“Success means maintaining our level of service, scaling the business sustainably by investing in technology, and developing our people. This is what has worked for us in the past and this is what we will continue to do,” affirms Fortytwo Head of Operations, Joe Cocchiara, as the company prepares to celebrate 25 years since its establishment.
Founded in 2001, the FortyTwo was initially set up in Sweden to offer messaging solutions across multiple territories, before shifting operations to Malta in 2010. “Our customers are mainly international, and our drive has always been focused on expanding our services into different verticals while also adding value to our cross-border customer base,” Mr Cocchiara explains.
The Head of Operations credits the firm’s longevity to its ability to change and “stay focused on what really matters”. This translates to “building trust and delivering a great customer experience,” he highlights.
Fortytwo’s company values of innovation, collaboration, ambition and engagement are central to such a consolidation of trust, Mr Cocchiara continues and, indeed, these are made tangible through the team’s efforts towards constant improvement.
To this end, success is “not just about getting bigger, but about becoming stronger as a business, and continuing to be the messaging partner of choice, a partner our customers can trust and a company our employees can be proud of,” the Head of Operations continues, adding that he would sum up the firm’s drive as prioritising “innovation, new products and services, whilst keeping the team happy and engaged.”
Elaborating, Mr Cocchiara insists that fundamental to the company’s success is “without a doubt, the quality of our people. This plays a big part of where we are today,” he reiterates, adding that the team at Fortytwo is what distinguishes the business from its competition.
“Competitors can replicate prices, products and services, but they cannot replicate the talent in the organisation. We’re a small team, so we’re able to move fast, and we are very flexible. There is no corporate red tape. In other words, we have the right people in place, and that allows us to compete at a high level,” the Head of Operations insists.
While Fortytwo faces the same talent challenges as other local companies, Mr Cocchiara believes its strong culture has helped retain and attract top talent. “Finding the right people is always a challenge, but our low staff turnover and ability to attract great people reflect the environment we’ve built,” he says. We have several people who have been with the company for 10 years or more; for instance, we have people who started their journey in customer support and are now heads of departments. I think this speaks volumes. It’s absolutely imperative to invest in your people; ours have grown within the business, and we’ve nurtured an environment where everyone feels they can contribute,” he explains.
Left to right: Head of Operations Joe Cocchiara and Managing Director Giovanni Mannarino
Mr Cocchiara's career is a strong example of how long-term commitment and continuous development can lead to leadership opportunities. After relocating from Australia to Malta in 1999, he has built a 26-year career in the telecommunications industry, holding a number of senior management positions across two of Malta's three Mobile Network Operators, where he has led both Customer Operations and Retail functions.
He joined Fortytwo in 2014 to initially lead the Customer Support team and has since progressed through a number of key leadership roles, including Human Resources, before being appointed Head of Operations. Today, he oversees multiple business functions, giving him a broad perspective across the organisation and enabling him to play a pivotal role in driving operational excellence and the company's continued growth.
Looking ahead, and with the world of technology seeing a revolution in innovation, Mr Cocchiara sees “a lot of exciting opportunities, particularly around AI automation and smart communication. These tools are already helping us become more efficient and customers get a better service.,” he notes.
Nevertheless, there are also challenges brought about by the fast pace of change in the technology sector. “Technology is ever-changing and we’re a company that needs to embrace it, so keeping up is always going to be demanding. Security is increasing in importance and competition is growing. he good thing is that change is part of our DNA. We invest in our people, we invest in our systems, and we continuously strive to streamline processes. I believe that, with these synergies, we can equip ourselves with what’s to come.”
Fortytwo recently celebrated 25 years in operation, bringing the team together to reflect on its journey and look ahead to the future. The celebration also gave us the opportunity to recognise and honour our team members who have dedicated 10 years or more of service to the company.
It was a great moment to celebrate our achievements, share stories, and recognise the people who helped shape Fortytwo,” Mr Cocchiara concludes.
