Natalie Briffa Farrugia, CareMalta’s CEO is the winner of the first edition of the Malta Businesswoman of the Year Award. Ms Briffa Farrugia was honoured in a ceremony that saw a line-up of inspirational business leaders and pioneers descend at the Verdala Palace to celebrate the spirit of female entrepreneurship.

Ms Briffa Farrugia’s remarkable journey took her from teaching primary students to tending to the vulnerable in Ethiopia and Guatemala to leading one of Malta’s largest elderly home service providers, CareMalta Group Ltd.

With Ms Briffa Farrugia at the helm of CareMalta, the business has been transformed from six homes, with 437 employees in 2008, to nine state-of-the-art facilities, with over 1,000 employees and nearly €27 million in turnover as of 2017. When not busy implementing high-care standards at work, she gets involved in the lives of her two young girls, contributes to Living Waters Mission, and prepares for her next marathon run.

“I am honoured to be the recipient of this prestigious award,” said Ms Briffa Farrugia. “Heartfelt thanks goes to HSBC Malta and H.E. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. My aim in life was always to make a difference in people’s lives and I am blessed that my work allows me to do just that. If I were to share one message it would be this: look into yourself to find your uniqueness. I hope this initiative leads the way for more women to reach their full potential and be given a chance to contribute at high levels in society’s platforms.’