ZD Academy is a platform for highly technical training provided by industry experts in accounting, tax, and audit.
Our speakers include seasoned professionals occupying C-level positions across multiple sectors and advising local institutions.
Tutors
Matthew Zampa, Co-Founding Partner, has been specializing in VAT since 2008 and has been involved in VAT assignments both within and outside Malta. He is a member of the Malta Institute of Accountants and the Malta Institute of Taxation and is respectively a member of the MIA Tax Committee and MIT Indirect Tax Committee, apart from part-time lecturing on VAT at both institutions. Matthew is also the first Maltese to successfully complete the “Expert in EU VAT” degree which is administered and awarded by the VAT Forum, an international partnership of indirect tax specialists, established in Belgium.
A veteran of the VAT Department, Charles has vast experience in indirect taxation. He was involved at the VAT Department since the introduction of VAT in Malta in 1995 and has occupied important positions within the VAT Department including Director Legal and International Affairs. During his last years before retirement, he also served as Director General. Charles has represented the VAT Department in both local and international fora and regularly attended VAT Committee and Council Meetings. He has also participated in Fiscalis Program seminars and workshops, having also the distinction of chairing two such Fiscalis Program seminars held in Malta in 2008 and 2011 respectively. Following his retirement from the public service, Charles joined Zampa Debattista, helping to build a highly competent, experienced and proficient VAT team.
Brandon Gatt, a Certified Public Accountant in possession of an ACCA degree, has been in the profession for the past five years. He has been involved in VAT and accounting assignments both within and outside of Malta. Brandon has been specialising in VAT since 2016 and is currently leading the VAT Compliance division at Zampa Debattista. In a relatively short period, Brandon has acquired the necessary experience vital to handling an ever growing portfolio of diverse clients, operating within various sectors of the economy. Back in June 2017, he attended an intensive course in France, provided by VAT Forum; a partnership of International VAT experts, where he was provided with intensive training on the Articles of the EU VAT directive 2006/112/EC. Brandon also provides in-house training to established companies within and outside Malta, and is also a lecturer for the ‘Certificate in TAX Compliance’ being offered by the Malta Institute of Taxation. He is also a lecturer with ZD Academy and also lectures the ACCA Advanced Taxation (P6-VAT)
Christabel Spiteri, is an ACCA Qualified Accountant who has been working at Zampa Debattista for almost six years and has been specialising in VAT for over four years. She currently has the role of a Assistant Manager and is assisting in the development of the VAT Compliance Division of the firm. She gained two years’ experience lecturing mainly for ZD Academy and other external institutions.
John Debattista is a Certified Public Accountant and Registered Auditor. John is one of the founding partners at Zampa Debattista and heads the Audit and Assurance function and the firm’s IFRS Advisory Technical team. John lectured the Corporate modules at the final stages of the ACCA and ACA course for the ICAEW, Institute Chartered of Accountants for England and Wales. John is also a speaker in various audit and accounting seminars delivered by a number of institutes in Malta. He also lectured the Diploma in IFRS (DipIFR). John sits on a number of MIA committees namely, the audit, financial reporting and SMP committees.
Paul is a Certified Public Accountant specialising in international financial reporting standards and GAPSME. Paul graduated from the University of Malta after completing the Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours) Degree in 2008. Paul commenced his career in audit and switched to accountancy in 2012. He spent most of his time in accountancy managing a portfolio of international clientele, before joining Zampa Debattista’s accounts department in 2017. After a few months, Paul decided to accept the internal opportunity to specialise in technical matters and increase his proficiency in reporting standards. Paul is currently involved in technical accounting and advisory assignments, whilst training and assisting internal staff and external people on IFRS technical matters.
Kris is a Certified Public Accountant and Registered Auditor specialising in assurance services and international financial reporting standards. Kris graduated from the University of Malta after completing the Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours) Degree. Following four years as an audit senior at a medium-sized audit and accountancy firm, Kris joined Zampa Debattista, a boutique accounting and assurance firm primarily focused on international business, managing the audit function. Throughout his work experience he was exposed to assurance assignments on wealth management, pension funds, gaming companies, shipping, manufacturing and retail. Kris also read for the Diploma in International Financial Reporting and is a lecturer of Corporate Reporting at the advance stages of the ACCA course.
Janice is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 10 years experience in Audit and Assurance. She graduated from the University of Malta after completing the Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours) Degree in 2002. She worked for eleven years with one of the big four audit firms, starting from the post of Assurance Junior up to the rank of Assurance Manager. She also worked for four years with a medium sized audit and accounting firm. She joined Zampa Debattista in 2018 in the post of Assurance Supervisor. Janice has worked on various assurance engagements, both locally and abroad. She gained exposure in various sectors ranging from the manufacturing to the services industries. She also has experience in planning and assigning work for the Audit & Assurance section and training of new audit staff. She has delivered various internal seminars.
