Hygeia: A Conference on Mental Wellness at the Workplace
Speakers
Meet our speakers
Hon. Jo Etienne Abela - Minister for Health & Active Ageing
Jo Etienne is a Maltese surgeon and politician. He studied medicine at the University of Malta, furthered his studies in Scotland, and specialised in oesophageal and pancreatic surgery. In 2022, he was elected to Malta's parliament and appointed Minister for Health and Active Ageing.
Prof Andrew Azzopardi - Associate Professor, Faculty for Social Wellbeing, University of Malta
Andrew Azzopardi is an Associate Professor and and former Dean of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing and former Head of the Department of Youth and Community Studies. He was also formerly the Chair of the Platform for Migration and Chair of the Cottonera Resource Centre. His lecturing and research focus on inclusive education, sociology, critical pedagogy, disability politics, youth studies and community development. He has contributed extensively in a number of other lauded journals, and has published various texts on disability politics, young people, and inclusive education. He is a Member of the Editorial Panel of the highly acclaimed International Journal of Inclusive Education, and co-editor of Inclusive communities: A Critical Reader (2012). Azzopardi has also edited Youth: Responding to Lives – An International Reader (2013), co-edited Perspectives on wellbeing – a reader (2019) and also edited societas.expert, amongst others. He is an established broadcaster anchoring a current affairs program on 103 Malta's Heart/newsbook.com.mt
Karl Bennett - Chair at EAPA, UK
Karl is the Chair of EAPA UK and the Wellbeing Director of Vivup. Karl is well-known and highly respected as an expert within the Employee Assistance sector. Advisingon mental health and wellbeing strategies within the public, private and charity sectors, including the BBC and Great Ormond Street Hospital
Dr Ann Bugeja - Partner at GVZH Associates
Ann heads the employment and private client practices within the firm. She has advised a number of large companies in Malta on non-litigious employment law arising from day-to-day matters and more specific issues such as collective redundancies and protection of employees under the TUPE regulations.
Daniela Calleja Bitar - CEO at the Richmond Foundation
Daniela has been working in the Mental health sector for 23 years. Backed by an MA in mental health studies, she has a passion for patient advocacy, was pivotal to the introduction of Mental Health First Aid in Malta, and is a dedicated leader to a team of over 90 committed professionals.
Ray Debattista - Chief People & Change Officer at Bank of Valletta
Ray, with a career at the Bank since 1984, has held key roles in recruitment, employee engagement, and talent management. As CPCO, he develops HR strategies, oversees succession planning, and manages employee relations.
Kenneth Farrugia - Tutor at the Central Mediterranean Business School
Kenneth is deeply committed to sustainability and collaboration. During the last twenty years he was exposed to a variety of professional settings in Malta and abroad, including non-profit NGOs, the military, the public sector, startup companies and corporate global organisations. He has led numerous successful projects, including navigating global teams through tight regulatory deadlines within the pharmaceutical industry. Over the last five years Kenneth has been carrying out research in workplace sustainability with special a focus on human behaviour, workplace evolution and long-term professional effectiveness. This included Malta-based research on workplace burnout, in collaboration with the Central Mediterranean Business School and Infinite Potential, an international organisation led by Occupational Psychologists.
Major (Ret.) Andrew Fox - Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society
Andrew served for 16 years in the British Army, completing three tours of Afghanistan and other tours in Bosnia, Northern Ireland and the Middle East. He was medically retired with PTSD in 2021. He was then a senior lecturer in Behavioural Science at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
He holds degrees in Law & Politics, Modern War Studies, and Psychology, and the Henry Jackson Society he specialises in the psychology of disinformation, and the Middle East.
Kate Hull Rodgers - Managing Director at HumourUs
Kate is a leading specialist on the subject of humour and how it impacts the workplace. She is an international speaker and pioneer in the field of humour and health. Her work focuses on teams and leaders where enjoyment in employment is encouraged. For over 30 years she has advised governments, health professionals and businesses in 29 countries on 5 continents. Kate is also associate creative director of Stepping Stone Theatre for Mental Health – a multi award winning company which uses theatre and literacy to help destigmatize mental illness. She has been a BBC radio presenter, business journalist, member of the Professional Speakers Association, an award winning comedienne and subject of the television documentary “Laughter is the Best Medicine”. Kate is author of two books, 'Pearls of Bizdom' and 'Pull Your Socks Up' (co-written with her husband), a memoir of her time in mental institutions. Kate is also recipient of the prestigious national title at the UK Mental Health and Well Being awards for The Most Inspirational Story.
Godfrey Kenely - Consultant at the Richmond Foundation
Godfrey is an experienced business management and digital marketing consultant with a diverse skill set in training, research, software solutions, and digital marketing.He has successfully led multiple projects at Richmond Foundation, focusing on research, training, education, and awareness initiatives. His comprehensive expertise enables him to drive organisational growth and foster digital innovation effectively
Dr Natalie Kenely - Senior Lecturer, Faculty for Social Wellbeing, University of Malta
Natalie is a social worker by profession, and worked for a number of years with children and youth in different settings. She is a resident senior lecturer in the Faculty for Social Wellbeing, University of Malta and served as Head of the Department of Social Policy and Social Work between 2016 and 2020.Natalie has collaborated with Richmond Foundation on research into youth mental health.She has presented her research in conferences both locally and abroad, and has published on topics such as loneliness, resilience, leadership and management, reflective practice and gender equity.
Trudy Kerr - Founder, Host and Producer of The SHE Word Ultra Runner, Traveler and Author
Trudy has extensive experience in communications, media, strategy and marketing, having worked in a number of leadership roles within these areas. She is well versed in all things iGaming, while her previous role saw her occupying the same post, Head of Strategy and Marketing, at iGEN- the iGaming European Network. She also hosts a popular podcast called The Interviewer, where she invites a diverse range of guests who are leaders in their respective fields.
Dr Rachel (Sasha) Taylor-East - Psychiatrist at Malta Mental Health Services, Mount Carmel Hospital, and President of the Maltese Association of Psychiatry
Rachel is a medical doctor, Consultant Psychiatrist who works with adults with acute general mental disorder. She has been working in mental health services since 2007 and completed her postgraduate in Psychiatry with distinction. She is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta.
She is an activist at heart, passionate about standards of mental health care, patient rights and reducing stigma.
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