Gabriele Rossi
Director
After graduating from Bocconi University, Gabriele worked as an auditor for PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC). He later moved to Vodafone (Italy) where he shaped the Planning and Economics department. Gabriele then worked as a financial analyst for Mediobanca, evaluating Italian big cap and managing the examination of several IPOs. He went on to manage the Italian equity research department at Exane BNP Paribas and, subsequently, Gabriele co-managed a long-short equity fund at Sequoia and Lemanik SA. Gabriele is a Director of AQA Capital Ltd.
Alberto Conca
Director and Chief Investment Officer
Alberto has over 20 years of experience in portfolio management, having worked in the United States, Ireland, Italy and Switzerland. After graduating in Economics from the University of Pavia, Alberto moved to Connecticut (USA), where he worked on the development of non-linear models for the prediction of volatility. He later returned to Italy and worked for RAS, becoming the Head of Equity at Aletti Gestielle. Alberto then worked as a fund manager for Kairos Alternative Investments, and at Pioneer Alternative Investments, where he co-managed the Global Long Short Fund from Ireland. In 2008, he arranged and managed funds at Sequoia and later at Lemanik.Alberto is a Director and Chief Investment Officer at AQA Capital Ltd
Christian Manicaro
Director and Chief Executive Officer
Christian graduated in Economics from the University of Malta and started his career as a Merger and Acquisitions analyst at the Office of Competition. Later, he moved to the United Kingdom, reading an MSc at the University of York and acquiring the CFA Charterholder. After his studies, Christian joined APS Bank Limited in Malta as a fund manager. He then joined AQA Capital Ltd, setting up offices in Malta and networking connections throughout the country. He is also currently reading a PhD in Finance and is a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta. Christian is a Director and the Chief Executive Officer at AQA Capital Ltd.
Elaine Bonnici
Director and Head of Strategy and Business Development
Elaine started her career at one of Malta’s leading banks, focused primarily on retail and commercial advances. She then moved to the Malta Financial Services Authority, within the Authorisation Unit, gaining extensive experience in the regulatory framework for investment services and collective investment schemes. Elaine joined AQA Capital as the Head of Compliance and was later appointed as Head of Strategy and Business Development. She also sits on the board of Irish and Luxembourgish collective investment schemes. Elaine holds an Honours Degree in Banking and Finance and a Master’s Degree in Banking and Finance, both awarded from the University of Malta, and has her academic work published in the Islamic Economic Studies journal. Elaine is a Director and Head of Strategy and Business Development at AQA Capital Ltd.
Joseph Falzon
Director
Professor Falzon holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from Northwestern University, USA. He has served as a consultant to several leading organizations and financial institutions in Malta, including the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economic Services, Economic Policy Division, Malta Tourism Authority, and the Malta Council of Economic and Social Development (MCESD), the Bank of Valletta and the Central Bank of Malta. He has also served as a Board Member of the National Tourist Organization, Enemalta and Malta Statistics Authority. He is the founder and former Head of the Department of Banking and Finance and the former Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy at the University of Malta. At present, Professor Falzon is a consultant to various firms and SICAVs, and is also the deputy Chairman of the Malta Stock Exchange. . Professor Falzon was appointed as Director of AQA Capital Ltd in 2015.
Joseph Portelli
Director
Joseph has over 39 years of experience employed in various capacities within the financial industry in the U.S and in Malta. He has experience as a portfolio manager, currency, and futures trader, and has worked with Bank of America, Nomura Securities, Goldman Sachs, Millburn Ridgefield, and Liongate Capital Management. He was also chief investment officer and managing director of FMG Funds, an emerging markets specialist. He is currently the Executive Chairman of the Malta Stock Exchange and sits on its Audit Committee. Between April 2013 and April 2015 he sat on its board and chaired its Risk Management Committee. In 2015 he was named chair of the Malta Stock Exchange PLC and has founded and chairs various MSE-owned subsidiaries such as the Malta Stock Exchange Institute amongst others. He also offers risk management consulting, and sits on the boards and investment committees of numerous asset management and financial service companies domiciled in Malta. Joseph also sits on the Malta Financial Services Advisory Council a board constituted by the Finance Ministry of Malta and is chairman of the World Federation of Exchanges, Governance and Nominations Committee. Joseph was also a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta and has taught courses at the Malta Institute of Accounting, and other institutions. He was a regular contributor to the Times of Malta, writing about investor education. Joseph graduated with a BA from Baruch College, City University of New York. Mr Portelli was appointed as Director of AQA Capital Ltd in 2015.
Mario Fountain
Chief Operating Officer
Mario joined AQA Capital Ltd with over 15 years of experience in the Fund Services Industry with BOV Fund Services Ltd, a subsidiary of Bank of Valletta plc, where he was the Deputy Head of the Finance Department. Previously he obtained his Honours Degree in Banking & Finance from the University of Malta graduating in 2005. Mario is the Chief Operating Officer at AQA Capital Ltd.
