A celebration of inspiring business leadership and excellence

Asia CEO Awards 2024 recognizes names, brands uplifting PHL to the global stage

By Angela Kiara S. Brillantes, Special Features and Content Writer

Businesses, both big and small, are the cornerstone of economies, driving growth and development in a country. Behind these businesses are visionary leaders, the ones steering their own businesses to success and eventually contributing to the progress of their industries and the economy in general.

Many of these businesses, sectors, and their leaders were recognized in this year’s Asia CEO Awards, a highly-recognized annual award celebrating the commitment of our very own business and leaders to excellence.

Presented by Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC), together with knowledge partner PwC Philippines, Asia CEO Awards 2024 welcomed to its Circle of Excellence entrepreneurs, chief executive officers (CEOs), and companies that are elevating the local business landscape.

Asia CEO Awards Chairman Richard Mills shared that this year’s Asia CEO Awards 2024 reflects the Philippines’ further rise in the global stage as the event attracted more than 1,000 of the nation’s most amazing leaders and brought numerous Circle of Excellence Awardees and Grand Winners, who for Mr. Mills were the best in the 15-year history of Asia CEO Awards.

“As the Philippines continues its steady ascent to first-world status, the quality and diversity of nominations has expanded tremendously,” Mr. Mills said in his congratulatory message. “Most award categories had 40-50 nominations from which the Board of Judges had great difficulty choosing the Circle of Excellence and Grand Winners for 16 awards. It all made for an exciting event. We can’t wait to see what happens in Asia CEO Awards 2025.”

With the theme “Fortune Favors the Philippines,” this year’s awards highlight the significant contribution of this year’s awardees to uplifting the country further to agility and competitiveness in the global stage.

“To [the grand] winners and [those in the] Circle of Excellence: Your achievements not only set new benchmarks in your respective fields but also inspire the next generation of leaders across Asia. Your stories of triumph often in the face of significant challenges are a testament to the resilient and innovative spirit that defines our region,” Aldie P. Garcia, Assurance Managing Partner of PwC Philippines, said in his message during the awards night.

Held last Oct. 8 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City, Asia CEO Awards 2024 recognized notable players and organizations in different categories that celebrate the best in business, technology, innovation, and sustainability, among others.

The awards honored the Lifetime Contributor Awardees for 2024 to notable figures in the private and public sectors. Representing the private sector, Ramon R. Del Rosario, Jr., chairman and CEO of PHINMA Corp., was the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Contributor Award. The first lifetime recognition for Mr. Del Rosario, this accord reflects PHINMA Corp.’s unwavering commitment to contribute meaningfully to building a stronger Philippines.

“At PHINMA, we always adhere to the mission our founder set nearly 70 years ago—to be an active participant on building. This we pursued for most of our 50 years by helping build our country’s industrial base and establishing enterprises. But, it was building and expanding our country’s cement industry that PHINMA has made its largest contribution,” Mr. Del Rosario said in his speech.

“While we at PHINMA are proud of our accomplishments, there is so much more that needs to be done and so much more that can be done. If we in business link arms, collaborate, join forces and work together with the common purpose of making lives better. Business is more than profits; it has a major role in nation-building and making lives better. Business can and must be a force for good,” he added.

In the public sector, receiving the Lifetime Contributor accolade is Secretary Ralph G. Recto of the Department of Finance (DoF), who was recognized for his notable contributions in public service, particularly to nation-building and economic development.

“On the part of DoF, I assure you that the doors will always be open to you, and we will do everything within our power to help you succeed because in your every success, every Filipino and the entire Philippines wins too. In short, we are covering all fonts, making sure that you make more money to grow the economy, make more jobs, increase our people’s income, and lift more Filipinos out of poverty,” Mr. Recto said.

Snagging Asia CEO’s recognition for service excellence is business process outsourcing (BPO) company VXI Global Holdings BV Phils, which was named as the Service Excellence Company of the Year. Other honorees for this category include Airspeed; ASUS Phils. Corp.; CGI Phils, Inc.; ING Hubs BV Philippine Branch; Inventi Intellectual Holdings Corp.; RELX Reed Elsevier Philippines; Seda Hotels; Sprout Solutions; Social Security System (SSS); Theos Cyber Solutions, Inc.; and Wipro Phils, Inc.

Showcasing its commitment to world class governance is the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, winning the award for White & Case Governance Organization of the Year. Also recognized for this category are Cloudstaff; Immuni Global, Inc.; Land Bank of the Philippines; Tech Mahindra Limited; and Zenutna Holdings Corp. (ZHC).

Notable recognitions were also given to leaders who show remarkable achievements within their respective fields. Among them are Chino San Diego, co-owner of What’s Your Flan International; and Sanjiv Kumar Gupta, president and country head of IBM Solutions Delivery, Inc., taking home the titles of Entrepreneur and CEO of the Year, respectively.

