Meet our team!
Maryrose Francica
President
Maryrose Francica’s area of expertise is in entrepreneurship, management and EU funds. She has extensive experience in Managerial positions with leading local Companies, managing the family business and has worked as an EU funds project manager for over 20 years. During this time, she has locally managed over 50 EU funded projects. In 2019, she opened her own Company, Skills Zone Malta, where the focus is on entrepreneurship, soft skills, leadership skills, start-ups and gender issues.
The promotion of the role of women in society, gender issues, gender equality and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit was always of great interest to her, and she has held various roles as the Executive Coordinator for The Foundation of Women Entrepreneurs (Malta), a position she has held since 2004. She was also the first Europe Direct Manager in Malta until 2007. Maryrose is also the General Secretary of The Malta Women’s Lobby (MWL) and a founder member of the EMPOWER Platform set up in 2017 by Her Excellency Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, President Emeritus of the Republic of Malta. In February 2020, Maryrose was nominated to sit on the gender budgeting committee of the European Women’s Lobby (EWL). EWL is the largest umbrella organisation of women's associations in the European Union, founded in 1990, working to promote women's rights and equality between women and men, and representing a total of more than 2000 organisations. Since 2018, she has been an evaluator for the Global Startup Awards, and in 2021, she was nominated for the Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Malta.
Marthese Spiteri
Secretary
Marthese is deeply passionate about caring for the elderly, a commitment close to her heart as she lovingly supports her mother. She finds great fulfilment in providing
compassionate care, companionship, and comfort to those in their later years, recognizing
the importance of dignity and kindness in this stage of life. As a devoted mother to one grown son, Marthese values family deeply and cherishes the close bonds she has nurtured over the years.
Beyond her caregiving, Marthese’s creative spirit shines through in her hobbies. She loves to spend time in the kitchen, experimenting with new recipes and sharing delicious meals with loved ones. Gardening is another passion that brings peace and joy to her life, allowing her to connect with nature and cultivate beauty in her surroundings. Through her dedication to family, caregiving, and her personal interests, Marthese embraces a life filled with warmth, compassion, and creativity.
Daniella Zammit
Treasurer
Daniella's journey began in 1991 when she graduated as a hairdresser from the Hair and Beauty Academy. Working in a touristic hotspot, she thrived amidst a melting pot of cultures, languages, and hair types, nurturing her confidence and appreciation for life's diversity. In 2006, Daniella took a leap of faith and opened her own salon, balancing the demands of entrepreneurship with the joys of motherhood, raising her daughter Diana. Daniella's salon “Magic Mirrors” wasn't just a place for makeovers; it was a sanctuary where she listened intently to her clients, offering not just a hairdo and a coffee but a sympathetic ear and a safe space for emotional release.
Around 11 years ago, Daniella discovered holistic therapy, immersing herself in the realms of energy healing, angel cards, essential oils, and forensic healing. Her journey led her to now become a Pranic healer, dedicated to enhancing people's well-being on a deeper level.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Daniella faced a crossroads, prompting her to close her salon and embark on a new chapter. Undeterred by age or technological challenges, she embraced the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Criminology as a mature student, fuelled by her unwavering determination and the belief that "I do my best, God does the rest." Now in her second year of studies, Daniella's sights are set on a future where she can combine her expertise in therapeutic settings with her passion for helping individuals overcome substance abuse. With her compassionate spirit and indomitable will, Daniella continues to inspire those around her, proving that it's never too late to chase your dreams and make a difference in the world.
Dagmara Dabek
Public Relations Officer
Dagmara holds two degrees: the first one is in political science and diplomacy and the second is in american studies for intercultural communication and diplomacy. By graduating in two fields, she developed her greatest passions - international relations, foreign languages and cultures, and human rights. Thanks to her high academic performance and social commitment, she also got a scholarship at the University of Fraser Valley in Canada, where she deepened her political science knowledge. On top of it all, she participated in many courses focusing on human rights, for instance, a human rights course organised by the Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. In July 2024, she got her apprenticeship at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C.
For the past ten years, she’s been an activist. In 2014, she became the councillor of the Youth City Council in her hometown, with which her activism adventure began. During her school and university years, she was active in the student councils, where she was first the president and then the vice president. The issue she addresses the most is women’s rights. Therefore, in the meantime, she created the Institute for Young Women Development, which for over 3 years carried out initiatives to inspire and empower young women.
Between March and September 2022, she worked in the non-governmental organisation Active Women Association, where she coordinated European projects on the local level. Then, in September 2022, she started working as a project manager and social media expert at Skills Zone Malta, where she is still working.
Kim Busuttil
Legal Advisor
Kim is a lawyer specialising in anti-money laundering, human trafficking, migration, and international law, placing a premium on the human dimension of legal practice over abstract theory.
Beyond her professional world, she finds solace in literature and poetry, passions nurtured by her coastal upbringing, which instilled in her a deep fondness for the pleasures of summer and siestas.
Throughout her career, Kim has collaborated with diverse stakeholders, including government bodies, businesses, and non-profit organisations, propelled by her vision of fostering a more equitable society by dismantling barriers. Over the past decade, she has been actively involved in numerous EU funding projects. While Kim has traversed much of the globe, she believes her explorations have only just begun.
With academic laurels, including a Master of Advocacy, a Bachelor of Laws, a Higher Diploma in Legal Procuratorship, and a Bachelor of Political Sciences with Communications, Kim brings a multifaceted perspective to her work. She prides herself on being dependable and well-organised, fuelled by an unwavering "can-do" spirit and a profound zest for life.
Josette Bartolo
Josette Bartolo was born in Malta in 1964. She is a mother of one son and a grandmother of two boys. Professionally, she is mainly a hairstylist, a career she has embraced for over 40 years and continues to enjoy.
From a young age, Josette dreamed of owning her own salon. After years of studying, training, and gaining experience, she fulfilled that dream in 1996 by opening Classic Hair Design. Balancing family responsibilities and business challenges was never easy, but she still considers it one of the best decisions she has ever made.
Between 2010 and 2012, Josette served as one of the ten Maltese Women Ambassadors for the Amie Project, organised by the European Commissioner for Women Entrepreneurs. She also participated in several initiatives by Skills Zone, focusing mainly on women’s issues such as health and entrepreneurship.
In 2025, she became engaged in Women Elevation Malta (WEM), an organisation she looks forward to supporting as it continues its mission to empower women in all aspects of life. Through her work as a hairstylist, Josette meets many women who face difficult moments in life, inspiring her to do her best to encourage and support them. She is always ready to share advice drawn from her own experiences.
Her guiding motto is: “Never say never, and always women for women.”