Leveraging ten years of accounting expertise, FN Finance founder Felicia Galea provides accounting, financial reporting, audit and financial compliance and advisory services to businesses across multiple sectors. The road leading to this point in her professional trajectory has involved some interesting left turns and detours, each of which Ms Galea says taught her a vital lesson (even when not immediately obvious at the time).

The journey into accounting came about organically. Although not in her initial plans, once Ms Galea discovered the subject, the connection was immediate and deep. “From out of nowhere, I immediately fell in love with accounting; everything clicked and I knew it was the right fit,” she describes.

Immersing herself in the subject, even during her summer break, Ms Galea switched officially to accounting and marketing A-level upon resuming college. The decisive shift marked her first step towards a finance-focused career – and she hasn’t looked back.

Landing a position at Price Waterhouse Coopers after college, Ms Galea formed part of the auditing department and simultaneously studied for her ACCA. She credits the three years at PWC as formative, not only for equipping her with crucial banking sector knowledge but also for laying the foundations of her work ethic.

Auditing brought exposure to complex concepts and rigid deadlines, while the role’s demands and Big Four culture were a learning curve in independent research, proactivity and problem-solving. “You grow up when you work in such an industry and organisation, learning to stand by your work, take responsibility for mistakes, manage your time and handle pressure effectively,” Ms Galea says candidly about her workplace baptism.

Having cut her teeth with PWC, she joined corporate services provider ARQ. Despite enjoying exposure to the retail, gaming and creative sectors, she realised she wanted to move out of professional services and transition into an industry role. A conversation with a former PWC manager led to her accepting an opportunity at payment services provider (PSP) CEEVO.

Ms Galea is philosophical about this period, explaining that brevity aside, ARQ proved influential years later in shaping her long-term thinking when weighing up staying in employment versus starting her own business. “I kept thinking back to ARQ. If I hadn’t moved there and then been offered the Ceevo position, I believe the outcome now would be different,” she reflects. “Identifying what you don’t want is just as clarifying as knowing what you do.”

Moving to CEEVO (a newly incorporated PSP at the time) provided a front row seat to implementing accounting and banking systems from scratch. “The broad technical knowledge acquired at CEEVO now benefits my own clients today,” she shares. “This period was also a reality check, showing me even well-resourced companies fail.”  A year later, the company shut down, leaving Ms Galea looking for employment. But the insights gained there – including the caution and fear instilled in her regarding running a business – are positives she’s now carried forward into self-employment, she highlights.

Considering her choices, Ms Galea joined the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre (MFCC) during the COVID pandemic, marking a departure from traditional corporate finance to events. Besides acquiring “invaluable knowledge of event budgeting” at MFCC, presenting at board level was a milestone career moment. Nevertheless, the pandemic’s impact on events inevitably limited the role’s scope.

Accepting another pivotal opportunity, this time within private aviation, Ms Galea took on financial planning and forecasting for Comlux, reporting directly to senior leadership as well as managing a team of four. She describes it as a demanding period where managerial responsibilities consumed the daytime and her actual work occupied the evenings. However, she emphasises, “it also shaped me significantly professionally and personally and strengthened my decision-making confidence.” Additionally, it ignited an unexpected passion for leadership, developing team members according to their individual strengths.

And so it was that the turning point was approaching.

Coming on board for Finance Incorporated Limited (another PSP), managing three direct reports and reporting directly to the CFO, Ms Galea found herself standing at the intersection between varied industry expertise, timing and life circumstances. “It was always at the back of my mind to do my own thing,” she explains. The managerial continuity was an attractive factor but instinctively, she knew that self-employment was no longer a distant idea but a deep wish and logical step at this point.

Free of personal constraints or responsibilities, the timing was finally right to act. Ms Galea began her self-employment in 2024, and in January 2026 FN Finance Limited was officially incorporated, providing accounting services and financial support. The firm’s core emphasis stands on personal attention and one-to-one client relationships. Its owner’s background in – and familiarity with the challenges of – banking, PSPs, aviation and events each sector, plus her knowledge of different accounting systems, means the firm can adapt quickly to different client needs.

It seems size matters, and not necessarily in the order one might think. “Being a small company enables me to provide more dedicated attention and greater responsiveness, a benefit than many of my clients have highlighted after dealing with larger firms,” Ms Galea shares.

But what about current challenges? A recurring issue that Ms Galea has noticed among business owners is the limited financial knowledge, not confined to a specific industry. “As a result, keeping up with regulatory deadlines, tax changes and payroll requirements creates additional stress for many clients, alongside focusing on the day-to-day operations. The cost of attempting to manage audit and financial compliance independently often outweighs the perceived savings,” she cautions. “There’s more chance of doing something wrong and incurring higher penalties than would be the case with engaging a professional accountant such as FN Finance.”

As for future outlook, Ms Galea is focused on steadily increasing FN Finance’s visibility through more deliberate marketing efforts and selective participation in business events. She also has further clarity on operating structure, having decided to expand beyond a one-person outfit. “I prefer working alongside others rather than alone and also want to leverage my managerial skills to grow my team,” she shares. In line with this clarity, FN Finance recently opened an office in San Gwann.

Growth, however, isn’t framed purely in commercial terms; other priorities are also on the agenda including seeking out supportive business communities to help navigate the rigours of  entrepreneurship. “This year isn’t just about growing FN Finance. It’s also about growing as a person myself — professionally and personally. You can’t develop one without the other,” she emphasises.

That perspective perhaps best captures Ms Galea’s guiding ethos and appetite for independence. Rather than prematurely launching her own business or chasing scale for its own sake, Ms Galea waited until experience, confidence and circumstances aligned – recognising that discipline, readiness and timing count as much as ambition in entrepreneurship.