Mr. Portelli will take over the duties of his predecessor Mr. Victor Scicluna.    

62-year-old Sonny Portelli started his carries in the civil service before moving on to work in the tourism sector. In 30 years he occupied several management positions in all tourism sectors.  

Mr. Portelli was appointed as Maltacom’s Chairman in December 2003 and oversaw the privatisation of the group.  

Mr. Portelli is also Director to the HSBC Bank Malta plc and a member of various boards of local companies and hotels.

The Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise welcomed Mr. Portelli;s appointment and said it is encouraged by the fact that a person with a profile similar accepted the challenge to lead the MCESD, even more so, when his appointment has the backing of the social partners represented on the same Council.

The Chamber also expressed its gratitude to Mr Victor Scicluna for his “untiring efforts to lead the Council over the past years”, adding that it “is sure that Mr Portelli will continue to build on his significant contribution to the development of the MCESD”.

Concluding, the Chamber said it is also aware of “the great challenges being faced by the MCESD at this important stage of Malta’s socio-economic development” and reiterated its position that the recommendations put forward by Mr Joseph F.X. Zahra in his report last year, are applied in earnest to ensure a smooth and effective MCESD for the benefit of the country.

Mr. Portelli’s appointment was also well received by The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA). In a statement, the Association said that it is confident that Mr Portelli, a former member of the MHRA council, will bring a wealth of experience to this position and will take on this new challenge with enthusiasm and determination.

While saying that it looks forward to working with Mr. Portelli, the MHRA added that his first major challenge will be a decision on the much needed reform of the working practices of MCESD.