Tristan is a publicly certified auditor holding a full ACCA qualification. He has been part of Zampa Debattista's Audit Team since 2018. Through his work experience, he was exposed to assurance assignments on gaming companies, pension funds, shipping and retail.
Rosann graduated in Accounting in 2009 and obtained her ACCA qualification in 2018. Prior to joining Zampa Debattista in 2017, she had worked as a Senior Accounts Clerk at a private company for 5 years. Currently, Rosann is leading the outsourcing operations of the company and lecturing at ZD Academy.
Lisa graduated from the University of Malta after completing the Master in Accountancy Degree with a Distinction. She joined Zampa Debattista in 2018, forming part of the Accounting Advisory team. Lisa gained experience on both local and international clients in various industries, including retail, yachting and construction. She specialises in financial reporting in both IFRS and local framework (GAPSME).
Patrick is a Certified Public Accountant and CFA Charterholder. He also holds a MSc degree in Financial Management.
Apart from his main engagement with the Bank of Valletta as Chief Officer Treasury, he lectures on Finance related subjects at various public and private institutions, including ZD Academy.
Markita is a Certified Public Accountant specialised in direct taxation and corporate services. Before joining Zampa Debattista, Markita worked with a medium sized audit firm for just over a year and with Deloitte for more than 6 years.
She is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and has been specialising in direct taxation since 2015. She has vast experience in corporate tax compliance, setting up of companies in Malta and domestic and international tax advisory matters. Markita is a member of the Malta Institute of Accountants and in 2017 she also became a member of the Malta Institute of Taxation after successfully obtaining Professional Certificate in Taxation.
She is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and has been specialising in direct taxation since 2015. She has vast experience in corporate tax compliance, setting up of companies in Malta and domestic and international tax advisory matters. Markita is a member of the Malta Institute of Accountants and in 2017 she also became a member of the Malta Institute of Taxation after successfully obtaining Professional Certificate in Taxation.
Luke is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and has been specialising in direct taxation since 2018. He has experience in tax compliance for individuals and corporate entities both having a local and international base. Before joining Zampa Debattista, Luke worked with a big-4 firm for just under 2 years. Luke is a member of the MIA and is currently reading an Advanced Diploma in International Taxation.
Pauline Micallef is an ACCA Qualified Accountant and acquired her MBA from the University of Reading – Henley Business School. Her main experience is from the industry and the business, where she spent over 10 years within the pharmaceutical industry working for the largest generic pharmaceutical company in the world. She also worked at the Malta Institute of Accountants as the Technical Strategy Manager and currently holds the position of a Financial Controller within the Maritime Industry.
David O' Shaughnessy holds an Executive Level MBA from Henley Business School. He brings 20+ years of experience as an Entrepreneur, Licensed Financial Advisor, Independent Financial Services Broker, Million Dollar Roundtable Qualifier, Corporate Sales & Marketing Manager, Regional Manager, COO, Management Consultant and Educational Services Manager and Lecturer to the table and promises that all SBL classes will be highly engaging and rewarding.
As Academy Manager at ZD Academy, David brings in his wealth of international experience and best practice for reaching the institution's targets of excellence and growth. He specializes in the delivery of courses focused on leadership, ethics, soft skills development, intercultural management and the art of negotiation. He excels at helping students to navigate their way successfully into senior, strategic roles and takes great pride in seeing his students getting to where they want to be.
Neville graduated from the University of Malta in 2020 after the completion of the Master in Accountancy Degree. He joined the Accounting department at Zampa Debattista following the merger with Mint Finance in 2022, prior to which he gained experience in client accounting at one of the big four firms. Neville has worked with a diversity of local and international clients providing him with industry knowledge of various sectors.
Sarah is a certified public accountant after obtaining the ACCA qualification. She also holds a degree in Architecture and Civil Engineering from the University of Malta. She worked both in architecture and accountancy firms, spending the last 8 years primarily in the finance field.
She currently works as a management accountant for a number of companies within various industries, where she is involved in the preparation of management accounts and assists in the development and analysis of key financial information.
She has been lecturing Management Accounting for the past 6 years having started off with BPP and subsequently AIM Academy.
She currently works as a management accountant for a number of companies within various industries, where she is involved in the preparation of management accounts and assists in the development and analysis of key financial information.
She has been lecturing Management Accounting for the past 6 years having started off with BPP and subsequently AIM Academy.
Tristan is a publicly certified auditor holding a full ACCA qualification. He has been part of Zampa Debattista's Audit Team since 2018. Through his work experience, he was exposed to assurance assignments on gaming companies, pension funds, shipping and retail.
