Huang named new Filinvest Group CEO

MANILA  -The Gotianun family’s Filinvest Development Corp. tapped veteran investment banker Rhoda “Chiqui” Huang as its next president and CEO, marking the first time a nonfamily member has been hired to lead the conglomerate since it was established nearly 70 years ago.

Huang will assume the top management post at the property, banking, power and food giant on Aug. 1, 2023.

She takes the place of Josephine Gotianun Yap, a member of the family’s second generation and CEO of Filinvest Development for the last 23 years. Gotianun-Yap will assume the role of vice chair at the conglomerate.

“Succession planning has been identified as a primary strategy to ensure business continuity and the orderly futureproofing of the organization,” Gotianun-Yap said in a statement on Wednesday.

“As we thrive in this postpandemic revitalization phase, we look forward to Chiqui harnessing the depth of her investment banking experience which has exposed her to industries where the Filinvest group also operates,” she added.

Huang was the president of BPI Capital Corp., the investment banking arm of the country’s second biggest lender, and former branch head of investment banking for Credit Suisse Philippines.

She also spent nearly two decades at US bank JPMorgan Chase where she was in charge of growing its major corporate relationships.

Huang completed her bachelor’s degree in business administration and accountancy at the University of the Philippines and is a certified public accountant.

“We are pleased to have Chiqui Huang lead the next phase of the Filinvest Group and believe in her ability to guide organizations toward achieving their vision,” Filinvest Development chair Jonathan Gotianun said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Her leadership will be instrumental in our pursuit of strategic objectives and advancing our position in the market,” he added.

Huang joins the company amid leadership changes at the Filinvest Group with the appointment of family and nonfamily members in senior positions. The company’s board has two third-generation family members: Francis Nathaniel Gotianun and Isabelle Therese Gotianun Yap.