With 2025 drawing to a close, Juanafil CEO Christine Camilleri is looking back at a year of transition for the company. Over the past months, Ms Camilleri has overseen the company’s digital transformation, “Our clients like the idea that they have instant access to financial and accounting information”, Ms Camilleri explains.

While larger businesses may be able to rely on an in-house accounting department, smaller organisations rely on digital platforms to access those figures. “Not all of our clients are always in their office, and making information available digitally allows them to access relevant data wherever they are”, Ms Camilleri says.

The CEO points out that neither Juanafil itself nor the Maltese financial services sector is alone in their transition toward digital ways of working. “Manufacturing companies have automated their processes for decades, and most of our clients are investing in digital technology of their own to streamline and simplify their work.”

Ms Camilleri believes that more businesses in Malta will leverage digital systems, including emerging technologies like AI, over the coming years: “Imagine what we can do with these technologies so long as we also have humans overseeing the outcome of their work.”

This combination of technology and a human touch has also made work easier for the Juanafil team. “Over the past year, we have moved most of our services to digital platforms after making sure that our departments were ready to transition.”

Integrating digital tools into team workflows has automated time-consuming tasks like sending VAT and income tax reminders. “In especially busy months, these tools have helped us deliver better client service,” Ms Camilleri says. These shifts have allowed team members to dedicate more time to address complex client requests.

These steps emphasise the right priorities, and in turn, create a positive work environment for the team, an endeavour that’s important to Ms Camilleri: “Our employees need to know that their hard work is appreciated.” To show that appreciation, Ms Camilleri and a few of her team organised a surprise team day away in Sicily recently. “We organised a day of activities including a tour of Ragusa and a wine tasting in the countryside among other experiences.”

“It was a great way to say thank you to the staff as well as a chance to get to know people better outside of the office. We’re already planning a similar day out for next year”, Ms Camilleri says. Staff appreciation also means being flexible when an employee is dealing with a difficult situation or needs to leave early in the afternoon or start later in the morning on the odd day.

Measures like these have contributed to excellent staff retention and great client service delivery. Part of that service is trying to see things from the other person’s perspective and dealing with requests productively and positively.

“When you have a situation with a lot of negative input, think about the fact that the other person might be stressed or overloaded before you react,” Ms Camilleri recommends. “If you can react positively, you’re more likely to achieve a positive outcome overall.” This approach has helped Ms Camilleri build strong client relationships throughout her career.

While client demand and the mission to continuously improving client services have been two of the drivers behind Juanafil’s digital transformation, anticipating regulatory updates is also high on the agenda for Ms Camilleri and her team.

“In the next couple of years, we will likely see government legislation moving additional services online, requiring more online submissions and offering fewer offline options,” Ms Camilleri believes. “We need to think ahead and put the systems in place that allow our clients to benefit from digital technologies.”

“In addition, we need to prepare our clients for upcoming legal changes to ensure they comply with Maltese government regulations. The new labour migration policy and potential changes following the recent budget statement are just two examples of that,” Ms Camilleri says.

Changing legal and regulatory frameworks require a flexible approach to business and client services. This is when Ms Camilleri relies on her background in customer relations. “It’s important to have a plan and an overall direction, but we need to stay flexible to meet our clients’ needs,” she says. “For example, if one of our clients suddenly has an investigation, we need to be there to guide them through the process.”

Understanding how Maltese law and authorities work is critical to delivering that support. “Our clients know that we give our full attention to them when they need us,” Ms Camilleri asserts.

One client close to Ms Camilleri’s heart is The Malta Trust Foundation. Founded by the esteemed former President of Malta HE Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the organisation is supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people in Malta. “I donate a lot of my time to the organisation,” Ms Camilleri shares, quick to point out how rewarding the work is: “You can’t imagine how the Foundation changes lives until you see the outcomes, for example, when a non-verbal child suddenly speaks their first word.”

Getting to know the young people being supported by the foundation has been an insightful experience for Ms Camilleri: “These young people are an integral part of our future.” Empowering them is just as important as helping different generations in the workplace access and grow comfortable with technological changes that are here to stay and transform the way we work and live.