Giacomo Severini
Business Implementation Manager
Giacomo obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Business at the University of Siena in 2015. He then attended an English Master’s Degree course in Business Management at the University of Roma La Sapienza, where he graduated with full marks in 2017. During his studies, he interned as an accounting assistant before moving to Copenhagen, where he joined a multinational company and conducted research for the business development and analysis of the Italian market. Giacomo is a Business Implementation Manager at AQA Capital Ltd.
Davide Palmaghini
Investment Committee - Real Estate
Davide achieved his Master's Degree in Business Administration and Management in 2003, followed by a Master's Degree in Business Engineering in 2005, both from Università Cattaneo. In 2005, he attended the Post Graduate Course in Real Estate Development and Management at Politecnico di Milano. Davide is an experienced Investment Fund Manager with a specialized focus on Real Estate and Alternative Investment Funds, operating under the EU AIFM Directive. He also serves as a lecturer for the Real Estate University Master program at the ABC department of Politecnico di Milano and as a committee member at the CeRAR Research Center of Università degli Studi di Brescia. Davide is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), with specialism on "Property Finance and Investment and he also contributes as an RICS ACP Assessor. Davide fulfills the role of Real Estate Specialist and is an Investment Committee member at AQA Capital Ltd..
Antonella Ponte
Investment Committee - Real Estate and Private Equity
Antonella is a corporate finance professional with +20 years’ experience in the investment banking, corporate and private equity industries. After graduating in Business Administration from Bocconi University, in Milan, she started her career in the corporate finance team of PricewaterhouseCoopers and then spent 9 years at Deutsche Bank, later also acting as Vice President in the Continental Europe M&A team based in London. In 2009 she joined the Banchero Costa group of companies to lead debt and equity new initiatives in the shipping sector. More recently Antonella formed part of the investment team of Oxy Capital, as an investment advisor focused on turnaround opportunities. Antonella is an Investment Committee member at AQA Capital Ltd.
Simone Colombo
Portfolio Manager – AQA Colombo Extra Return Fund
Simone has over 15 years of experience in financial markets, first as a trader and then as a portfolio manager in various institutional realities. He matured experience in Banca Profilo, where he developed his derivatives sales skills before then moving to Banca Leonardo as a proprietary trader, with volatility and carry trading books on the main European markets. He then became responsible for the Treasury Department of the Bank and then private banker for the main large customers of the same. Simone joined AQA Capital Ltd in 2019, managing the Colombo Extra Return Fund.
Chiara Sestan
Italian Branch Manager
After graduating in Finance from Bocconi University, Chiara joined the Equity and Derivatives desk at Euromobiliare Sim as a proprietary trader on the Italian Stock Index and single stock options. She later moved to Banca Profilo where she gained particular skills in sales to institutional investors, mainly UK based Hedge Funds. Chiara then worked at Equita Sim where she developed skills in special situation analysis such as long-short trading, right options and capital increase. Chiara is the Italian Branch Manager at AQA Capital Ltd.
Rebecca Xuereb
Business Implementation Manager
After obtaining a BA in Business Management with Law and an MSc in Finance, Rebecca joined Malta’s largest banking group where she was appointed as Manager of Business Development and Corporate Services. Rebecca was mainly responsible for developing the business of the Group’s fund administration subsidiary and assisting fund managers and promoters from various jurisdictions in successfully structuring their retail and alternative fund vehicles and asset management operations.
Rebecca then joined AQA Capital as Business Implementation Manager in 2022 where she continues to assist promoters in structuring their fund vehicles across Europe.
Stephanie Borg Caruana
Risk Manager
Stephanie graduated with an Honours Degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Malta in 2018. Whilst reading for this degree, she completed an internship within the Risk Management Department at Bank of Valletta. After graduating she moved to Dublin, reading for an MSc in Financial Risk Management at Trinity College Dublin where she was also a Financial Analyst for the Trinity Student Managed Fund. Stephanie is the Risk Manager at AQA Capital Ltd.
Giusi Criscione
Operations Officer
After graduating with a Master’s Degree in Corporate Finance from the University of Catania in 2014, she interned as an accounting assistant in one of the biggest accountancy offices in Catania. She later joined Framont & Partners Management in Malta, gaining particular experience and knowledge on the role of the back office and compliance for the private clients management branch. Giusi is an Operations Officer at AQA Capital Ltd..
Marija Cini
Compliance Officer
Marija obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Banking and Finance and Statistics and Operations Research from the University of Malta in 2016. She started her career working as a fund administrator with PraxisIFM Malta where she gained extensive knowledge in fund management. Marija then continued her studies at the University of Malta, graduating with a Master’s Degree in Banking and Finance. Marija is the Compliance Officer at AQA Capital Ltd.
Giovanni Pierucci
Wealth Manager
Giovanni obtained his Master’s Degree “cum laude” in Corporate Finance in 2022 from LUISS University, where he also completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Management in 2019. During his studies, he spent a semester studying Finance and Economics at Rennes School of Business as part of the Master’s Degree program. Giovanni is a Wealth Manager at AQA Capital Ltd.
