Axion International is a team of dynamic professionals with vast experience in finance and corporate structuring. The expertise comes through Axion International Funds SICAV PLC, Fiduscorp Limited and our international M&A network. We have worked as consultants and as senior people with family offices, large corporates and investment firms, keeping our clients in the center of all we do.
Today’s environment is a highly regulated one and at times can be quite complex to understand. Our aim is to get to know our unique clients well, earn their trust and simplify their path to success by building bespoke solutions. We also work with clients’ advisors and managers, building long-lasting relationships for mutual benefits.
Axion International Funds SICAV PLC is licensed by the MFSA to act as a multi-funds platform for professional and institutional investor funds. We work closely with family offices, investment managers and other professionals supporting them to set-up funds and subsequently filling the necessary regulatory roles. The SICAV has its own Board of Directors and Investment Committee.
Fiduscorp Limited is licensed by the MFSA as a corporate services provider and it has a separate Board of Directors and team, mainly focusing on different type of business set-up, corporate management and control.
OUR APPROACH
An International Network
We get to know our clients, their consultants and managers to understand their specific needs and requirements. Working together in a transparent way is the key to obtain optimal and long-lasting results. Each transaction and client is unique and, whilst leveraging on our investment funds and corporate structuring platforms for quick solutions, we still add the personalised touch for each individual client.
Acting professionally and in compliance with the law ensures that our and clients’ interests are aligned. We provide end-to-end solutions during set-up and on-going and thus our clients do not need to find multiple solution providers. We take care of all this so that our clients can focus on what they do best.
Our typical clients include:
CORE TEAM
Axion and the related companies were founded by Mario Buttigieg, now supported by a core team of business professionals and other partners. Our core team has a combined professional experience exceeding 200 years in funds & investments management, business consultancy & structuring, fund administration, banking, finance, accountancy, taxation, corporate governance & control, trusts & fiduciary services, and investments’ advisory & sales.
Mario Buttigieg
Malta & International
Mario has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry and is the founder, director and CEO of Fiduscorp Limited and founder and director of Axion International Funds SICAV PLC, both licensed and regulated by the MFSA.
During the period 2013 and 2017, he occupied a number of senior executive directorship positions in the financial service and corporate business in Malta, was Associate Director for the financial institutions at HSBC Bank Malta plc and Senior Manager of clients and business change at HSBC Securities Services UK Limited. Between 2002 and 2013, he was the Head of Finance, Fund Accounting and Investments’ Valuations for HSBC Securities Services (Malta) Limited, acting also as executive director for 7 years. Mario started his financial services career in banking in 1989, moving to investment funds in 1999 where he was a Senior Manager at HSBC Fund Management (Malta) Limited.
Mario holds a business commerce and accountancy degree from the University of Malta and is a Certified Public Accountant. He holds an ICA in Anti Money Laundering & Sanctions Compliance from the University of Manchester, foundation certificate in Trust Law & Management and is certificate in Blockchain on the Malta Virtual Financial Asset Act, both from the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners in Malta.
Christophe Schwoertzig
Spain & France
Christophe is non-executive director at Fiduscorp Limited and investment committee member at Axion International Funds SICAV PLC and founder of Value Creation – Alternative which is a network of members dedicated on M&A activities, fundraising, corporate finance and strategy consultancy.
During the period 2007-2008 he was also Principal at Cairneagle Associates in UK focusing on strategy and investments. He was Managing Consultant at Cagemini Ernst and Young in UK during 2005-2007, entrusted with transformation consulting, business and information strategy. As from 2000, he was Managing Consultant with Accenture in Spain, working on strategy and business architecture in the financial services industry. Christophe holds an MBA from IESE Business School and an engineering degree from the National Institute of Applied Sciences in France.
Adrian Mallia
Malta
Adrian is a director at Fiduscorp Limited and investment committee member at Axion International Funds SICAV PLC.
He is a Financial Services professional with over 20 years’ experience in the sector. He currently holds non-executive directorships in licensed and non-licensed companies and independent investment committee member roles with a number of entities. Adrian recently held the role of Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager with an Asset Management firm and was previously the CEO of an FX online brokerage business. Prior to this role, he was the Head of Wealth Solutions at Mediterranean Bank plc, where he was directly responsible for the set-up, leadership and development of all areas related to Wealth Management. He previously occupied various roles with HSBC Bank in the Wealth Management and Asset Management in Malta, and in the Fund Administration and Custody unit both in Luxembourg and in Malta. He also spent a number of years in senior management within the manufacturing sector.