This year’s CEO of the Year honorees include the following: Alan Jones, CEO of Asia Energy Company (AECO) Pte. Ltd.; Anand Achuthan, global head of Tech Mahindra Ltd.; Aseem Roy, country head of Wipro Phils., Inc.; Cesar L Wee Jr., president and CEO of Wee Community Developers, Inc.; David L. Rafael, president and CEO of Aboitiz Land, Inc.; Ivy Ledres, general manager of Insight Direct Phils. LLC; Jaeger Tanco, president and CEO of Phil Care; Jennire S. Torres, country head and CEO of Atos; Jesus Joey Marcelo, CEO of Sante International, Inc.; and Patrick Gentry, CEO of Sprout Solutions.

Meanwhile, honorees under the Entrepreneur of the Year category are Eric Peter Roxas of Pure Energy; Felix Veroya of Ask Lex PH Academy; Jason Romeo Valderrama of JCV & Associates Project Management & Development, Inc.; Jettson Yu of PRIME Philippines; Jonathan So and Carlito Macadangdang of JC Premiere; Karen Jane Salutan-Krukover of EdukSine Production Corp.; Malou Prado of MPQ Travel & Tours; Marydae Hannah Ramos of Chizmozza; Nathaniel Marquez, MNSA of Ebizolution, Inc.; Raemin Reyes of Motovita; Regieno G. Valencia of Interior Construction Services; Ricardo Cuna of Kurimi Milk Tea Bar; and Robert Jordan, Jr., of Asialink Finance Corp.

The Asia CEO Awards also celebrates young and talented leaders who are driving transformative change within the sector. Among these leaders, the Young Leader of the Year Award went this year to Lenard G. Jabolin, president of Casapa Livestock Raisers Association, Inc.

Other young leaders bestowed for this award are Cindy Burdette, chief commercial officer of KonsultaMD; Felix Concepcion Veroya, founder and CEO of Ask Lex PH Academy; Jettson P. Yu, founder and CEO of PRIME Philippines; Lcid Crescent Fernandez, chief executive officer of Prometheus Productions OPC; Maria Isabela Blancas, owner and founder of One Closet; Ralph Ray Dacay Chua, president and chairman of the board at Immuni Global Inc. and Shireli Manufacturing Company; and Regieno G. Valencia, owner of Interior Construction Services.

Recognized trailblazers of the tech space among this year’s grand winners are energy company Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. and Macario Solis Fojas, founder and president of Seven Seven Global Services, Inc., who are the title holders for Technology Company and IT-BPM Techblazer of the Year, respectively.

For Technology Company of the Year, other honorees are Aboitiz Land, Inc.; Ask Lex PH Academy; Concentrix Philippines; Datamatics Global Services Corp.; GoTyme Bank; Hytec Power, Inc.; Inventi Intellectual Holdings Corp.; KonsultaMD; Land Bank of the Philippines; Lexmark Research and Development Corp.; PCCW Solutions, Inc.; and UNO Digital Bank.

Meanwhile, honorees under the IT-BPM Techbalzer of the Year category are Elias Patrick Salazar, delivery head of Tech Mahindra Limited; Jacob Catayoc, chief technology officer of EdukSine Production Corp.; Kamal Asarpota, CEO of Eastvantage; Lloyd Ernst, founder and CEO of Cloudstaff; Praveer Chadha, senior vice-president of Customer Management Solutions at Datamatics Global Services Corp.; Rosette Carrao, managing director of delaware Philippines; and Shiju Varghese, country head of Tata Consultancy Services (Philippines), Inc.

The Company of the Year Award went to global technology and services company Concentrix Philippines, while the Most Innovative Company of the Year was awarded to Pili AdheSeal, Inc., a sustainable startup found to be leading with innovative initiatives.

Top contenders for Most Innovative Company of the Year are Cloudstaff; Concentrix Philippines; Eastvantage; GoTyme Bank; Lexmark Research and Development Corp.; LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group); Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC); RUSH Technologies, Inc.; TDCX (PH), Inc.; Teleperformance; and UNO Digital Bank.

For Company of the Year award, the honorees of this award are Clark Development Corp.; Filinvest land, Inc.; Home Credit Philippines; IBM in the Philippines – Consulting Client Innovation Center (CIC); MicroSourcing Philippines, Inc.; Pru Life UK; Sante International, Inc.; Sun Life of Canada (Philippines), Inc.; and UHS Essential Health Philippines, Inc.

Notable organizations were also honored for their impressive efforts in sustainability and environmental stewardship. One prime example is the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), which has shown unwavering commitment to sustainability as it has been recognized as the Sustainability Company of the Year for three consecutive years now. This category also recognized the following companies: Avida Land Corp.; Ayala Land, Inc.; Booth & Partners Philippines, Inc.; Cognizant Technology Solutions Philippines, Inc.; Genpact Philippines; Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.; Newport World Resorts; Personal Collection Direct Selling, Inc.; and RCBC.

Meanwhile, SM Foundation is named the CSR Company of the Year. SM Foundation has been a key player for corporate social responsibility and continues to stand out in driving impactful initiatives across sectors. Also recognized for their CSR initiatives are Amazon Operation Services Philippines, Inc.; Chevron Holdings, Inc.; IBM; Innodata Knowledge Services, Inc.; Maybank Philippines; Megaworld Foundation, Inc.; Merck Business Solutions Asia, Inc.; NEARSOL; Philippine Manufacturing Co. of Murata, Inc.; PJ Lhuillier, Inc.; Port Management Office of Surigao of the Philippine Ports Authority; Teleperformance; The Medical City Clark; and Tsuneishi Technical Services (Phils.), Inc.

