Tonio Fenech, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, has won the fourth edition of Junior Chamber International (Malta)'s Outstanding Young Person of the Year Award (TOYP).
The award citation said that among his achievements, Mr Fenech had enabled Malta to attain economic convergence and the criteria necessary to enter the European Monetary Union.
He steered the committee responsible for the euro changeover process, managed public finances, prepared four national budgets and contributed to develop the financial services sector.
The award was presented in collaboration with HSBC Malta, KPMG Malta, the Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise, and Jos. Vincenti, with the support of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment.
It recognises individuals under the age of 40 who excel in their chosen field, and who exemplify the best attributes of Malta's young people.
It also gives credit to people who managed to make other people's lives better through their exceptional skills.
This year, JCI Malta received an outstanding number of quality nominations in the various TOYP award categories.
Mr Fenech was voted overall winner from the eight finalists. He won in the political, legal, governmental affairs category.
Bernard Schembri won the Business, Economic, and/or Entrepreneurial Accomplishment category.
At 24, Mr Schembri is a solo entrepreneur and creator of Webgenix Ltd.
At 14, he launched an e-commerce table tennis website which today has attracted the sport's largest brands and a huge customer base.
Klejda Mulaj, who won the Academic Leadership and Accomplishment category, is an international relations lecturer at the University of Malta specialising in conflict and peace studies. Her research has achieved international exposure and has contributed significantly to understanding the causes of war and conditions of peace.
Francesca Grima, a flamenco dancer and co-producer of Etnikafe, won the award for Cultural Achievement.
She works as a professional flamenco dancer and teacher in Seville and performs both locally and abroad with her dance company Puerto Flamenco.
Alan Deidun, a biology lecturer at Junior College, an environmental journalist with The Sunday Times and a council member of Nature Trust won the Moral, and/or Environmental Leadership category for creating awareness on numerous cases of environmental degradation.
Nicolette Busuttil, 19, a law student who, for the past two years has worked with the destitute, sick and dying in Ethiopia through the Ignatian Youth Network won the award in the Humanitarian and/or Voluntary Leadership category.
The award for Scientific, and/or Technological Development was given to Marco Cremona, director of Sustech Consulting.
As a water treatment engineer, he has worked on various projects involving sustainable water use and waste treatment and recycling.
Professional swimmer Angela Galea, 24, took the award for Personal Improvement and Accomplishment.
She holds national records, various medals and has represented Malta in international competitions. She is also a medical doctor and a dancer.
These winners will be nominated as Malta's entries for the international JCI competition for The Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World.
Winners of this international award will be honoured next year at the JCI World Congress to be held in New Delhi, India.