Board Profile
Federico R. Lopez
Chairman and CEO
Tenure: Twenty-Eighth Term
Born August 5, 1961, Filipino, Mr. Lopez has been a member of the Board since December 1998. He is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of publicly listed companies First Gen and FPH. He is also Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer of Energy Development Corporation (EDC), which was officially delisted from the Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. effective November 29, 2018. He is a Director of ABS-CBN Corporation, Vice Chairman of Rockwell Land Corporation (Rockwell), and Chairman and CEO of Lopez Holdings Corporation, which are also listed companies.
Mr. Lopez is Chairman of the Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Foundation (OML Center) and the Sikat Solar Challenge Foundation, and Chairman and President of Ang Misyon, Inc. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and Teach for the Philippines. Mr. Lopez is a member of the New York Philharmonic International Advisory Board, Asia Business Council, World Presidents’ Organization, Chief Executives Organization, Management Association of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, and Makati Business Club.
Mr. Lopez graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree, double major in Economics and International Relations, cum laude (1983).
Francis Giles B. Puno
Vice Chairman, President and COO
Tenure: Twenty-First Term
Born September 1, 1964, Filipino, Mr. Puno was first elected to the Board in August 2005. He is President and Chief Operating Officer of First Gen, and was appointed as its Vice Chairman on May 31, 2024. Mr. Puno is likewise the President and COO of FPH. He sits on the Boards of publicly listed companies FPH and Rockwell, and is President of First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP). He is also a member of the Board of Directors and is concurrently the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EDC.
Mr. Puno sits on the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Business for Social Progress, Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Foundation, Inc., Lopez Group Foundation, Inc., Eugenio Lopez Foundation, Inc., Sikat Solar Challenge Foundation, Inc., and Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management degree from the Ateneo de Manila University (1985) and a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University (1990).
Richard Raymond B. Tantoco
Director
Tenure: Twenty-First Term
Born October 2, 1966, Filipino, Mr. Tantoco has been a Director of the Company since August 2005, and was its Executive Vice President from 2007 to June 2023. He is likewise a Director of FPH, First Gen, and EDC (where he served as President from 2009 to 2023); and an Independent Director of Cebu Air, Inc. FPH and Cebu Air Inc. are publicly listed companies.
Mr. Tantoco is a Trustee of the Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Foundation, Inc. (where he served as President from 2012 to 2023), and is a Trustee in the board of several non-profit organizations, such as KEITECH Educational Foundation, Inc., The Eugenio Lopez Foundation, Inc., and The Knowledge Channel. Prior to this, Mr. Tantoco worked with management consulting firm Booz, Allen, Hamilton, Inc. in New York and London, where he specialized in mergers and acquisition advisory, turnaround strategy advisory, and growth strategy formulation for media and manufacturing companies.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the Ateneo de Manila University, where he graduated with honors (1988). He also has an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania (1993).
Manuel L. Lopez, Jr.
Director
Tenure: Sixth Term
Born on August 14, 1967, Filipino, Mr. Lopez, Jr. was elected to the Board of Directors on November 19, 2020. Mr. Lopez, Jr. has over 30 years of leadership experience spanning broadcast media, telecommunications, banking and finance, IT-enabled BPM services, and ICT systems integration. Known for his vision and leadership, he drives growth and innovation through his skills in strategic management, client relations, marketing, and IT project management. He currently serves as President of Rockwell Leisure Club, Inc., where he drives operational excellence and elevates member engagement in the leisure business at Rockwell. Furthermore, he sits as Board Advisor and has been a member of the Board of Directors at Rockwell Land Corporation. Mr. Lopez, Jr. is also Chairman and CEO of Global Integrated Contact Facilities, Inc. (GICF), a business process outsourcing (BPO) provider delivering tailored IT-BPM solutions to domestic and international clients.
His prior experience includes leading international marketing as Vice President for Affiliate Marketing at ABS-CBN International, where he played a key role in expanding the brand’s reach in North America. Likewise, as Director for Programs Acquisition at Sky Cable, he established crucial partnerships with leading media companies, strengthening Sky Cable’s competitive position. He was also a Director of Lopez, Inc. and ABS-CBN Corporation.
Mr. Lopez, Jr. holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the De La Salle University (1991).
Elvira Carmen L. Bautista
Director
Tenure: Fifth Term
Born July 15, 1960, Filipino, Ms. Bautista was elected as a regular Director of the Company in May 2021. She is the Co-founder, President, and Executive Director of Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI), a nonprofit organization that operates the Philippines’ first and only education media platform with TV, online, and offline delivery—producing and curating local, contextualized content aligned with the Philippines’ PK–12 curriculum. KCFI’s teaching and learning ecosystem includes capability-building programs for teachers, child development workers and child development centers (CDCs), parents, and other education stakeholders, in coordination with partners including the ECCD Council and DepEd.
