We choose people we trust, people we like and people who know their business.
Since we work remotely, these three are necessary factors in anyone who joins us. If the three criteria above aren’t met, we don’t want that person here at Systemato.
We are in the business of getting things done, not of looking pretty and pretending to work. We leave that kind of stuff to others.
With that in mind, let’s introduce the Systemato team!
Say Hello!
You need a great team to get things done.
Came up with the name ‘Systemato’
Mark is a digital marketing consultant and has been reading since he could make letters out. He also read for a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Psychology from the University of Malta.
Mark runs Systemato with the help of a team of expert or budding writers, translators, web and graphic designers, PR experts, and specialists in other areas, who frequently contribute to Systemato projects.
In a past life Mark was an advertising account manager with extensive experience in online advertising, including paid web advertising, PPC and advertising on Social Media. Today, Mark is an online marketing consultant, consultant copywriter and freelance writer with a penchant for faultless grammar, remote work, and Systemato’s youngest member, Tesla.
When writing, Mark’s goal is to create powerful, keyword-laden content for creatives, newsletters and websites to help make sites work at healthy ROI. He likes to put it another way, saying of his work, “I write words that hug the reader!”
Outside work hours, Mark plays bass in metal band Loathe, practices martial arts, and is obsessed with photography, food, fast cars, and Blackadder.
The Right Hand & Company Brain
David is a full-time marketing executive and copywriter with a passion for digital entrepreneurship.
David completed three years of medical school before realising that being a doctor was not his calling in life, and so decided to change tack completely. Since then, David has embarked on a number of projects related to his much loved areas of writing and technology.
David graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Knowledge-based Entrepreneurship from the University of Malta. He also holds certificates in behavioural sciences and psychotherapy.
A clear thinker and a very articulate writer, David helps out by writing copy and carrying out research tasks for Systemato and our clients.
The Social Butterfly
Over the years Diane has become a word specialist – she reads words, writes them and checks them, but the last one tends to happen involuntarily. Following the completion of a BA Honours in English and an MA in Publishing, from Oxford Brookes University no less, Diane is now a digital marketing specialist and general publishing buff.
Aside from her formal education, Diane credits most of what she knows to a well-spent youth firmly fixed in front of electronic devices of all kinds, many years of drama tuition, lots of prancing around on stage, as well as three marvellous years where she not only worked as an editorial assistant, but also became an active member of the Department of English Students’ Association at the University of Malta. At Systemato, Diane edits prodigious amounts of copy in double time, making sure that it all passes muster, and helps out with writing sometimes as well.
But all work and no play makes Diane a dull girl. While a book is never out of reach and music is always blaring through speakers or a pair of earphones, you’re most likely to find Diane cooking, baking or eating (sometimes all at once), as well as running wild out in civilisation, most likely looking for somewhere… to eat. In fact, even in her photo on this very page, Diane is looking past the camera at a corner crêperie that caught her eye and made her tummy rumble.
The One With The Deep Laugh
Ben is a copywriter with a versatile writing style and is always willing to adapt according to the needs of clients. He has a Bachelor’s degree in English and is currently studying for a Master’s degree in English, Media, and Culture.
His love for the English language developed soon after his brief tenure in the womb. He is a keen advocate of fancy words nobody else wants to use, avoiding comma splice, and the Oxford comma. You may have noticed that already. Having tried his hand early on in the business by taking on jobs for a few pals, Ben quickly found that his forte is content writing and editing.
When he’s not working, studying, or reading, Ben likes to indulge in his passion for music. A bass player always looking to be productive in his personal projects, Ben is keen enthusiast of various genres, ranging from jazz, metal, post-rock, and all else in between. He is also (shamelessly) a fan of cartoons such as Adventure Time, Bob’s Burgers, and Rick and Morty. Don’t hold that against him.
The Animal Lover
Tia is a writer and a journalist. She is a European Studies graduate with a keen interest in marketing and campaigning, and political animal in every sense of the word. Tia is most content working in highly volatile environments and driving change.
Having read far too much far too young, she became aware of her aptness for the job fairly early on, which is when she took up ghostwriting and freelance copywriting. Tia also has some experience in teaching, which has further equipped her for instinctive editing and overall creative work – something she hopes to do much of at Systemato.
