Almendras rejoins Ayala to head infra arm

Jose Rene D. Almendras. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

TECHNOCRAT Jose Rene Gregory Almendras has returned to the Ayala group to head the conglomerate’s infrastructure business after serving the Aquino Cabinet.

Almendras formerly served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Cabinet Secretary and Energy Secretary during the six-year term of President Benigno Aquino.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Friday, Ayala Corp. announced Almendras’ appointment as managing director effective Aug. 1.

Concurrent to his post in the parent conglomerate, Almendras was also appointed president and chief executive officer (CEO) of AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. He will take over the post to be vacated by John Eric Francia, who stepped down to focus as a full-time CEO at AC Energy.

Almendras was president of the Ayala group’s water utility Manila Water Co. before joining the Aquino administration initially as Secretary of the Department of Energy in 2010./rga