Meet the E&S Group Team

Karl Schranz

An accountant by profession, Karl spent 10 years working for a reputable audit firm in various audit roles before joining JP Morgan Chase in London in 2005, specifically working in Credit Hybrid Derivatives. He then returned to Malta to head the corporate finance arm of a local audit firm. In 2009, together with Christian, he was one of the founding members of a Corporate Services Provider in Malta, leaving to set up E&S Consultancy in 2010. Karl heads E&S’ ICO and Tokenomics department, however, his competences include advising and assisting in all MFSA licensing processes, accountancy, Token structuring, iGaming, and all aspects of corporate finance.

Today, together with Antonella and Deborah the running and firms growth has been their commitment towards further years.

Karl is fluent in English, Italian, Maltese.

Antonella Hili

Antonella, obtained a Master Degree in Accounting from the University of Malta in 2015, and has furthered her studies by obtaining a Professional Certificate in Taxation in 2017. She has been working with E&S Group since 2012 and presently manages the Accounts Department as Director of E&S Back Office Services Ltd. Her main areas of practice are Corporate Tax, VAT, as well as the preparation of Financial Statements for companies from various industries including aviation, gaming, shipping, manufacturing, financial and other services.

Antonella is fluent in Maltese, English and Italian.

Dr. Deborah Vella

A lawyer by profession, Deborah had graduated as Doctor of Laws in 2015, admitted to the bar in 2017 and has been working with E&S Group for the past seven years. In her prime time at E&S Deborah was part of the legal team and also headed the corporate team where she aided the building of these two departments. In 2017, she took a managerial role within E&S Group.

Working her way up the ranks, Deborah has been appointed as a member of E&S Groups’ Board of Directors and promoted to Chief Client Officer in November 2020. Whilst she will continue to be of support towards the corporate and legal team within the firm, her main focus has shifted on Strategic Client Relationship Management as well as oversight of various operational functions. As the company’s CCO she is also engaged in a business development role which involves the planning and executing of offline business development and marketing for the Group.

Apart from the above, Deborah is also the Manging Partner of VF Legal, which together with Jade they have set up as a law firm aiding the Group in advisory services.

Deborah is fluent in Maltese and English, and has an understanding in Italian.

Dr. Christian Ellul

Christian completed his Doctorate in Law in 2005 furthering his studies with an Adv. LL.M. in International Taxation from the University of Leiden, in the Netherlands. Christian has worked as a tax advisor for a Big 4 Audit firm in Malta as well as a reputable local corporate service provider. In 2009, together with Karl Schranz, he set up another Corporate Services Provider in Malta, before leaving to set up E&S Consultancy in 2010. Christian competences include Malta direct and indirect taxation, international tax structuring, taxation of tokens, cryptocurrencies, ICOs, trusts, corporate and company law and related legal advice.

Christian is fluent in English, German and Maltese.

Nicole Said

Nicole joined E&S Group in February 2016 to form part of the Administration team. Her main duties included the day-to-day overall administration of the group. She had then been promoted to head the administration team as an Executive Secretary. Over the years Nicole had contributed to the overall efficiency of the firm by ensuring administrative duties were carried out in a timely and effective manner. Working her way up Nicole was promoted to the corporate services department in 2018 where she began assisting thoroughly the corporate team. Today Nicole effectively manages and heads the corporate team bringing forward a more efficient and structured daily quality of work for our clients. She is also responsible for overlooking over the administration team and create efficient ways for the running of administration by implementing procedures to uphold communication and smooth running to its very best.

Her persistence and development has resulted in Nicole being awarded with the Appreciation Award chosen by the group in 2019, Employee of the Year in 2020 and 2021 and the Appreciation Awarded chosen by the group in 2023.

Matthew Farrugia

Matthew is a lawyer at E&S Group, where he advises clients on a range of legal and regulatory matters. He has developed particular experience in the gaming sector, including assisting with licence applications across multiple jurisdictions. He also works closely with clients on residency and citizenship matters, corporate structuring, and intellectual property, providing practical and commercially focused legal advice.

Nicole Lyn Borg

Nicole Lyn Borg graduated from the University of Malta with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) in 2023 and went on to complete her Masters in Advocacy. Throughout her academic journey, she developed a particular interest in Family Law litigation, gaining hands-on experience in the field, as well as Commercial and Corporate Law.

As part of the Erasmus+ Mobility Programme, Nicole attended the University of Dundee in Scotland, where she studied Competition and Regulation Law. During her time there, she focused on the regulation of key sectors such as energy, water, telecommunications, and digital platforms within both the EU and UK. Her studies also explored the intersection of regulatory and competition law.

Further enhancing her legal expertise, Nicole undertook research on data protection, successfully completing a thesis on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as it pertains to scientific research. This research, along with her diverse academic background, reflects her comprehensive understanding of multiple legal disciplines.

Beyond Law, Nicole is an avid traveler and has a strong passion for dance. She began her training at a young age in classical ballet, jazz, contemporary, and flamenco, completing all SDS exams and furthering her studies abroad. Nicole currently performs as a flamenco dancer with a dance company that she co-founded together with her dance colleagues.

Alexandra Abela

Alexandra is an experienced payments’ professional with 10 years’ experience gained working with global companies, in both established and start-up environments. Prior to joining E&S Group, Alexandra was the Vice President of Customer Services at Credorax Bank, where she managed Global Support (US, Malta), Technical Support, Product Management, and Integration. Since joining E&S Consultancy she has been tasked with the preparation of financial statements for various clients. She is currently studying ACCA.

Bernardette Sheldon

Bernardette joined E&S group in January 2024 as a Senior Finance Executive within the Accounts Department.

She is currently studying ACCA. Prior joining to E&S Group, she occupied the role of a Finance Supervisor for 8 years where she gained valuable knowledge and experience.

Lorisanne Refalo

Lorisanne Joined E&S Group in February 2023 as an Accounts administrator. Her main duties are to Assist the Accounts department in administration, Prior to joining E&S Lorisanne was working as a junior workforce coordinator.

She is fluent in both Maltese & English.

Shirley Calleja

Shirley joined E&S Group as an accounts analyst. For the past 15 years, Shirley has lived in Canada, only to return to Malta recently. She worked in the shipping industry, where she gained experience in various fields including logistics, marketing, administration and customer relations. She studied international trade and acted as a freight consultant to both ship agents and clients alike.

Margaret Galea

Margaret joined E&S Group in November 2018 as a secretary.  Her main duties are to assist in the day-to-day administration of the group. Prior to joining E&S Group, she worked in the medical industry for over ten years as a front office administrator.

She is fluent in Maltese and English and has a good knowledge of Italian.