MFHEA Board Members

Edward Woods (LL. D.) is the Chairman of the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority. During his career, Dr Woods specialised in Civil and Commercial Law, with a focus on Marine Disputes, Business Partnerships, and Property Law. Through his legal experience, Dr Woods has gained a wealth of knowledge which he has channeled during his various appointments, serving as Chairman of the Malta Maritime Authority, Member of the Board of Governors of the Malta Arbitration Centre and Chairman of the Malta Communications Authority. He also served on a number of boards and worked on several projects, including the Valletta Cruise Liner Terminal Project.

Mr Anthony Borg had an extensive career in the Civil Service and then ventured in various Business Operations.
As a Civil Servant he held executive positions in the Ministries of Finance, Works, Social Services, Parliament, and the Office of the Prime Minister, appointed Director on the Boards of ARMS, ERL, MECS and MITA and held the position of Executive Secretary of the National Maritime Security Committee and of Secretary of the Maritime Safety and Pollution Prevention Committee, both for 7 years.

Anatole Baldacchino is a Certified Public Accountant, with a professional experience spanning 30 years, covering management consultancy and audits. His main area of academic interest is inclusive education.

Anatole has several years of Board experience. He served as Deputy Chairman for the National Commission for Further & Higher Education in 2020. He founded his private consultancy firm in 1998 and is involved in a number of research and consultancy assignments. He is currently the Chairperson of the Independent Community living Appeals Board.

Desiree Cassar graduated with a Doctorate in Law from the University of Malta in 2003 and was admitted to the Maltese Bar, Superior Courts of Malta in 2004. She advises clients across different sectors. Desiree has delivered lectures and seminars on specialist subjects for a number of years. She is a member of the Chamber of Advocates and the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners. She was a member of the Board of the National Commission for Further and Higher Education before this was statutorily established as The Malta Further and Higher Education Authority.

Mr. Paul Gauci obtained a Bachelor of Science in Health studies from the University of Malta in 2008. He then furthered his education and obtained a Master of Science in Management studies from the University of Leicester in 2012 and a Master of Arts in European Politics, Economics and Law from the University of Malta in 2020. For the past 16 years, Mr Gauci held various positions with public and private institutions in both the health and education sectors.

Mr. Edgar Borg FCCA.,FIA., and CPA., is a Certified Public Accountant, with an extensive number of years of experience. He worked in various senior positions in the private sector, and was also Public Auditor, for private-sector companies, for some years. For eight years, he was Finance Director, and then Group Finance Director, with Maltacom and Go plc. For 10 years he was Chief Finance and Administration Officer at the Ministry For Health.

Ms Nicola Cuschieri currently serves as the Assistant Head at a primary school. She earned her Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Malta and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Mentoring. Additionally, she is actively pursuing a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Management at the University of Malta, with aspirations to pursue a doctoral degree in education in the near future.

Allison graduated with a Bachelor of Honours in Social Administration from the University of Malta in 2005. She read for a Master of Arts in European Studies at the same university and completed it in 2010. Allison works as Manager (Research and Policy) at the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability, which is the national regulator on disability issues in Malta.

Dr Alicia Agius Gatt graduated with a Doctorate in Law from the University of Malta in 2008, and in the same year she obtained her Warrant to practice in the Notarial Profession in Malta. Dr Agius Gatt has her own notarial practice and advises clients on succession, property law and other related legal advise. She was a Director of Bank of Valletta from December 2014 till December 2015. She was then appointed Director of Tigne Mall plc from June 2016 till September 2020.