Malta Business Review

The diversity we believe in is an asset that one should treasure, not discard. MBR: What do you see as ROCS Group’s responsibility to the communities it serves and to be a force for good in society? RV: Since its inception, ROCS has always tried its best to bring out excellence to every community it serves. Giving back to the community has always been at the top of our agenda. From the early 70s when giving an employment opportunity to Mellieha residents was a first, to the time of Tista’ Tkun Int! when so many people had their dreams come true over seven years, and finally to this very day when so many identify themselves with the ROCS culture and live by the founding motto - that A JOB WORTH DOING IS WORTH DOING WELL! We have always believed that any venture must be self sustainable and must bring good to the society it serves from allowing exploring the world and the most distant places to protecting one’s family through long-term savings plans and life assurance products. I believe in quality products that deliver value for money. This is at the very core of every venture we are involved in and every service and product we provide. MBR: You have recently been voted as the judges’ winners in Most Inspiring Businesswoman of the Year, Best Women in Consumer Business 2021, Best Woman CEO of the Year, Best Business Leader of the Year Award, and the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award during Malta’s Best Businesswomen Awards and the Local Business Awards 2021 held on the 26th November 2021. What significance does this have to you personally, on your staff, as well as your Company? RV: I am thrilled and honestly ever so grateful. I never expected to be recognized and rewarded in this manner. On a personal level, such awards place an even higher benchmark in my professional career. Being recognized gives me of course a strong sense of satisfaction, whilst at the same time reminds me that when at the top, I am expected to deliver more and deliver better. It highlights that I must be strong, and persevering as I have always been. I am realistic that I might find individuals who will jump off my ship along the way, yet as a leader, quitting or giving up is never an option. In my eyes, I am proud to say that it is not just what we do at ROCS that matters: yet it is how we do it, which plays the most important role, as many a time, doing that job well is what makes all the difference. As I said we also believe that success is many a time hanging on when other people let go, and this core belief is what makes our days dedicated to a common goal. At ROCS we also value diversity of opinions, and the many different viewpoints of our people bring complex issues and valid discussions to the table. That’s why we are focused on creating an all-inclusive environment, an open-door policy, and products and services that offer true value for money. This is what it means to work with and for ROCS. MBR: How critical is it for the ROCS Group to build a diverse and inclusive workforce and will you discuss the firm’s efforts in this regard? RV: The ROCS team today is a group of very talented individuals, an array of professionals coming from every corner of the globe who have so much talent and passion to offer. Such awards give us the motivation to keep going, knowing that what we have done so far is on the right track and a solid part of our long-term journey. I have always been of the firm belief that one has to enjoy the journey. We love to do business with people we like too, not a lot of people may relate, yet chemistry for business success is essential.

These are the pillars of my business understanding - 2 firm commandments of the ROCS creed. MBR: When the results were officially announced that you had won these prestigious awards, what was your feeling, reaction, and what was your overall experience about these awards? RV: Oh, simply great, really no words can describe what I felt when I was called repeatedly, as I never thought the judges would appreciate and understand the passion and the effort, I put into the ROCS brand. I have always worked 24 hours seven days a week and non-stop. I am very, very passionate, and love to work. As I said before, in my eyes ROCS is not simply a brand - it is a way of life for those hard-working and talented individuals, who work hard and persevere to make things happen MBR: How did ROCS Group adapt its business to address the challenges caused by the pandemic and how proud are you to see the resilience of your team during this unprecedented time and also by being awarded merited honours during the above- mentioned awards? RV: Goodness, Covid-19 was a challenge! Well, the pandemic is a challenge, which only a very few saw it coming. We were lucky enough to have a talented team that was at the forefront and prepared for what was going to happen. In fact, as of February 2020, the company adapted to the many challenges we were about to face. The pandemic is a challenge that in some way or another affected negatively all our 7 divisions. The COVID-19 challenge meant adapting our operations, retraining our staff, changing procedures, adapting our overall modus operandi, creating specific teams to handle refunds and rerouting, and a million and one things. I am very proud of the ROCS policy adopted from day 1 of this pandemic. The first directive given by the Board of Directors was that none of our teams will lose their job due to the pandemic. Most of the people who were with us pre-pandemic are still with us. We at ROCS believe that there is a future beyond COVID-19 and as such, we plan every week to a time when COVID-19 will be retracting and all those businesses which would have managed to adapt to the new reality, will manage to get out of the pandemic stronger. Therefore, we are currently working hard to change the way we operate in certain divisions, strengthen those divisions which are doing well and launch new divisions in Malta and beyond to diversify the portfolio as much as possible and protect the company and all those involved from situations like the pandemic. MBR: What do you see as the keys to effective leadership and what advice do you offer young people beginning their careers during this challenging and unprecedented time? RV: Never take your eyes off the target and remember that your only competition is who you were yesterday. Our habits decide our future, so making sure we do every job well is key. Through time you will find people who may try to discourage. you, as this is the only thing that will make them feel better. Yet persevere on and surround yourself with positive people. Finally, use the 80/20 rule in every meeting if possible. Don’t be afraid to dream, and possibly dream even bigger, as it is those who dream big are the most powerful, yes even more than the ones with all the facts, because those who dare to dream often have a broader perspective of life and can turn improbable to the possible. Just remember dreams have no expiration date....and if just in case you are still wondering what the 80/20 rule is... simply, 20% is to talk and the remaining 80% is to listen to what others have to say.

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