Janis joined Zampa Debattista in December 2018 (formerly Mint Finance prior to merger on 1 January 2022) and is an Assurance Manager within the audit team.
She is a qualified accountant and auditor, having graduated from the University of Malta in 2010 after completing her Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours) Degree. She has over 5 years’ experience within the financial services industry, with her career initially kicked off within a Big 4 audit firm. Her work experience involved a number of overseas appointments within the U.S.A and Australia, enabling Janis to expand her knowledge base within the financial services sector. Janis eventually moved on to an accounting role within a corporate service provider, where she managed the accounting for a portfolio of clients from various industries.
She now heads the technical and quality related aspects within the audit function of Zampa Debattista, with particular focus on audit quality and methodology.
She is a qualified accountant and auditor, having graduated from the University of Malta in 2010 after completing her Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours) Degree. She has over 5 years’ experience within the financial services industry, with her career initially kicked off within a Big 4 audit firm. Her work experience involved a number of overseas appointments within the U.S.A and Australia, enabling Janis to expand her knowledge base within the financial services sector. Janis eventually moved on to an accounting role within a corporate service provider, where she managed the accounting for a portfolio of clients from various industries.
She now heads the technical and quality related aspects within the audit function of Zampa Debattista, with particular focus on audit quality and methodology.
Gabriella is a certified public accountant and a registered auditor, and holds a first class honors degree in banking and finance as well as the ACCA certification. She had been working in auditing for six years with mid-tier audit firms dealing with a vast array of local and foreign clients until she took up an opportunity as a financial controller as well as a directorship role at a software company. She aims to facilitate the learning process for her students so as to encourage them to push harder for a successful future
Paul is a Certified Public Accountant specialising in international financial reporting standards and GAPSME. Paul graduated from the University of Malta after completing the Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours) Degree in 2008. Paul commenced his career in audit and switched to accountancy in 2012. He spent most of his time in accountancy managing a portfolio of international clientele, before joining Zampa Debattista’s accounts department in 2017. After a few months, Paul decided to accept the internal opportunity to specialise in technical matters and increase his proficiency in reporting standards. Paul is currently involved in technical accounting and advisory assignments, whilst training and assisting internal staff and external people on IFRS technical matters.
Rosann graduated in Accounting in 2009 and obtained her ACCA qualification in 2018. Prior to joining Zampa Debattista in 2017, she had worked as a Senior Accounts Clerk at a private company for 5 years. Currently, Rosann is leading the outsourcing operations of the company and lecturing at ZD Academy.
Lisa graduated from the University of Malta after completing the Master in Accountancy Degree with a Distinction. She joined Zampa Debattista in 2018, forming part of the Accounting Advisory team. Lisa gained experience on both local and international clients in various industries, including retail, yachting and construction. She specialises in financial reporting in both IFRS and local framework (GAPSME).
Markita is a Certified Public Accountant specialised in direct taxation and corporate services. Before joining Zampa Debattista, Markita worked with a medium sized audit firm for just over a year and with Deloitte for more than 6 years.
She is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and has been specialising in direct taxation since 2015. She has vast experience in corporate tax compliance, setting up of companies in Malta and domestic and international tax advisory matters. Markita is a member of the Malta Institute of Accountants and in 2017 she also became a member of the Malta Institute of Taxation after successfully obtaining Professional Certificate in Taxation.
She is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and has been specialising in direct taxation since 2015. She has vast experience in corporate tax compliance, setting up of companies in Malta and domestic and international tax advisory matters. Markita is a member of the Malta Institute of Accountants and in 2017 she also became a member of the Malta Institute of Taxation after successfully obtaining Professional Certificate in Taxation.
Luke is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and has been specialising in direct taxation since 2018. He has experience in tax compliance for individuals and corporate entities both having a local and international base. Before joining Zampa Debattista, Luke worked with a big-4 firm for just under 2 years. Luke is a member of the MIA and is currently reading an Advanced Diploma in International Taxation.
Patrick is a Certified Public Accountant and CFA Charterholder. He also holds a MSc degree in Financial Management.
Apart from his main engagement with the Bank of Valletta as Chief Officer Treasury, he lectures on Finance related subjects at various public and private institutions, including ZD Academy.
Apart from his main engagement with the Bank of Valletta as Chief Officer Treasury, he lectures on Finance related subjects at various public and private institutions, including ZD Academy.
Christabel Spiteri, is an ACCA Qualified Accountant who has been working at Zampa Debattista for almost six years and has been specialising in VAT for over four years. She currently has the role of a Leader and is assisting in the development of the VAT Compliance Division of the firm. She gained two years’ experience lecturing mainly for ZD Academy and other external institutions.