Trader who ‘sleeps with numbers new PSE chief

Ramon Monzon

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) elected on Sunday Ramon Monzon, a certified public accountant (CPA) and a successful businessman who founded the Miss Earth global beauty pageant, as its new president and chief executive officer.

Monzon, 67, took over the post vacated by former investment banker Hans Sicat, who will continue to help the PSE as “chief integration officer” amid the bid of the local bourse to take over the Philippine Dealing System Holdings Group (PDS).

The new PSE chief is “hopeful” that the P2-billion purchase of PDS by the local bourse would finally happen this year.

The prospective union between the PSE and PDS—which is happening 25 years after the merger of the old Makati and Manila stock exchanges to create PSE—is seen to unify capital market infrastructure in the country in line with global best practices.

In introducing Monzon to the media for the first time, PSE chair Jose Pardo said Monzon was someone who could “take the numbers,” “sleep with numbers” and interpret them well.

“He is a seasoned accountant and CPA who invested time in SGV and was a protégé of the venerable Wash Sycip,” Pardo said.

“I’m a believer in change and here, a timely change is happening at the PSE,” Pardo said.

Monzon had been immersed into the PSE in the last two years, having been an independent director since May 2, 2015, and chair of the PSE’s audit committee.