Ms. Bautista is a Standing Committee Member of the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM2). In recent years, she has strengthened KCFI’s engagement in education policy and advocacy, particularly for early childhood development and foundational learning. She also serves on the boards of Philippine Business for Education, Southeast Asian Foundation for Children and Television, Lopez Group Foundation, Inc., and Asia Philanthropy Circle. She is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Makati Premier District and Co-founder and Lead Convener of the Building Bridges Leadership Journey. Together with her father, Oscar M. Lopez, her work through Knowledge Channel was recognized and personally cited by former U.S. President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative Asia 2008.
Her awards and recognitions include Smart Parenting Gamechanger for Education and Media (2025); being named to Forbes Asia’s "Asia’s 2021 Heroes of Philanthropy" (2021); Ulirang Mandaleño (Municipality of Mandaluyong, 2017); Lasallian Achievement Award for Distance Learning (De La Salle Alumni Association, 2008); and Parangal Lingkod Sambayanan (Ateneo de Manila University, 2006).
Ms. Bautista holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the De La Salle University (1981) and a Master of Arts degree in Learning Technologies from Pepperdine University (2016). She earned certificates from Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), Certificate of Early Education Leadership Series 1A: The Science of Early Learning (2022), and Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Executive Education, Generative AI: How to Use It and Why It Matters (2025).
Manolo Michael T. De Guzman
Director
Tenure: Fourth Term
Born August 15, 1969, Filipino, Mr. De Guzman was elected regular Director of the Company in May 2022. He is a Senior Advisor at KKR and President of Philippines Clean Energy Holdings, Inc. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings, Inc., Pinnacle Towers Holdings, Inc., and Frontier Tower Associates Philippines, Inc. Mr. De Guzman joined KKR in 2019 as a member of the Asia Pacific Infrastructure team. He has over 20 years of experience in Asia Pacific infrastructure transactions, covering core and non-core infrastructure assets across various subsectors.
He was previously head of Philippines for Credit Suisse. Prior to joining Credit Suisse, he spent 18 years with the Macquarie Group, holding senior positions in both the infrastructure funds division and the advisory division. He was involved in creating two significant infrastructure funds for Macquarie: the communications infrastructure fund and the PINAI Philippines infrastructure country fund. Over the last 10 years, he has focused on the Philippine infrastructure sector.
Mr. De Guzman holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Sydney (1991), where he received first class honors, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Chicago (1998).
Maria Presentacion L. Abello
Director
Tenure: Third Term
Born February 2, 1963, Filipino, Ms. Abello was elected regular Director of the Company in May 2023. She is currently the Treasurer of Croslo Holdings Corporation, and Corporate Secretary of First Agricultural Resource Management, Inc.
She was a member of the Board of Directors of Lopez, Inc. from 2006 to 2010. Ms. Abello was the business owner and manager of Power Photo Corporation, Non-Skids for Kids, and Corporate Christmas Giveaways; and was the Co-founder of Mykonos Clothes and Bags. She was also a money market associate for Security Bank from 1984 to 1985.
Ms. Abello graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from De La Salle University (1984).
Alicia Rita L. Morales
Independent Director
Tenure: Eighth Term
Born June 25, 1962, Filipino, Ms. Morales was elected Independent Director of the Company in May 2018. She is the Managing Director of John Clements Consultants, Inc., principally for its talent development and leadership institute division. She was instrumental in obtaining the partnership with Harvard Business Publishing, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harvard Business School, from 2007 to 2019. Ms. Morales has created leadership development programs for over 10,000 high potentials and senior leaders from leading multinationals and regional conglomerates in Southeast Asia. She is an Independent Director of BPI Securities Corporation, Professorial Lecturer of Sustainability at the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business, Trustee of the TOWNS Foundation Inc. (2024 to 2027).
She was previously President of RCBC Securities, Inc., Director of the Securities Clearing Corporation of the Philippines and PCIB Securities, Inc., President of the Harvard Business School Club of the Philippines (2018 to 2020), Trustee and Treasurer of Harvard Club of the Philippines Global (2020 to 2025). Ms. Morales was the youngest Chairman of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), a position she held for two terms. She garnered The Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service (TOWNS) award for the category ‘Business-Stock Exchange’ in 2004, and the Triple A Award from Maryknoll/Miriam College in 2014.
She is a certified coach of Zenger Folkman, and a certified discussion leader of the Harvard Business School. Ms. Morales is a certified public accountant with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Accountancy from the University of the Philippines (1984), and an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, with a triple major in Finance, Marketing, and Economics (1990). She is also a graduate of the Advanced Management Program (AMP 186) from the Harvard Business School (2014) and International Directors and Sustainability Program (IDP 60) with an INSEAD Certificate in Governance (2024).
