Malta's Geraldine Spiteri Lucas has been appointed President of the Corporate Registers Forum, the global association of corporate registries, with over 70 corporate registries across the globe sharing best practices to raise standards within the sector. 

Dr Spiteri Lucas expressed her gratitude and satisfaction with such an achievement, emphasising that it not only signifies a personal milestone but also carries a great responsibility.

She highlighted the importance of showcasing the Maltese jurisdiction on a global stage, ensuring that Malta receives the recognition it truly deserves. 

“I am delighted and honoured to have been named as President of the Corporate Registers Forum, the highest platform for business registry experts and professionals to exchange ideas, enhance international collaboration and best practices, globally. Such appointment resonates how Malta and the Malta Business Registry are highly regarded from international colleagues in view of the significant achievement over the past few years and as demonstrated when Malta hosted the Corporate Registers Forum Annual General Conference two years ago,” she said. 

“I am looking forward to this role through which my aim is to ensure that the necessary knowledge is provided to bring all registers on par with the international standards sought after by international institutions, the encouragement of the exchange of experiences as well as ensuring to put Malta as a point of reference.”

This appointment was formally made during the organisation’s annual general meeting which was held in Tunisia earlier this week. 

Prior to her appointment as President, Dr Spiteri Lucas served as a member of the CRF Executive Committee and as Chair of the Beneficial Ownership Working Group within the Corporate Registers Forum (CRF). 

Earlier this year, under her leadership, the CRF met in Malta and developed a set of criteria for members to meet in the field of beneficial ownership. Together with this initiative, Dr Spiteri Lucas also hosted the CRF global BO Working Group, bringing together multiple registries as well as EU legislators to discuss the importance of beneficial ownership in a global capacity. 

Her work in Corporate Law and bing Malta’s leader on Beneficial Ownership has been instrumental in emphasising the significant importance of maintaining up-to-date, accurate registers across all jurisdictions, a key factor in ensuring transparency and trust in corporate governance. 

Dr Spiteri Lucas, a lawyer by profession is the Registrar of Companies and other legal persons and heads the Malta Business Registry. She also expressed her gratitude to her predecessor,  Louise Smyth, former CEO of UK Companies House, for her dedicated work and leadership in advancing the CRF’s mission. 

As President, the lawyer will serve an initial two-year term, during which she will oversee the completion of the CRF’s ambitious five-year transformation program. She will also play a central role in ensuring the active participation of CRF members in the global Registry Insights initiative. 

Announcing the news, General Secretary Martin Fidler Jones said: “It is a great honour to welcome Dr Spiteri Lucas as President of our global association, having rapidly established herself as a trusted voice on international corporate registry matters, and demonstrating calm leadership”.