Prudent and pragmatic, she spends most of her time discussing literature and current affairs. Books, newspapers, and furry critters keep her happy.
Our Resident Bearded Hipster
Antoine is an environmentalist with a clear and often mischievous writing style. He graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Malta and eventually landed in London where he pursued an MSc in Environment, Science and Society at University College London.
London brought with it numerous experiences, including a Research and Development internship with an environmental NGO, and volunteering opportunities on sustainability related projects. He then moved to Brussels to work with a lobby group on projects dealing with issues of youth unemployment, entrepreneurship and sustainable living practices. Antoine took a shine to the Belgian lifestyle so he returned for a Blue Book Traineeship with the European Commission as a Project Advisor trainee.
In his free time, Antoine runs a blog mainly centred on environmental issues in Malta. The experience he has attained from his blog, and the skills gained through various roles as a researcher have helped strengthen his writing capabilities. Apart from writing, Antoine considers himself to be a modest cook and baker, and is willing to try any type of bread or cake as long as it doesn’t come in a premixed box. He also loves to travel and experience cultural quirks that embody the place he is in currently in.
The Mustachioed One
Teodor has made writing his primary business in life, and hasn’t looked back since. He can now be found scribbling away at a number of ‘passion projects’ – which at the time of writing THIS particular thing include a comic book, a movie and the sketches for a second novel, to follow his 2014 debut from Merlin Publishers, TWO.
A Culture Editor for Sunday newspaper MaltaToday since 2006, Teodor is also that same newspaper’s film critic – a practice borne out of his sneaky reading of Empire Magazine before school began each morning, and which has since blossomed into an appreciation of the critical arts in all fields… not least of all the field of English Literature, for which he now boasts both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of Malta.
With fiction being his primary motor for existence but non-fiction and copywriting being how he pays the bills, Teodor makes no value judgements between one genre or form of writing and another; considering them all to be part of the same glorious, bubbling pot of wonder, entertainment and information. A sentence is a sentence is a sentence, as a famous poetess might say, and Teodor’s aim is to treat each sentence with the TLC it requires, be it in a labyrinthine work of fiction or in a slick piece of advertising copy.
And for the stuff that can find no home in his day-to-day practice, Teodor also has a blog: teodoreljic.com.
The Noisy Brit
Alice is a born and bred Brit who loves to write and describes it as the thing that comes most naturally to her. She firmly believes that her brain and her fingertips have a direct connection with each other, resulting in her being able to sit at her desk and have the words come pouring out-sometimes before she has even had a chance to think about them.
After studying photography and fine art in Cornwall, and then law in Bristol, she decided she’d had enough of the constant rain in her home country, and she packed her bags, and her cats and relocated to the glorious island of Malta. After working in the local legal sector as a marketing and communications professional, she decided to take her passion full-time and freelance. She now works with clients from every corner of the world, writes and edits a diverse range of content, as well as having a weekly opinion column in The Malta Independent. Recent projects include editing a series of children’s books, ghost-writing for a well-known politician’s electoral campaign, and assuming the position of editor for a new online magazine that is scheduled for launch later in 2017.
With 11 years of experience under her belt, her style can be described as satirical, tongue-in-cheek, but comprehensive and analytical when the brief requires. She enjoys writing to provoke a reaction and seeks to be honest, direct, and informative always.
When she is not writing to pay the bills, she is writing for fun, dreaming up new places to travel to, painting, taking photographs, considering writing her life story, sitting by a pool with a cocktail, and enjoying the company of her friends, family, and of course, her two cats.
The Ex-Cop Turned Writer
After 10 years as a police officer in London, Steven decided it was time to put his writing skills to a more direct use. Unconvinced that quitting his career was a big enough life change, he and his wife decided to go all in and move country as well. Malta was the obvious choice, being both the birthplace of his father in law and a land of sunshine and history (two of his favourite things).
Whilst Steven has no formal qualifications to speak of, he has a wealth of life experiences. More often than not he’s able to throw these experiences into whatever he is writing. He’s also spent a lot of time honing the craft of readable writing (and semicolon avoidance). By putting the effort into his writing, he ensures that you don’t need to put the effort into your reading. The end result, he writes like he speaks, without sounding like he’s writing how he’s speaking.
