Robus opens Malta office to access single market post-Brexit

Independent insurance manager and financial advisor Robus Group has opened an office in Malta to give clients the ongoing ability to access the single market after Brexit.

Licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority, the office is based in San Gwann and complements Robus’ offices in Guernsey and Gibraltar.

Spearheading this operation is Jonathan Abela, an insurance and risk professional with almost 30 years experience in the Middle East and Europe. He and his colleagues will service clients seeking an EU solution to their domiciliary requirements.

“We don’t exist for Brexit but we exist because some of our clients require the capability to be able to write risk in the EU beyond March 2019. That’s why we are resourcing Robus in Malta,” said Abela.

Abela previously served as chief operating officer and chief commercial officer at Aon Qatar and prior to that worked for Bahrain National Insurance. He started his insurance career in Malta in 1991.

Robus has also appointed Matthew Ciantar as senior accountant and Angela Thorns as non-executive chairman.

Ciantar was at KPMG for five years, working in Malta and the US. His insurance accounting experience includes long-term and general business as well as traditional insurance structures and protected cells companies.

Thorns is a Maltese lawyer who has experience as a director and company secretary to regulated companies in the insurance and pensions sector.

Richard Le Tocq, CEO of Robus, commented: “Obtaining our Malta licence at this pivotal time for business in Europe is extremely timely and will mean that we can offer genuinely independent advice to our clients whether they need to be in a European jurisdiction or otherwise.”