Edgar O. Chua
Independent Director
Tenure: Fifth Term
Born October 9, 1956, Filipino, Mr. Chua was elected Independent Director of the Company in May 2021. He is an Independent Director of Shell Philippines Corporation, Metrobank, PhilCement, Horizon University Indonesia, JG Summit Olefins Corp., and Phinma Corporation. He served as an Independent Director of EDC and IMI. He sits on the advisory boards of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation and Coca Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. (until 2022), and sits on the boards of several schools and foundations. He is also the CEO of Amber Kinetics Inc.
As Country Chairman of the Shell Companies in the Philippines from 2003 to 2016, Mr. Chua was responsible for the exploration, manufacturing, and marketing sectors of the petroleum business and oversaw the chemicals businesses and shared services. He has more than 38 years of experience in the business fields of chemicals, auditing, supply planning and trading, marketing and sales, lubricants, corporate affairs, and general management.
Outside the Philippines, he held senior positions as Transport Analyst in Group Planning in the United Kingdom and General Manager of the Shell Company of Cambodia. From July 1999 to August 2003, he served in various regional roles in Shell Oil Products East, including as GM for Consumer Lubricants for Asia Pacific, covering all countries east of the Suez Canal.
Mr. Chua is a recipient of numerous local and international recognitions, such as CEO EXCEL for Excellence in Communication in Organisations (2005); Asia People of the Year (2013); MAP’s Management Man of the Year (2013); CEO of the Year in the Asia Pacific SABRE (Superior Achievement in Branding Reputation and Engagement) Awards in China (2014); Lifetime Achievement Award by the Golden Wheel Awards Foundation (2015); and Global Filipino Executive of the Year by Asia CEO (2016).
He was also conferred a Doctor of Humanities Honoris Causa by De La Salle Araneta University (2018). Mr. Chua earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from De La Salle University (1978) and attended various international seminars and courses, including the senior management course at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.
Manuel Francisco L. Ayala
Independent Director
Tenure: First Term
Born October 2, 1963, Filipino, Mr. Ayala was elected Independent Director of the Company in May 2025. He launched and currently runs the Philippine office of Endeavor, a New York-based non-profit focused on helping high-impact entrepreneurs scale up their businesses. Currently, Endeavor Philippines supports 41 entrepreneurs who have created over 60,000 jobs and who generate PHP40 billion in annual revenue. Mr. Ayala is concurrently Regional Managing Director for Asia, overseeing Endeavor in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Pakistan.
Prior to Endeavor, Mr. Ayala founded Hatchd, a tech incubator in the Philippines that has built and invested in a portfolio of tech companies, including Rappler, PawnHero, GrowSari, and Ayannah. Mr. Ayala was a co-founder of IRG Ltd, a Hong Kong-based M&A advisory boutique focused on the Telecoms, Media, and Tech sectors across the Asia Pacific. Transactions included the acquisition of Level Up and Sulit.com, and the sale of Pacific Internet and Ayalaport. Mr. Ayala spent several years in the television industry in Asia, working for Discovery Channel and Turner Broadcasting in Strategy, Content, and Business Development roles. He is a past president of the Philippine Chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization, where he launched the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards across Asia.
Mr. Ayala currently sits on the boards of Energy Development Corp., Union Digital Bank, and the University of Asia & the Pacific. He was previously on the boards of Sky Cable and First Metro Investment Corp. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School (1992) and a BA from Yale University (1985).
Cielito F. Habito*
Independent Director
Tenure: Ninth Term
*Served as Director until May 28, 2025
Born April 20, 1953, Filipino, Dr. Habito was elected Independent Director of the Company in May 2016. He is Chairman and Founding Partner of consultancy think tank Brain Trust, Inc., and writes the weekly column “No Free Lunch” in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, currently on its twenty-second year. He is also the Chairman of Operation Compassion Philippines; Independent Director at Sun Life Prosperity Funds, PHINMA Corporation, and Manila Exposition Complex; a member of the World Bank-Philippines Civil Society Advisory Group and the Advisory Committee of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); and Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development.
Dr. Habito served as Secretary of Socioeconomic Planning, heading the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in the Cabinet of President Fidel V. Ramos during his presidency in 1992 to 1998. Before joining government, he was Professor and Chairman of the Department of Economics at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and after government joined Ateneo de Manila University as Professor of Economics, where he was also Director and Senior Fellow of the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development. He had also worked at the World Bank, Harvard University, Center for Southeast Asian Studies in Kyoto University, and Asian Development Bank Institute in Tokyo.
Dr. Habito is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Presidential Award (2019) and Most Outstanding Alumnus Award (1993) from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) Alumni Association, Philippine Legion of Honor (1998), The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award (for Economics) in 1991, and the Gawad Lagablab (Outstanding Alumnus Award) of the Philippine Science High School in 1991.
He holds a Ph.D. and Master of Arts in Economics from Harvard University, Master of Economics from the University of New England (Australia), and Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Major in Agricultural Economics), and Summa cum Laude from the University of the Philippines.
Mario Luza Bautista
Senior Board Adviser