Ivan Bartolo

CEO and founder Ivan Bartolo set up the 6PM Group back in 2000 as a vehicle to invoice for his work as a contractor for British Airways in London. He registered the 6PM Group in Malta, thinking he would grow a small business for himself. “I was the first employee, and the first revenue earner, so effectively all the earnings I was generating from my time at British Airways were going to the company.”

Ivan identified the multitude of opportunities in London for time and resourcing businesses. There was great demand for IT professionals at cost-effective rates. Ivan recruited more staff in Malta to enhance 6PM’s offering as a service-type, time-and-material-based company. From small beginnings, the 6PM Group started landing contracts with high-profile companies like BensGlobal Consulting.

When Malta joined the European Union (EU) in 2004, Ivan saw an opportunity to grow the business. “Malta joining the EU gave the company an incredible boost, overcoming all of the problems we had previously experienced relating to freedom of movement and work permits from Malta to the UK. Our team grew suddenly from about 10 people in 2003, to 40 or 50 people by the end of 2004.”

Over the course of its existence, the 6PM Group had demonstrated dynamism and adaptability in the face of global economic challenges. After Malta joined the EU, Ivan had to shift operations out of the UK to compete with the cheap rates coming out of India and China. The company’s model also switched from a time-and-materials basis to a fixed-rate basis—a shift Ivan describes as a steep learning curve.