NOUV appoints Jennifer Vella as Director Advisory – Risk and Compliance

Strategic move expands firm’s advisory services in risk and compliance. 

NOUV has announced the appointment of Jennifer Vella as its new Director Advisory – Risk and Compliance, marking a significant step in the firm’s strategic growth and its ambition to deliver a fully integrated offering. 

The appointment signals a clear commitment to expanding NOUV’s capabilities beyond compliance and internal audit, which have been core offerings to date, into the broader and increasingly critical domain of risk management.

Jennifer Vella brings over 13 years of experience in risk, compliance and internal audit, with a career that spans across regulatory, public and private sector roles. 

Her appointment comes as NOUV also announces the development of a dedicated business unit that will be focused not only on enhancing the firm’s existing services but also on tapping into new markets, particularly within the funds sector.

With this new direction, NOUV is now able to offer clients a complete package of internal control advisory and assurance services, designed to support businesses in meeting their regulatory, operational and strategic risk objectives. 

One of the firm’s strategic priorities is to delve deeper into the funds space.

With Vella’s leadership, NOUV is positioned to support fund managers and investment service providers with a flexible, expert-led approach. 

The move is a direct response to increasing demand for more holistic risk and compliance functions, especially from clients in highly regulated industries.

This expansion forms part of a broader strategy aimed at securing NOUV’s place as a go-to partner for the financial services sector in Malta and beyond.

What sets NOUV apart is the ability to integrate internal expertise on ICT, Cyber Security, Health & Safety, ESG and business continuity into its risk management, compliance and internal audit offerings. 

This blend of regulatory insight and technical capability allows the firm to offer practical, future-ready solutions that go beyond traditional risk and compliance advisory.

Jennifer Vella, who joined NOUV earlier this year, brings a unique background. 

She began her career at the Central Bank of Malta, where she worked on legislation for payment systems and e-money institutions and was involved in EU-level regulatory drafting, representing Malta at the European Commission.

She later worked closely with portfolio managers on trading desks and has launched internal audit and risk management functions at both start-up and group level. 

Her experience across the regulatory, operational and strategic dimensions of financial services makes her ideally suited to lead NOUV’s new direction in risk and compliance.

“This is a pivotal time for organisations that want to stay ahead of risk rather than just react to it. At NOUV, we now have the capability to offer clients truly integrated internal audit, risk and compliance functions. My focus is on expanding a unit that not only meets compliance obligations, but helps clients make smarter, safer decisions across the board. We’re reshaping how risk is approached.”

— Jennifer Vella, Director Advisory – Risk and Compliance, NOUV

“Bringing Jennifer on board is part of a deliberate move to elevate how we support our clients in an increasingly complex risk landscape. Her experience, especially in regulated sectors, brings both depth and perspective to this role. With her leadership, we’re not just expanding our service offering, we’re building a specialised unit that reflects NOUV’s ambition to grow, adapt, and lead in new markets.”

— Mark-Anthony Aquilina, Founder & Senior Managing Partner, NOUV