Away from writing words to be read, Steven also writes words to be acted. He is a proven screenwriter and has written scripts for TV commercials both in Malta and the U.K. He harnesses this ability best when pursuing his passion for storytelling. Whenever he has a spare moment, he’s sure to be found mulling over dialogue, or cranking out a scene for his latest pet project. Away from writing, he finds sports to be pretty all consuming. Mention Liverpool Football Club or the NFL to him and you best be willing to engage in a lengthy conversation.
The Image Wizard
Stephanie Sant graduated from Central Saint Martins with an MA in Photography in 2016. Her practice involves filmmaking, writing and performance art, and she collaborates with various Europe-based artists on different types of projects.
Stephanie works closely with Shadeena as a screenwriter and a film director, and has a number of short film scripts going into production in 2017. Besides this, her written work involves copywriting for Systemato, writing in her djarju and sometimes publishing it online at: www.stephaniesant.com/djarju.
The Crazy-Haired One
Becca, generally indecisive about everything, but absolutely certain of her passion for writing. A misspent childhood consisted of Becca staying up late enough to read the books her mother banned her from reading. Years spent reading vast amounts of books have lent themselves well to her writing skills.
Becca is currently studying for a degree in International Relations, and is ready to take the world by storm with only her words. Just like all wannabe politicians, her style is diplomatic and elaborate, though she likes to take things with a pinch of salt and wackiness.
Her style of writing is a projection of her style of being. Primarily, she values having fun with a solid group of people to do that with. As long as she is surrounded by people capable of discussing anything that has to do with politics, the environment, and culture, all with a good sense of humour, Becca is pretty much content.
The Marathoner
Vicki graduated with a BA in English from Birkbeck University and since then she has worked tirelessly with the English language.
Starting as a Publications Editor in London for an international shipping firm, and moving on to become a teacher, she had taught English to age ranges from 6 to 18, from SATs to A-Level. After 7 years of teaching she moved from the UK to Malta where she became a full-time copywriter, developing her quirky style and original tone of voice. Her passion for the English language is unquestionable and she is both an avid reader and writer, spending most of her spare time immersed in words.
When she isn’t drowning in a sea of sentences, she loves to spend time working out. Vicki is a keen runner and has run many marathons, half marathons and ultra-marathons. She is qualified as a gym instructor and teaches classes when she has spare time. As well as this she is an animal lover and is devoted to her doggies.
The Free Spirit
Fattima is a British creative who loves to write in an accessible yet sophisticated voice. She has a BSc in Psychology and a passion for youth engagement, and has spent a lot of her time mentoring young adults in London, Malta, South Africa and a sustainable town being built in the Panamanian jungle. She has also featured on VICELAND’s docu-series JungleTown and has released two EP’s promoting social action.
When not writing for clients, Fattima uses her love for sentence formation to address socio-political issues, contemporary culture and mental health problems prevalent in society today via her blog, aiming to ignite conscious thought and spark debate in these areas. Fattima is also an aspiring screenplay writer, as well as the proud author of Love Don’t Come Easy, a book she wrote to highlight the ways in which we have socially evolved through modern technology and the effect this has on our perceptions of love.
Despite her many pursuits, Fattima always finds time to roller-skate. She takes her wheels for a spin at least once a week and has also performed at the Barbican Theatre as part of a live installation.
Keeper Of The Bushido Code
Adrian’s interests are all over the place, just like he is. Having spent a good part of his childhood in the US and returning to Malta where he spent his teenage years, Adrian developed a pull-and-push sort of relationship with Japan. This resulted in him clocking in a total of eight years in the Land Of The Rising Sun. Now he’s back in Malta once more, for as long as he can suppress the travel bug.
He graduated from the University of Malta with a Masters’ Degree in Literature and Theory, and carried out part of his research for that at Kyoto University, Japan. It was thanks to the rigorous academic environment that he honed the skills to organise his own scatter-brain.
In spite of his academic background, Adrian indulges in his non-guilty pleasure of reading and writing Sci-Fi, Horror, and Dark Fantasy; basically, everything you’re not expected to read in university.