Julian Borg Gauci
Operational Manager
Julian joined AQA Capital Ltd with over 15 years of experience in the Financial Services Industry, with Blevins Franks Financial Management Ltd, STM Malta Pensions and recently with Scotstone Fund Managers Limited, a full Alternative Investment Fund Manager, where he was the Managing Director. Julian holds qualifications in Financial Advice and Investment Management. Julian is the Operations Manager at AQA Capital Ltd.
Agata Jasko
Head Of Finance And Valuation
Jan Langmajer
Research Analyst
Jan graduated in Economics from Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic in 2001. During the final stage of his studies, Jan started his career at an independent brokerage house Atlantik Financial Markets, where he later became Head of Equity Sales and Trading. He led a team of 10 people and received major credit for leading Atlantik Financial Markets to be the most profitable brokerage house in the Czech Republic. He left the company in 2011 and acted as a private investor with a focus on equity markets and renewable resources. Jan joined AQA Capital in October 2019 as a Research Analyst.
Franco Quartero
Promotore Finanziario
Franco has over 25 years of experience in network distribution management, asset management, insurance and mutual funds. After college, Franco has worked around the world as a financial planner for the Oil&Gas project in North Africa, the Middle East and Nord Sea, operating with established members of the financial community like G.E., Foster Wheeler and ENI. Meanwhile, Franco received his bachelor’s degree at SDA Bocconi where he spent time as a group manager at Mediolanum Bank and Unicredit. He has been a member of thr European Financial Advisor- EFPA- since 2005 after receiving yearly certification from them. Franco has also established many renewable solar and wind farms as a private equity investor in Italy and UK. Franco is a "Promotore Finanziario" at AQA Capital Ltd.
Alberto Tittoni
Operations Manager
Alberto obtained his master’s degree in Corporate Finance at the LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome in 2021. In the same year he completed an internship at ItaliaCamp working as an impact officer. He wrote his bachelor’s degree thesis on Cryptocurrencies impact on Financial industry and his master’s degree thesis on Artificial Intelligence impact on the Investment Management Industry, which received the maximum votes and earned the “laude”. Alberto is an Operations Manager at AQA Capital Ltd.
Kevin D’Ugo
Senior Manager - Governance
After graduating his Bachelor’s degree in Economics & Management from the University of Malta in 2008, Kevin started his career in the iGaming industry with various roles in Risk Management and Sports betting Trading. In 2011, Kevin completed his Master’s degree in Business Administration and moved on to the public sector as a Procurement Manager with various entities. Kevin was then appointed as an Assistant Director for Administration in 2017 at the Department of Contracts. Kevin is the Senior Manager – Governance at AQA Capital Ltd.
Ryan Gatt
Business Implementation Manager
Ryan joined AQA Capital with over 10 years of experience in the Investment Management industry. He began his career as a trader and analyst for a Maltese licenced Investment Manager, and later focused on Fixed Income trading and Business Development for an Australian based parent company. He later moved into an Investment Advisory Committee Member role advising on an Alternative Strategy managed by a Luxembourg Fund Manager. More recently he gained experience in the management of various Hedge Funds focused on alternative credit infrastructure and commercial lending in the UK.
Nedjmi Ozluoglu
Operations and Risk Officer
Nedjmi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Dokuz Eylul University and a Master's degree in Banking and Finance from Eastern Mediterranean University, both of which he completed through an academic scholarship. His master's thesis focused on "Exchange Rate Pass-Through," showcasing his expertise in macroeconomic dynamics. During the final semester of his master's program, he further enriched his knowledge by obtaining a diploma in "Investment Appraisal and Project Finance" from Queen's University in Canada. Throughout his academic journey, Nedjmi gained valuable hands-on experience through internships in various sectors, including accounting, banking, telecommunications, and hospitality. He began his professional career in Malta with Finance Incorporated Ltd, where he gained knowledge on international electronic funds transfer and banking operations. He then transitioned to a role as a Securities Operations Specialist at an investment firm, where he deepened his understanding of securities markets. Currently, Nedjmi is advancing his studies in financial analysis and real estate. Since May 2024, he has been serving as the Operations and Risk Officer at AQA Capital Ltd, where he continues to contribute his analytical acumen and operational insights.
Zara Acosta
Governance Officer
Zara graduated cum laude with a law degree from the University of Carabobo in Venezuela and later specialized in criminalistics. She began her career with an internship at the international law firm Travieso, Evans Rengel & Paz. Later, she worked at the Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office, starting as an assistant attorney, and eventually becoming a Prosecutor. Zara moved to Argentina, where she earned a diploma in Human Resources and worked as a supervisor at Corteva Agriscience, a leading agribusiness company. She studied a program in Canada earning a Diploma with High Honours in International Business from Seneca College in Toronto. In 2023, Zara relocated to Malta and became a Governance Officer at AQA Capital.
Andrea Vella
Trader
Andrea holds a bachelor's degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Malta and later moved to the United Kingdom to complete an MSc in Finance at the Newcastle University. Before joining AQA Capital, he built his experience with a local fund administrator and the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). At the MFSA, he started as a junior analyst focused on market infrastructure, eventually moving into a role where he analyzed prospectuses of equity and bond securities, prior to their listing on the capital markets.