These elements also impacted the corporate world and in fact, various studies found that 8 of the 10 most important business risks are directly related to environmental or social issues. For instance, risks in relation to reputation and brand, legislative change, the ability to attract top talent, and third-party liability are directly affected by sustainability issues.

Covid-19 has accelerated the digitisation of business processes – from product inception to customer interaction and work practices. A 2020 study by McKinsey showed that in 2019, the average share of digital customer interactions amounted to 32% of all customer interactions, while the share of products and/or services that were partially or fully digitized made up for 34% of all goods and services in Europe.

In recent years, money laundering (hereinafter referred to as ‘ML’) has gained notoriety due to major cases such as the Panama papers. This notwithstanding, ML existed for much longer than this but due to this crime being static, information remains dispersed and vague. The purpose of this article is to explore the development of ML over the years and how it impacted the knowledge about the subject today.

Themed “Shaping Malta's Future: Governance and Sustainability”, this year’s online forum will address how sustainable development is key in order to reignite the Maltese economy momentum after COVID-19, what organisations learnt, how businesses can mitigate deficiencies brought to light by the pandemic and what sustainable safeguards can be introduced to prevent similar market disruptions in the future.

The public relations function is often overlooked by Maltese companies, which regard it as the exercise of disseminating the odd press release to the media. In reality, at the core of any corporate public relations strategy, lies the necessity for an organisation to clearly communicate its values, mission and vision, to the public.

Bridging the gap between consumers and organizations is a process that begins during the research and development phases of brand creation, with the analysis of the target audience and the establishment of a mission, vision and values which resonate with it.

Over the past few years, automatic exchange of information has been viewed as the ultimate tool to combat tax fraud and tax evasion and following various amendments to the first Directive issued during 2011, the EU Directive 2018/822 (DAC6) was implemented to ensure mandatory automatic exchange of information in the field of taxation in relation to reportable cross-border arrangements.

For 17 years, Grant Thornton has been tracking the global progress of women in senior management. In the last 12 months, unprecedented events have had an unforeseen and unparalleled impact on that progress.

Whether starting or changing to a new job, it is never an easy decision. Many valid candidates show great enthusiasm during the interviewing process and demonstrate a genuine interest in a new role that is being offered to them.

COVID-19 is adding significant complexity to deals for both buyers and sellers— including how to document the accounting implications of COVID-19 when negotiating and drafting purchase agreements.

In our previous instalment, we have highlighted the challenges of CEO succession. Talent development is another sensitive topic, which requires a broad approach strategy to ensure that the next generation will thoroughly understand its role in the firm’s future.

Planning the succession of the CEO in a family-run business requires a series of considerations and carefully planned decisions. In some instances, the person leading the board of directors may be resistant to being replaced.

Capital Markets play a pivotal role in supporting European companies’ recover from COVID-19. It is for this reason that the EU has approved a Capital Markets Recovery package, which includes several measures.

Family-owned businesses represent around 75% of all Maltese enterprises, with many having evolved through generations from small realities to fully-fledged multinationals. Over three decades, Grant Thornton has supported family businesses in planning and implementing solutions to navigate through the most challenging decisions.

This webinar was part of the online event "Shaping Malta's Future: The New Norm" which was held in July 2020. During this session the panelists discussed the impact that the pandemic had on the use of renewable energy sources.