A European award for the most Italian Maltese shipping personality of all John Gauci-Maistre, creator and organizer of the biennial Malta Maritime Summit (next edition October 2026), awarded in Frankfurt for his historic commitment to our country
by Angelo Scorza
If you don’t know John Gauci-Maistre, then that means you don’t know Malta shipping.
The Maltese maritime lawyer (but he is much more than that), chairman of the Economicard Group of Companies since 1973 and founder and CEO of the Maltese company GM International Services Ltd since 1974, has been organizing the Malta Maritime Summit in Valletta for about ten years, a biennial international event that represents the voice of the sector towards the global political class in the sector.
A few years ago, Gauci-Maistre received a well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award during the 10° anniversary celebration of Maritime Economies magazine at the Armed Forces Officers Club in Athens, with one specific motivation: his private company has been offering business and financial consulting services in shipping and yachting abroad for half a century and has made a fundamental contribution to the development of the shipping market in Malta.
But in other countries too, its contribution to growing the maritime cluster’s prices has been substantial, starting with ours.
It is no coincidence that in recent days Gauci-Maistre was awarded such an award at the Hilton Hotel in Frankfurt, Germany, an event attended by several political figures, in person or with messages of congratulations and support; among them were Giorgia Meloni, Italian Prime Minister, Manfred Weber, President of the European People’s Party, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, Giorgetti Giorgetti, Italian Finance Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis Greek Prime Minister, Lorenzo Cesa President of the UDC.
“My connection with Italy has practically always been, but in particular it was born from my initial involvement in the Italian-Maltese Chamber of Commerce, first as a member of the Board of Directors and then as President; I was the first and only one elected to Assocamerestero (the committee sponsored by the Italian government that brings together the Italian Regional Chambers of Commerce from around the world) from Malta” explains the Maltese professional and entrepreneur to Ship2Shore. “Subsequently, I was entrusted with responsibility and elected President of the Mediterranean Region. I organized the Italian Pavilion at the National Fair when the local ambassador officially withdrew his support and attracted several Italian regional culinary activities to Malta.
I have also been a consultant to the organizers of the local MAIE (Movemento Associativo Italiano all’Estero) and continue to actively support Italians in Malta.
And finally, as is well known, the Malta Maritime Summit is twinned with Genoa Shipping Week and Naples Shipping Week”.
In this regard, the next Malta Maritime Week will be held from 5 to 9 October 2026.
For over a decade, the event has offered decision makers, regulators, and innovators a unified platform to drive the future of the industry.
“Anchored in tradition and driven by innovation, the 2026 edition consolidates the Summit’s position as a leading forum in the Mediterranean, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators globally” Gauci-Maistre specifies. “We are going through a crucial era. As geopolitical tensions, ever-changing business dynamics, and the rise of Artificial Intelligence redefine our industry, this platform has never been more vital.”
