Companies to Watch: CLA Malta’s merger redefines corporate services delivery

“Our post-merger mission is not to simply maintain business as usual, it is to be even better and stronger,” says Joseph Gauci, co-founder of corporate services firm CLA Malta. “Synergy isn’t just a buzzword; it genuinely embodies how and why we’ve created something greater,” adds fellow founder Charles Scerri. 

Previously at the respective helms of CSA Malta and KSi Malta, the two CEOs joined forces this September to become a single corporate service provider (CSP) offering a full suite of advisory, auditing, accountancy, legal, tax and private client services (the newly formed company’s official inauguration took place in November 2024, attended by the country’s Prime Minister).

Several factors underlie the rationale for the merger including the need to maintain a viable operation and to sustain growth in a highly competitive arena.

Mr Scerri notes that the extensive industry-specific and indirect costs faced by CSPs can be a heavy burden for a mid-sized company. “We were an 80-person firm with a financial outlay more typical of a larger outfit, so the question was simple: do we scale up or scale down? This merger has allowed us to move forward in a more cost-effective manner with greater power,” he says, shedding light on CSA’s perspective.

Mr Gauci highlights the alliance’s personal significance, particularly as his sons who “now run the show want to see the company reach greater heights. It is not just about scaling up but about redefining how to deliver value,” he explains, reflecting on the blend of family-business values with a forward-looking corporate vision. Mr Scerri also elaborates on the outward-facing strategic impact. “The merger is more than a notable growth milestone; it’s about creating a firm that’s uniquely positioned to deliver global expertise with a personal touch.”

Thus, despite the merger’s already extensive scope, both parties took their ambitions a step further. In conjunction with forming a single larger CSP, the merged entity has joined CLA Global, a leading worldwide network of independent accounting and advisory firms that provides its clients with access to expertise in over 40 countries. The CLA Malta identity presents manifold advantages, opening doors to larger clients previously out of reach, as well as positioning the firm as a top-tier player closing the gap with the Big Four in Malta. Critically, becoming a CLA Global member firm bolsters the ability to respond to ever-evolving market demands and take on more complex projects, Mr Gauci explains. “It gives us tools and opportunities we could only dream of before, from advanced training to seamless client transitions across borders,” he describes candidly.

Furthermore, shifting from an association to a network offers affiliation with higher industry standards, grants access to enhanced resources, generates participation in specialised panels, and facilitates collaborative initiatives that raise the company’s international profile. 2025 includes a major conference in partnership with CLA Global’s Indian member firm as well as an invitation to represent Malta in front of 50 companies from the alternative investments sphere at a banking event in Turkey.

Both partners crucially share the four core pillars on which the merger’s rollout is centred. The first pillar is alignment with clients’ expectations, ensuring their continued confidence and trust. CLA Malta vows to do this by maintaining the existing high quality service.

The second pillar is maintaining the same relationship managers and teams that clients dealt with before the merger. “Retaining our personalised service will remain key even as we scale up because clients have never been – nor will they ever be – just numbers to us,” Mr Scerri clarifies.

Thirdly, combining both organisations’ different capabilities, knowledge base and contacts “creates better teams across every division”. Leveraging the complementary qualities and professional skill sets leads to an “augmented 360-degree service model that saves clients the pressure of looking elsewhere for their other business needs”.

Finally, the global reach of the CLA network provides the company’s clients with access to professional services from other countries’ member firms, benefits that both parties were unable to offer their clients previously as association members.

In short, the only way the merger would ‘affect’ clients is by enhancing the customer experience.

Trust and credibility also emerge as an essential element. “By participating in CLA Global’s various panels (on mergers and acquisitions, ESG, auditing and so on), we’re building trust and showcasing Malta as a jurisdiction worth investing in,” says Mr Scerri. “In this industry, trust and reputation are essential; I still have referrals from clients I served 15 years ago and it’s important to note that such confidence is earned over time and not to be taken for granted,” he adds.

No merger is without its challenges. “Mergers test every aspect of an organisation but they also unlock tremendous potential if done right,” shares Mr Gauci. Forming cohesive teams across 140 staff from two different firms, physically consolidating everyone into one building and streamlining accountancy and software systems are on 2025’s demanding to-do list. Social activities are also planned to aid the cultural transition of two different organisations. Meanwhile, middle management and other specific areas will be expanded via recruitment, while training and development initiatives will be rolled out.

As a sidebar, this is also a merger of different approaches. The company’s tagline ‘built differently’ could equally apply to both partners’ alternative philosophies on the role of marketing in building a company’s client base, for example. At some point, there will also be important decisions about organic growth versus strategic acquisitions for sustained success.

Nevertheless, their overall mutual ethos is refreshing in today’s corporate world, no doubt stemming from similar entrepreneurial journeys. Over decades of toil and sacrifice, both gentlemen built their individual companies through a commitment to long lasting relationships and efficient service. Both believe in the legacy-focused ownership structure of family-run concerns as opposed to the stewardship structure (of the Big Four for example) that mandates a set retirement age to prioritise ‘new blood’, Mr Scerri emphasises.

For this reason, the next generation is integral to CLA Malta’s past and future story, all four of the Scerri and Gauci children being deeply involved in taking the organisation forward. When the partners talk of company DNA, it is both in terms of their shared commercial principles and the family business profile. “We’re making sure that this DNA goes into the merger and remains at the heart of it,” they both concur.

This interview forms part of the Companies to Watch in 2024, a business serialisation of BusinessNow.mt, Malta’s fastest-growing, cutting-edge business news portal, aimed at companies achieving their goals, marking important milestones, or planning to announce major business news.

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