Setting great examples and pioneering diversity as a strength, Shopee Philippines, Inc. claimed the title for Diversity Company of the Year. The e-commerce platform is seen as one that celebrates unique individual differences and making an inclusive workplace that focuses on the strengths and performance of their people.

Recognition for the said category were also sent out to the following companies: DDB Group Philippines; DXC Technology Philippines; Foundever Philippines; Genpact Philippines; Home Credit Philippines; Northern Trust; Sun Life Global Solutions Philippines; Sutherland Global Services Philippines, Inc.; Synchrony Global Services, Inc.; Tech Mahindra Limited; Teleperformance Philippines; and Ubisoft Philippines.

Furthermore, in celebration of diversity in leadership, the Asia CEO Awards honored women leaders who exemplify leadership excellence, making positive impacts to their communities and continuously inspiring fellow leaders along the way. Winning the Woman Leader of the Year is Cherrie De Erit Atilano, founding farmer, CEO, and president of AGREA Agricultural System International, Inc. Her leadership in agriculture is seen to be transforming the industry, making farming more attractive and pushing sustainability and food security in local communities.

“I think the most important thing for women to be successful is to empower more women. If you’re given more responsibility at the top, your responsibility is even bigger to uplift lives of women from the ground. I was coming from a Women Food Producers Association where we brought more than 100 people from women all over the countries who are farmers feeding their family every single day. So, I’m really grateful in my advocacy in food security, nutrition, and [farming],” Ms. Atilano said in her speech.

Aside from Ms. Atilano, other remarkable woman leaders included in the Circle of Excellence this Year are: Abigail Tina M. Del Rosario, country director for the Philippines and president & CEO of Maybank Philippines; Aleli Arcilla, vice-president and managing director of Mondelez Philippines, Inc.; Alex Gentry, co-founder of Sprout Solutions; Agnes Vicenta Salayo Torres Devanadera, president and CEO of Clark Development Corp.; Beatriz Latay, chief executive officer of KonsultaMD; Coy Ordonez, country executive of Northern Trust; Elizabeth Digna Ventura, president of Anchor Land Holdings; Maria Catalina Estamo Cabral, undersecretary for Planning and PPP Services at the Department of Public Works and Highways; Jemima Villa, country head of Innodata Knowledge Services, Inc.; Lourdes T. Gutierrez-Alfonso, president of Megaworld Corp.; Ma. Gilda “Gigi” Alcantara, president of PH1 World Developers, Inc.; Martha Sazon, president and CEO of GCash; Mel Migrino, country head and Southeast Asia Regional Director of Gogolook Co. Ltd.; Rosemarie P. Rafael, chairperson and president of Airspeed; and Vivian Que-Azcona, president of Mercury Drug Corp.

Asia CEO Awards recognized Ubisoft Philippines as the Wellness Company of the Year. Honorees in this category are BPI; Cognizant Technology Solutions Philippines, Inc.; Fluor Daniel, Inc. — Philippines; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; IBM in the Philippines; KonsultaMD; Quantrics; Shopee Philippines, Inc.; Tech Mahindra Limited; VXI Global Holdings B.V. (Philippines); and Zenutna Holdings Corp. (ZHC).

Small and medium-sized enterprises were also commended by Asia CEO Awards, with international freight forwarding services company Angkat PH winning the award for SME Company of the Year. Companies who are also included in this category are Aficionado-Central Affirmative Co., Inc.; Asialink Finance Corp.; Asian Consulting Group; Devteam Outsourcing, Inc.; EBIZOLUTION, Inc.; EdukSine Production Corp.; Motovita; Prometheus; PSO Manila | Pepper Money; and Tent King.

Big wins were also celebrated in the fintech industry as GCash was crowned as Top Employer of the Year. Other employers acknowledged in this category are Ayala Land, Inc.; BPI; Concentrix Philippines; Foundever Philippines; Gardenia Bakeries (Philippines), Inc.; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; HSBC Electronic Data Processing Philippines, Inc.; IBM in the Philippines — Consulting Client Innovation Center (CIC); ING Hubs Philippines; Macquarie Group Services (Philippines), Inc.; Magsaysay Maritime Corp.; MicroSourcing Philippines, Inc.; RELX | Reed Elsevier Philippines; Sun Life of Canada (Philippines), Inc.; and Wipro Philippines.

More than just an event, the Asia CEO Awards has been standing as a platform that showcases excellent organization and individuals within the Philippine business community who have significantly shaped the dynamic business landscape — demonstrating how the Philippines can further elevate into the global stage.

“15 years ago, the economy we saw was very small in the Philippines; but since it has grown, it has been an amazing site to behold. The Philippines is on a roll, different people from different countries are all amazed at the growth and opportunities that there are in the Philippines,” Mr. Mills said.