Airline finance veteran to assume post as acting PAL finance chief

MANILA — An airline finance veteran will be the acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Philippine Airlines (PAL) effective January 16, 2020 to replace Celeste Mutuc who is stepping down due health and personal reasons.

Nilo Thaddeus Rodriguez, a Master’s degree holder from the Asian Institute of Management and an alumni of the UP College of Business Administration, will bring to PAL 28 years of finance industry experience, including 15 years of leadership roles across the Asia-Pacific region. He was introduced to the PAL Board Tuesday and will assume his new role as PAL CFO after his confirmation by the board.

Earlier, Mutuc officially informed the PAL Board of her resignation during its regular monthly meeting on December 17. The Board unanimously accepted her decision and thanked her for her service to the flag carrier.

Rodriguez has a proven track record in airline financial management having served as Regional Manager for Finance – Asia-Pacific, Regional Manager for Supply Chain -Asia-Pacific and Finance Manager for the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand of Delta Air Lines (formerly Northwest Airlines) from 1999-2011. He served as Corporate Finance Executive of SGV & Co. from December 1996–January 1999 and as Chief Finance Officer of the same company from 1990-1992.

The incoming PAL CFO served as Director of Finance of Hilton Nagoya from 2017–2019; Vice-President- Systems and Audit of Benguet Corporation from 2012–2016 and also worked for Accenture Philippines’ Finance and Accounting from 2011 to 2012.

His core competencies include financial planning and analysis, project and change management, financial systems and processes and compliance, business development, and general management.