Kurt Farrugia to head Residency Malta, Leonid McKay moved to Transport Malta

Former Transport Malta (TM) CEO, Kurt Farrugia has been appointed CEO of Residency Malta, while Leonid McKay will head the transport watchdog.

Last week, MaltaToday reported that Farrugia was set to take over the entity. This followed the death of Residency Malta’s former CEO Jonathan Cardona, as well as a fallout between Farrugia and Transport Minister Chris Bonett.

This newspaper had reported that Bonett was pushing for TM to be headed by his chief of staff, Stephanie Bonello, while OPM wanted McKay at TM's helm.

On Tuesday, the Education Ministry confirmed that Farrugia will take over at Residency Malta on 1 July.

The ministry also expressed its appreciation for the contribution of the late Jonathan Cardona, “whose dedication and vision played an important role in the growth and success of Residenza Malta.”

Leonid McKay, who was chosen as the Labour Party's CEO in 2024, has been placed as TM's CEO. Before his time at the PL, McKay headed Jobsplus and the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis.

Meanwhile, Chris Bonett's chief of staff, Stephanie Bonello was allowed to head the Sustainable Transport Ministry's mass transport project.

Bonello is a lawyer by profession and has worked in the public sector for more than nine years, where, among other things, she worked on affordable housing reforms.

Bonett thanked Kurt Farrugia for his service at TM and wished McKay and Bonello well for their new roles.