The only other two things that share his zeal in just about equal parts are combat sports and his son. Learning to roll with punches, avoid getting pinned down, and keep up with the inexhaustible source of energy his son possesses while keeping an indelible smile have helped him develop a “Let’s do this!” work ethic regardless of the theme or scope of the project at hand.
Besides his experience in copywriting and editing, Adrian has also doubled as a freelance boxing journalist for Boxing News and is still active as a Video Game Narrative Designer. He refuses to define his writing style as he believes that doing that equates to issuing it a death warrant.
The Numbers Guy
Daniel is an e-commerce consultant who is responsible for advertising management, optimisation, and analytical insights at Systemato. He is passionate about understanding the goals and challenges of each client – as it is key to develop campaigns that contribute to their success both short and long-term.
Daniel holds a BSc in Tourism Economics and Marketing, and is currently studying Data Science and Strategic Management. His consulting company dCommerce supports some of the best hotels and resorts in the Maldives and in South East Asia. Daniel is a member of the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board and has also consulted for the Malta Tourism Authority, to help develop better destination marketing for Gozo – where he lives.
When not working, Daniel enjoys living a fun and easy life that includes workouts, beach, building weapons of mass destruction in Minecraft (that can wipe out an entire online world in seconds), street food and traveling. Hopelessly stuck in the 90’s technoculture, Daniel still produces acid and psytrance as a hobby artist.
The One With Crazy Hair Colours
Karen has always had a passion for writing, having written her first book at the age of 7, about a rabbit who wished he could fly. While that particular book never did make it big, Karen continued writing for her own enjoyment, coupled with reading copious amounts of other people’s work.
Having completed a BA Honours in Sociology at the University of Malta, Karen worked as an English teacher amongst other odd jobs, before finally settling on doing what she loves best, writing.
Apart from putting pen to paper, Karen also enjoys whipping up a good meal, indulging in a glass of wine, playing a round of tennis, changing her hair colour every few months, and cuddling with her cats.
The One They Call “Wookie”
Matthew Agius knows not what he is, only what he does best – and that is write.
Raised in London, he signed up for the Parachute Regiment in the mid 2000s for a brief stint of actual physical activity before returning to Malta and becoming a sausage with a law degree.
Matt reports from the Maltese courts for MaltaToday and has written for, or collaborated with, The Sunday Times, France 24, Euronews and TRT World, amongst others. His work has also been cited in the Guardian, as he will gladly tell anyone who’ll listen.
Aside from journalisting, lawyering, and fathering, Matt spends what little time he has left over playing bass with Mistura and, when he gets the notes right, can be quite not terrible at it, too. Allegedly.
A Failed Peter Pan
After attempting to follow in Peter Pan’s footsteps, having failed miserably at that, Christina accepted her adulthood and has somewhat embraced it.
The first step in adulthood was completing a course in Psychology, which should have resulted in obtaining a masters in Forensic Psychology, which would have led to a successful career in Forensics. That didn’t quite work out as planned, instead she got roped into helping the family business, fell in love with business in its entirety, graduated from a Masters in Business Administration and is now pursuing this path to wherever it may lead.
Christina is easily understood, but only if fed and allowed to sleep. Do so, and she’ll be your best friend. She reads a fair amount and pretends to keep updated about current affairs. She’s annoyingly observant, rather meticulous, and attempts to organise everything in sight. Here at Systemato, that’s what she’s doing; whipping us into shape and filing what falls off.
The Witty One
Kelly is a bookworm, wordsmith, and collector of comic books currently based in Newcastle upon Tyne, where she’s studying part-time for an MLitt in Philosophy. After completing a BA Honours degree in English, she went on to read for an MA in Modern and Contemporary Literature and Criticism, studying hard while working as an English teacher at a local language school. Shortly before graduating, she started working as a copywriter for an international company, quickly working her way up to Senior Copywriter.
Over the years, Kelly has developed her own punchy style seasoned with just the right amount of wit and sarcasm – though she usually saves that for her blog (unless it’s called for in the brief). She can shape her writing to suit anything from a perfect press release to a carefully-crafted piece of prose; whatever the task at hand might be, she never misses a deadline.
When she’s not writing or proofreading, there’s a pretty good chance she’s playing video games, kickboxing, cooking, reading, vintage shopping or binge-watching a series like Black Mirror.
Say hello!