Adrian is an active member of the Institute of Financial Services Committee in Malta and was a part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy at the University of Malta. He holds an MSc in Banking and International Finance from City University Business School (CASS) in London and a BCom (Hons) in Banking and Finance from the University of Malta.
Joao Carlos Sampaio de Almeida
Ireland, Portugal & Portuguese speaking countries
Joao Carlos is a director at Axion International Funds SICAV PLC and the founder and director of Temple Group Holdings limited, a UK private company providing administration and management services to a portfolio of trusts and company structures as from 2008.
During the years 2006 to 2016 he was director for Premier International Corporate Services limited, responsible for business management and administration of trusts and company structures, including complex ones. Joao has managerial experience on human resources with Grupo Zubareia SGPS between 2002 and 2005, and on corporate restructuring and financial control with BH Portuguesa for his earlier years during 2000 and 2002.
Joao holds an MBA in Executive Management awarded by Escola Superior de Gestao de Santarem, Portugal. He also has a degree in Economics from the University of Evora, Portugal and a post graduate degree in Corporate Finance from the University of Liverpool, UK. In 2021, he also completed a diploma in company direction with the Institute of Directors Ireland. Joao speaks English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Gianluca Ferrara
Monaco
Gianluca is an investment committee member at Axion International Funds SICAV PLC and the founder and portfolio manager for Omicron Fund, a regulated Bahamas hedge fund.
He is a financial market professional with over 25 years’ experience having developed his skills in the financial markets working from 1992 to 2007 for top tier investment banks like Société Générale, Bank of America, BNP Paribas and Fortis as proprietary trader and market maker in government bonds and interest rate derivatives. During these years he covered different roles and maintained relationship with southern European countries’ treasury departments and got regulated from the UK FSA as a security representative registered person. He started his own Hedge Fund in 2007 offering trading strategy developed during his working experience and was involved in setting up a fund in Luxembourg in 2010 becoming then also an authorised trader for the CSF in Luxembourg. He actively managed a fixed income RV strategy in a Bahamas fund generating an appreciable track record and got also involved in Private Equity business as of 2015.
Gianluca holds an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and an Economics Degree from the University of Genoa, Italy.
Renzo Farrugia
Malta
Renzo is a director and compliance officer at Axion International Funds SICAV PLC and acts as an investment consultant with Maltese financial services company. He has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry.
Between 2000 and 2016 Renzo was a manager with HSBC Bank Malta plc’s Retail Banking and Wealth Management division, providing advice to clients and executing trades on investment funds and other type of investments. This role included the necessary investors’ due diligence and know your client process to assess their investment profile. Renzo started his banking sector career in 1987 and till 1999 he occupied various roles in the retail and corporate units.
Renzo holds a BSc in Financial Services from the University of Manchester, a Certificate for Financial Advisors I, II and III by the Institute of Financial Services (UK) and holds the ACIB diploma by the Institute of Financial Services (UK).
INTERNATIONAL TEAM
The Core Team is also supported by a International Network, which complements and widens Axion's reach.
Alberto Di Febo
Italy
Dr Alberto di Febo is the Founder and CEO of a management consultancy firm, actively assisting and scouting corporate finance and funding solutions for innovative start-ups, including on technology, fashion and real estate business. Alberto was a shareholder in a consulting and credit brokerage company and founding partner of a credit bank. Earlier he had a career as senior manager with leading credit institutions and investment banks, occupying the position of commercial director, wealth manger, pre-litigation manger and wealth relationship manager.
Alberto attended the faculty of law in Italy and during his banking career also obtained professional certifications on AML, banking and corporate privacy. He speaks Italian and English.
Mathias Goldbach
Germany
Mr Mathias Goldbach is the Managing Partner of Goldbach VV Holding as from 2012, offering worldwide C-level networking on project and corporate funding, market entry and international business development and consultancy or party to transactional deals for products and services. Between 2000 and 2014, he was managing partner for ACT Business Partners GmbH, during which time he managed 40 projects in the areas of energy, water management and environmental technologies, information technologies, telecommunications, mobile phone applications, internet, solid-state technologies, health care, trade logistics, stock exchanges and market access projects covering EU, Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and BRIC-countries. During such time he also filled the managing partner role of an industrial company. He was also the CEO, founder and shareholder of Business Online AG, the first German nationwide ISP. Earlier Mathias was key account manager for Lufthansa Systems Berlin and Frankfurt, Apple Computers Germany, and others.
Mathias holds postgraduate studies by Siemens and Nixdorf Computer Foundation and a diploma on social sciences by Federal Academies Fulda and Frankfurt. He speaks German and English fluently and can communicate also in Spanish and Hungarian.