Luzzu Conference Hall
SHE Networking Event
27th June 2019, Luzzu Conference Hall, Qawra
The mood was set at on a sweltering June day. That morning our first mission was to get to the venue on time, having to dodge several road blocks before finally arriving and breathing a huge sigh of relief! As the bright sunlight hit the freshly painted walls of the AX Luzzu Conference Hall, the ladies began arriving and making their way down the stairs towards our ready and waiting event team. Inside, the atmosphere was cheerful and inviting. Ellie, founder of Ellie & Carl Natural skincare started the day off with a personal, heartfelt introduction about the SHE community, followed by a few words from Co-founder Sass Woods who welcomed to the stage guest panelists Amy Camilleri Zahra, Claire Zammit Xuereb, Trudy Kerr and Gulja Holland. Mediated by SHE Co-founder Julia Perry, these four influential and inspiring ladies opened up about their personal journeys as we listened intently, feeling privileged to be in such wonderful and genuine company.
As the day went on we welcomed Public Speaking Coach Pia Zammit and CSR Consultant and founder of WEAVE Consulting Dr. Roberta Lepre, whose specially designed workshops offered our audience some practical tips and advice tailored to support female start-ups and women with small and medium businesses. At beak time we were treated to a delicious taster menu prepared by the AX Luzzu restaurant while also being served ice-cream pots in a variety of flavours by Haagen Dazs Malta as well as sparkling J.P Chenet wine courtesy of P. Cutajar. We were also joined by the awesome duo behind Fashion Revolution Malta who exposed the harsh truth about today’s fashion industry and explained a bit about how we too could get involved and do our little bit in the way of raising awareness and making steps towards becoming more ethically conscious.
As part of the grand finale our audience looked on as “Fashion with a Conscience” – a show with a difference where each piece of clothing featured on the run-way was in some form ethically made or sourced. For this we thank Fashion Revolution Malta, Monsoon Malta, Fly the Fly Malta, MINTA and Coach & I, also Ere Perez Malta for the Make-up, artist Diandra Face Body and hands and hair by Dean Gera Salons. Our audio-visuals were once again supplied by Power House Audio-visuals, Catering by the AX Luzzu restaurant, wines by J.P Chenet and Haagen Dazs Ice-cream courtesy of P.Cutajar. All images by Therese Debono Photography and videography by Nadya Cachia of V-Squared Media.
What We Spoke About
Amy Camilleri Zahra
“I was an independent, feisty young woman with a lot of plans for the future but at 21 I found myself having to relearn basic things such as how to eat, hold a glass, use my phone, brush my hair and eventually also walk and drive.“ – Amy Camilleri Zahra
Upon first meeting Amy we were instantly moved by her story. Her warm smile gently coated the tremendous courage of a woman who’d resurrected from a darkened place – capturing the hearts of the nation! From surviving the dreaded Meningitis disease and kidney failure 2 years later Amy’s incredible journey in her desire to pave an ambitious career as well as her involvement in numerous committees and projects relating to Disability and Women’s rights will inspire you!
In 2009 she co-founded an organisation for amputees in Malta with the aim of offering support and advocacy. Currently a PHD student and lecturer at the University of Malta, Amy is also mum to one-year old Gianni whom she calls her “miracle baby”. What’s more? Amy was appointed to vice-president of the National Council of Women and has been awarded the US Ambassadors’ Women of Courage Award in 2016 and the JCI Global Goals Award in 2016 for her exemplary work.
Claire Zammit Xuereb
“Since I was little I loved every aspect of the hotel environment. Most of my friends spent their summers on the beach while all I wanted is to be behind the front desk. There is nothing like it. In the beginning I was giving out keys, but later I went through nearly all aspects of hospitality before I started managing a hotel”. – Claire Zammit Xuereb
Here is the face of another remarkable woman in business Claire Zammit Xuereb, who’ll be joining our special guest panel while also representing our venue hosts – the AX Luzzu Conference Hall at the SHE Women’s Networking Event on Thursday 27th June! A single mum of three and former chairperson of the Institute of Tourism Studies – Claire will be opening up about her journey both personal and professional. From being the youngest and one of the first female hotel General Managers on the island when she was handed over the The Victoria Hotel to her role of hospitality director, business marketing strategist and product developer for all the AX Hotels Malta as well as one of the directors of the AX Group – Claire’s exceptional ability to multi-task while maintaining high standards in the ever-demanding, ever-changing hospitality industry is truly admirable!
Trudy Kerr
“I started running as part of my process to find peace and acceptance of what happened to me – the accident had affected and changed my life completely.” – Trudy Kerr
Beyond excited to have one of the island’s best-loved personalities – Radio host DJ Trudy Kerr of the XFM The Big Drive Home at the SHE Women’s Networking Event on Thursday 27th June! Previously a Creative Director in Advertising for some of the world’s largest brands, Trudy moved to Malta 13 years ago where she continued in the media business, later starting her own company. “One day…” she relates, “I was approached by a client Clint Bajada who had just been appointed to head of One Radio to join the show as a guest presenter. Since then I have hosted over 300 TV shows and 1,100 radio shows.” After 4 years with the station, Trudy was offered her own radio show on XFM 100.2 and has been keeping listeners entertained every Monday to Friday from 4 until 7pm! Passionate about making positive change, Trudy has come a long way in both her media career and personal life when in 2010 she experienced a near-fatal horse riding accident sustaining two brain haemorrhages and a ruptured spleen resulting in epilepsy. Today she speaks out to those affected by epilepsy and is having documentary made entitled “Reason to Run”. Since her recovery from the accident, Trudy has run 8 full marathons and the marathon distance over 16 times, including the 126km around the coastline of Malta on the 13/14th April to raise awareness for the anti-waste campaign #waveofchange – an initiative launched by herself and long-distance partner Deborah Gatt.
Ġulja Holland
“Through my paintings I engage portraiture and abstraction by using colour and form to create emotionally charged re-imaginings of the familiar. I want to express as much of the inwards parameters of the self as much as the outward appearance.” – Ġulja Holland
Leaving behind her brushes and paints and joining our panel at the SHE Networking Event – 27th June is full-time visual artist who is no stranger to the art scene both locally and abroad – Ġulja Holland A Leeds College of Art Graduate, Ġulja is being represented by the Lilly Agius Gallery in Malta and Saachi Art and Rise Art in London. Her works can also be found in public and private collections internationally. Her most recent exhibition encompassed several of her illustrated works which, as she puts it “are entirely different in style and involve ink sketches which are much more whimsical in nature and touch upon the idiosyncrasies of Maltese ‘village’ life ” alongside those of photographer Inigo Taylor as part of the Malta Creative Collective Creative Circuit. Recently Ġulja has been exploring sketches of Maltese beach scenes which she says “constitutes my bread and butter as I am often requested commissions in this style”. This June SHE event attendees will have the rare opportunity to browse through Ġulja’s work at the event and even purchase one or more of her wonderful pieces on site!
