Johann Camilleri - Businessman & Entrepreneur

From an early age, Johann demonstrated his entreprenerial skills through the small business ventures he created in his schooling years at De La Salle College, Malta. Inspired by his father Anthony, also an active businessman in the tourism industry, Johann started his first venture at the age of eleven when he started importing computer diskettes into Malta and selling software to other students. The idea came to him during a holiday to England with his parents when he realised that software distribution in Malta was limited and much more expensive than England. Soon enough Johann was distributing his products into other schools and through 4 different shops in Malta who later started to import their own software.

The software business started to loose edge after a couple of years when more competitive practices started in Malta and software became easily available. Johann diversified into the importation of fashion items especially trendy belt buckles who were very popular among teenagers at the time. Even though this venture was a profitable one from a financial and educational point of view, Johann decided to give it up and focus more on his studies and his passion for playing Golf.

Johann took up the game of Golf at the unusually young age of 8 years, being attracted to the game simply by watching it being played on TV. He was the first golfer in Malta under the age of thirty and he was so keen on this sport that his parents had to drive him to the Golf club at least twice a week during school season and everyday in the Summer. He quickly became the Royal Malta Golf Club mascot player and in 1990, at the age of 11, having a handicap of 18, he won his first Golfing tournament competing only with adult players in the club. The Golf professional of the club Mr Robert Josey PGA was so interested in Johann's potential that he took him to play in Scotland to get experience in overseas clubs. Mr Josey even signed a recommendation for him to play in the Old course in St Andrews. By the age of twelve Johann struck his first and only Hole in One and during that year he placed in the top 5 in a few more competitions including 1st place in an under 18 competition in NSW Australia. To his present regret Johann packed in his golf clubs at the age of fourteen to focus on his studies and spend more time with his peers who were not interested in playing golf.

Johann continued his studies in high school specialising in Accounting, Economics, Marketing and Information Technology and he always achieved very high results in all these subjects demonstrating his passion for business studies. In fact he later found all these subjects very useful in his career managing his own business.

At the age of sixteen Johann was appointed Managing Director of the Young enterprise company for his college. This was basically an educational project for business students who were required to form a full fledged company, create a business plan, produce, market and sell a product or service. The company had to operate for one year and then present its financial statements together with sales, management production reports to a board of judges and the company shareholders which had to monitor the company's performance and final results. Johann came up with the idea to produce ornamental candles in different shapes, sizes and small statues made out of wax. The company named Wix 'n' Wax, employed 18 students each having a different role in the company's production, marketing or accounting department. At the end of the year the company won first place in a number of achievements including highest profitablility and best managed enterprise, and a second overall rating from the 32 companies established in Malta. The company also ranked 3rd overall in the Young Enterprise Europe competition which was a contest between almost 200 young enterprise companies throughout Europe.

In senior high school Johann was also elected president of the student council by his fellow students and was the main organiser for the students' social, eductional and sporting events. During this time, together with a couple of partners, he also ventured into the bar and entertainment business, by hiring out bars for one evening a week and promoting them amongst a targeted group of customers and university students.

Johann left school at the age of eighteen and although he had graduated to attend the University of Malta and offered a scholarship to attend the University of Swansea faculty of Business & economics, he preffered to remain in Malta and start his working career and continue his studies part time by taking a Marketing Diploma course which he completed in three years.

By the age of nineteen Johann had partnered in his father's car hire buisiness which at the time was still a very small, family run concern operating a fleet of no more than ten cars. His father was more focused on other businesses he was developing and the car rental had become a sideline, which Johann took over the and converted into one of today's leading car hire firms in Malta. Ten years later Johann took full controlling interest of the company and is now operating an average fleet of 150 cars and 12 full time employees, leading the way in the online car rental industry for Malta.