Joe Attard

Q: Favourite spot in Malta to unwind?
A: I will always look for somewhere peaceful and quiet.

Q: What’s your favourite thing about your job?
A: The opportunity to cultivate the next generation of
talent. Combining a 40-year career mostly as a General
Manager with lecturing in hospitality gives me a unique
perspective. My favourite part of the job is mentorship—
inspiring both my hotel team and my Bachelors and
Masters degree students to see hospitality not just as a
career, but as an art form of human connection.

Q: Best piece of career advice you’ve received?
A: To keep a cash reserve covering at least three months
of payroll. In hospitality, people come first. Financial
security during crises is both good business and a moral
duty. Listen to employees, support them, and focus on
building lasting institutions, not resumes.

Q: What’s something we wouldn’t know about
you from your CV?
A: Several instances, however, few know that I replaced
Pope Paul VI on the ‘Sedia Gestatoria’ when I served as
an altar boy at the Vatican, unaware that he was just
around the corner. He smiled, blessed me, and said,
‘Non diventerai mai Papa’. I replied, blessing him, saying
‘Benedicte!’.