Matthew Gatt has been appointed chief executive officer of the Malta Information Technology Agency .

A graduate in engineering, Mr Gatt started his professional career in the manufacturing industry with a local company specialising in precision hydraulic components.

After reading for an MSc in Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing at the Cranfield Institute of Technology (UK), he moved to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to managedigital mapping and geographic information systems, a position he occupied for several years.

After a brief period with the private sector, he returned to Mepa as a change agent to provide the stewardship for a number of key organisational changes.

He was subsequently appointed director corporate services within the authority with a portfolio of administrative and technical responsibilities.

In 2007 he was appointed chief operations officer and deputy CEO within MITTS/MITA.

MITA's chairman Claudio Grech said Mr Gatt had an exceptionally strong background and a reputable track record of delivery.

"He has demonstrated leadership and acumen notably during the transitioning of the agency. My colleagues and I have every confidence that he has the experience necessary to lead MITA in achieving its milestones and position it as one of the top five government-serving IT Agencies in EU," Mr Grech said.