Meet the Team

Mr Mark Cachia holds academic qualifications in philosophy, obtained in Padova, Italy, and in theology, pursued in Paris, France and Madrid, Spain, where he specialised in Moral Theology. From 2021 to 2024, he served as Executive Officer at the Justice and Peace Commission. He has also held several roles at the Jesuit Refugee Service Malta and has been actively engaged in a range of social initiatives both in Malta and internationally.

In June 2026, the Maltese Espiscopal Conference appointed Mark Cachia as Executive Chairperson of the Interdiocesan Commission for Promoting Integral Human Development. This Commission incorporates the work previously carried out by the Justice and Peace Commission and the Environment Commission.

Dr Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici graduated Doctor of Law in 1984 at the University of Malta.

He joined his father’s legal office in Cospicua, and practised in criminal, civil and commercial fields. At present, he is a senior lecturer in Roman Law at the University of Malta, a position he has occupied for the past thirty five years. He has also lectured on the Civil Law Tradition for the past twelve years. Between October 2021 and March 2023 he was a member of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

From 1998 till 2026 he was a Member of Parliament (Nationalist Party). In April 2003, he was appointed parliamentary secretary within the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs. In March 2008 Mifsud Bonnici was appointed Minister for Justice and Home Affairs.

In these roles, among other achievements, he was responsible for the introduction of the concept of mediation in the family courts, the Restorative Justice Act, the Protection of Minors (registration) Act and other measures to render court procedures more efficient.

Fr Jean Gové is the Diocesan Coordinator for AI for the Archdiocese of Malta. Ordained a priest in 2019, he obtained his PhD in analytic philosophy at the University of St Andrews and his current research is primarily focused on questions relating to cognition and consciousness in AI.

He is also engaged in exploring certain ethical aspects of AI tools, such as AI manipulation, and wider transhumanist issues. He is a Visiting Lecturer at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and a frequent guest-lecturer at the Department of AI, University of Malta. Fr Jean also occupies the role of Coordinator for the European AI Research Group within the Dicastery for Culture and Education, as well as the Holy See’s delegate at the Council of Europe on matters pertaining to AI and other emergent technologies.

Marisa Xuereb commenced her career in 1997 and occupied various senior roles in the manufacturing industry including that of Managing Director. She carried out a brief stint at the Central Bank of Malta as an external researcher on Monetary Policy Transmission, and undertook contractual research assignments relating to economic, social and technological impact of ICT and eServices.

In March 2015, Ms Xuereb was appointed Council Member of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry progressing to President in 2021. By virtue of this appointment, Ms Xuereb was nominated to sit on a number of Boards related to the industry which she relinquished following completion of her terms as President of the Malta Chamber in March 2023.

Ms Xuereb read for a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) degree in Economics at the University of Malta, graduating in 2000. She proceeded to read for a Master of Arts in Economics degree from the same University, graduating in 2002.

Michelle Borg is a policy maker with a career spanning three decades in spatial planning, environmental management and policy co-ordination. She obtained an MSc in Marine Resource Management (Heriot-Watt) after graduating with a B.A. Hons in Contemporary Mediterranean Studies (University of Malta). She also has a degree in Psychology (University of Malta).

Michelle had a pioneering role in the introduction of coastal management and marine spatial planning policy in Malta. She has extensive hands-on experience in engaging different stakeholders and in project development and management. In parallel, Michelle has delivered lectures at University of Malta in the fields of sustainable development, coastal management and maritime spatial planning. She actively contributes to academic papers concerning maritime spatial planning and urban greening with both national and international academics.

Dr Roberto Debono is a medical doctor and public health consultant specialising in climate, environment and health. He holds a PhD in Philosophy on Earth system governance and lectures at the University of Malta on environmental health and climate justice.

He has worked in the public and the private sector, and internationally with UN organisations and its agencies (WHO) on climate and environmental health policy.

Perit Ruben Abela is a heritage and environmental professional with more than 30 years of experience in planning, environmental and cultural heritage management, and public administration. Throughout his career, he has held senior positions within the Planning Authority, Heritage Malta, and the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), where he served as Chief Executive Officer during its formative year.

Alongside his professional career, he has been actively involved in community and voluntary work for almost four decades. He is the founder and leader of Wirt iż-Żejtun, a heritage organisation dedicated to researching, safeguarding, and promoting the cultural identity of Żejtun and the wider south-eastern region of Malta. Through this organisation, he has led numerous cultural, educational, and community initiatives, organised heritage conferences and exhibitions, secured funding for local projects, and overseen the publication of books and educational resources. His work reflects a longstanding commitment to civic participation, cultural awareness, and the preservation of Malta’s heritage for future generations.

Anthony Zammit is a Biologist and Environmental Scientist, specialising in environmental impacts, resource management and sustainability. A public officer for close to thirty years, he set up and for eight years led the ecoGozo programme, a Local Sustainable Development Strategy for the island within the Ministry for Gozo. Formerly a board member of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, and a member of the same authority’s Heritage Advisory Committee, board member of the Institute of Earth Systems at the University of Malta, and a member of the Inter-diocesan Environment Commission of the Church in Malta, he is also a member of the Gozo Regional Committee of the MCESD and a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta.

Mr Zammit has been active in the fields of social volunteering, heritage management, culture and the arts for close to forty years with a good number of different voluntary organisations, including his parish. He is a founder member of Fondazzjoni Belt Victoria.

Catherine is a warranted social worker and obtained a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Malta. She has extensive experience in a numerous settings. This includes working for 2 years in Santiago, Chile in the Hogar de Cristo, an organisation founded by San Alberto Hurtado.
For over 20 years she worked first as a community social worker and then headed a community development unit in Cottonera. Later as a services manager, she was instrumental in developing various community services in Malta. Catherine is responsible for setting up and managing the new Community Prevention Team within Fondazzjoni Sebh, which focuses on Hamrun and Marsa. In her spare time she enjoys photography, listening to music and watching sports.