Jesmond Saliba
The Commissioner
Jesmond Saliba is the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations, after gaining unanimous backing in Parliament’s Public Appointments Committee in August 2021.
Over the past thirty years through his profession and interests developed a committed passion to social justice and a high level of understanding of the various elements composing Malta’s society.
He has been involved in different areas within the voluntary sector for many years, from music and sports in the locality of Fgura to sports at a national level. Saliba headed the Malta Volleyball Association.
For the past decade, Saliba served as a member of the board of directors of Dar tal-Providenza and is also a member of Fondazzjoni Sebħ and Save a Life Foundation.
He has a keen interest in communications, international relations, diplomacy, and foreign affairs, with particular focus on Europe and European Affairs.
Jesmond has a BA in Communications and International Relations from the Univeristy of Malta and M. Sc. In Corporate Communications and Public Affairs from the RGU University in Aberdeen.
Jesmond is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the UK Insistute of Leadership and Management.
Jesmond is married to Aneta Turek and is the father of Julia and Irene.
Roderick Agius
Director Of Annual Returns and Compliance
Roderick Agius currently holds the position of Director (Annual Returns and Compliance). He has been working at the OCVO since June 2018. Previously he worked in the field of education and educational services.
Roderick has been involved with Voluntary Organisations since 1988. He has worked with local organisations and with pan European organisations in the field of international development, humanitarian aid and social justice.
Roderick holds a Masters degree in Public Policy.
He is married to Marguerite.
Marika Farrugia
Director of Strategy and Support
Marika Farrugia is responsible for leading and managing the HR Unit, Training, Performance Appraisals, Information Technology, Research and work related to Moneyval and FATF. She joined this Office in June 2009, as an Executive Secretary to the Commissioner to assist the Commissioner in his various duties related to his job as regulator of the voluntary sector, together with the overall administration of the Office.
In 2013 Ms. Farrugia took up the position of a Support Services Manager, responsible for Corporate Services of the Office, overall management, operations and research work of the Office, which included HR, Training. Finance, Procurement, Annual Report, Research, and Moneyval related work, whilst also assisting the Commissioner in his duties to regulate the voluntary sector.
Before joining the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisation, Ms. Farrugia worked in the private sector with the telecommunications company GO. Between 2004 and 2009, Ms. Farrugia worked in the HR, Training and Career Development Directorate, as Assistant Head and Heading of the Training and Career Development Unit and was also responsible for HR matters of the Training and Career Development Unit. In this role she led the overall management of identifying training needs, development of training programmes, organisation, administration and coordination of training programmes to approximately 1,400 GO employees. Between 2001 and 2004, Ms. Farrugia worked with Maltacom Training College (a subsidiary company of Maltacom plc) as a Marketing Executive to market this College both in the local and international markets, were both local and foreign employees were trained. Ms. Farrugia was highly involved in the design, implementation and successfully running and retainment of the ISO 9001:2000 quality standard that Maltacom Training College achieved in 2001. She was also a member on the ISO 9001:2000 Quality Committee.
In 1993 Ms. Farrugia was appointed as a Marketing Officer with Maltacom plc and in 1999 she was promoted as a Brand Manager responsible for the marketing of several Maltacom services. She also travelled abroad on several work assignments to different countries on the marketing of such services, where she gained experience in this area.
Between 1978 and 1993, Ms. Farrugia worked as an Advertising Executive at Public Broadcasting Services and was later promoted to assist and deputise the Head of the Advertising department.
Ms. Farrugia is a Master of Science graduate with Distinction from the University of Leicester.
Lourdes Sciberras
Director Finance, Administration, Enrolment, Monitoring and Investigations
Lourdes Sciberras currently holds the post of Director Finance, Administration, Enrolment, Monitoring and Investigations since June 2019.Previously she had been working in Health as Deputy Charge Nurse Anesthesia, and Charge Nurse for Scrub Nurses. She formed part of the ERU (Emergency Response Unit) where major disasters were involved and out of stock items procurement. For this she was nominated for the Worker of the Year Award 2016 as part of the team. Lourdes was also Charge nurse at Mount Carmel Hospital’s Halfway House where Mental Health patients were thought how to cope in the Community. She ended her role at Health as General Operations Manager.
Lourdes is married to Mario and has two children Kyle and Mariah.
Dr. John Seychell Navarro
Director of Legal services
Dr. John Seychell Navarro studied Environmental Health and graduated in Health Science at the University of Malta in 2000. He was admitted to the Board for the Professions Supplementary to Medicine in August of the same year. He then attained a Diploma in Management from the University of Malta in 2003. In 2006 he graduated as a Bachelor of Laws and attained a Diploma in Notary Public in 2007. On the 5th of November 2008 he attained a licence to lecture on Food Safety and on the 15th of December 2009 he attained a licence as an Environmental Health professional. He was also appointed as an expert to the Administrative Tribunal on the 27th of February 2009 which post has been renewed till the present day. In 2009 he graduated as Doctor of Laws and obtained a warrant to practice as a Lawyer on the 22nd of February 2010.
Dr. Seychell Navarro worked as an Environmental Health Officer from the year 2000 and was promoted to Senior Environmental Office in the year 2006. He was appointed as a Deputy Registrar in the Courts of Justice in the year 2009 and Assistant Registrar of the Criminal Court and Tribunals in 2013. He set up the Asset Management Unit in the Courts of Justice and introduced Asset Tracing in criminal proceedings in a completely new procedure. He was appointed Deputy Director of the Asset Recovery Bureau in 2015 and then started working as a Senior Legal Officer with the OCVO in November 2018. In May 2019 he was appointed Director Legal Services of the OCVO. He also lectures with Jobsplus and the University of Malta.
Dr. Seychell Navarro has also attended many conferences in Malta and overseas on various topics including Food Safety, Waste Management, Prevention of Money Laundering and Asset Recovery,
Dr. Raiza Borg Carr
Head of the Programmes and Policy Implementation Unit
Dr. Borg Carr is an advocate by profession, and over the years has worked in various different sectors including general litigation, intellectual property law, whilst also participating in various business ventures. She also delivers lectures on different areas of law. Throughout the years she has also participated in different voluntary activities, and this started since she was of a very young age.
Prior to heading the PPIU, Dr. Borg Carr was a Senior Manager (Human Resources and Training) until November 2021.
Currently, Dr. Borg Carr heads the PPIU, where she is primarily responsible of steering a national reform, entitled the VO Plus Convention. The reform in fact is a national consultative journey the OCVO has embarked on that together with all major stakeholders will not only see a new legislative framework, but will aim to build a sustainable voluntary sector.
Dr. Borg Carr is married to Matthew.