CEOs look back on eventful 2024, look forward to a better 2025

(First of a series)

Despite all the trials and tribulations that came along with 2024, it turned out to be a fairly good one for many of the country’s leading corporations.

Milestones were achieved and targets were met, giving their leaders reasons to look forward to 2025 with excitement.

Here, we asked some of the country’s most influential figures in the corporate world how exactly 2024 treated them and what they are looking forward to the most in the coming Year of the Snake.

READ: Philippines posts one of highest economic growth in Asia in 2024

Frederic DyBuncio

1. Frederic C. DyBuncio

President and CEO

SM Investments Corp.

2024 was another remarkable year of purposeful growth for the SM Group, driven by financial resilience, innovation, and a collective commitment to improving customer experiences.

Our ability to stay attuned to market demands, expand into new regions and underserved communities, and innovate across services underscored our dedication to serve our customers.

One of the year’s most significant milestones was the successful pricing of our $5000 million drawdown under the $3-billion multi-issuer Euro Medium-Term Notes (EMTN) program.

This issuance, oversubscribed 3.2 times, stands as SM Investments’ largest offshore bond issuance since 2014.

It validated the strength of our financials and also showcased global market confidence in the resilience and viability of Philippine companies.

This achievement, alongside our continuous efforts to grow and innovate, reflects the steadfast commitment of our teams and partners to creating meaningful and shared value for our many stakeholders.

We remain cautiously optimistic about the opportunities 2025 holds, fueled by the continued growth of the Philippine economy and its dynamic, young population.

By expanding into more underserved areas, we aim to contribute to sustainable economic development, collaborating with government stakeholders to enhance access to essential services such as retail, banking and integrated property solutions.

Despite challenges, the business sector has demonstrated remarkable adaptability, and we anticipate further recovery in consumer spending as inflation moderates.

This environment presents opportunities in consumer-focused sectors, and we are excited to meet these demands.

We will also continue to be committed to investing in promising ventures such as renewable energy and logistics, that foster economic activity while aligning with our sustainability goals.

As we look forward, our focus will remain on driving growth, creating shared value and empowering communities for a stronger, more inclusive and sustainable future.

2. Xander Lao

President and Chief Commercial Officer

Cebu Pacific

2024 has been a milestone year for Cebu Pacific. We made history by signing a landmark purchase agreement with Airbus for up to 152 A321neo aircraft.

This is the largest aircraft order in Philippine aviation history and reflects our confidence in the future of air travel.

This agreement positions us to better meet the evolving needs of our passengers while reaffirming our commitment to making air travel accessible to more Filipinos.

Additionally, we launched 24 routes in 2024, primarily from our non-Manila hubs like Cebu, Clark, Davao and Iloilo.

These expansions underscore our dedication to connecting more people and destinations across the Philippines and beyond, supporting the country’s tourism and economic growth.

Looking ahead to 2025, we are excited to further grow our hubs outside Metro Manila, particularly Davao, Iloilo and Clark.

We aim to introduce more domestic and international routes from these locations, ensuring that travelers have more options and greater convenience when flying with Cebu Pacific.

It’s all part of our ongoing efforts to bring the world closer to every Juan and continue driving the Philippine growth story.

Jerry Ngo

3. Jerry Ngo

CEO

EastWest Bank

2024 has been an extraordinary year for EastWest. We are poised to achieve our highest income ever and have surpassed the P500-billion mark in assets.

In 2024, we solidified our reputation as the most consumer-focused universal bank with the launch of our EasyWay App, the new Business Class proposition, and enhanced Priority Banking services and AI-enabled chatbot.

Our efforts have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including Best Priority Banking Experience from International Finance Magazine and Best Credit Card for Cashback from The Asian Banker. These recognitions are just a glimpse of what we’ve accomplished. We have made significant strides in other areas, and these milestones impacted the increase in our customer engagement and satisfaction, showing our strong connection with the people we serve.

In 2024, we accelerated efforts to enhance employee engagement and drive organizational success.

Key initiatives focused on development, career growth, team building, recognition and well-being. These initiatives earned the Bank a spot in the Philippine Daily Inquirer—Statista Best Employers list for 2024

We are proud of these achievements, but we’re not stopping here. With more innovations underway, we’re excited to continue building on these successes and bringing even more value to our customers, employees and stakeholders.

As we move forward, we are committed to fulfilling our promise of being the most consumer-focused universal bank, ensuring that every step we take is aligned with the needs and aspirations of the people we serve.

4. Robert Jordan

CEO

Asialink Finance Corp.

In 2024, our company achieved a significant milestone when we secured a P4-billion investment from Creador, an international private equity firm.

This investment not only strengthened our capital position but also facilitated access to additional debt funding from both local and international sources.

In anticipation of this growth, we strategically invested in enhancing our sales infrastructure this year, positioning ourselves to effectively deploy the increased funding.

As a result, the Asialink Group, encompassing Asialink Finance, Global Dominion Financing Inc. and South Asialink Finance Corp., expanded its branch network to over 500 locations in 2024.

Looking ahead to 2025, we remain optimistic about the continued growth of the economy and anticipate that our investments from the previous year will yield positive results.

We expect to see an increase in loan bookings extended to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), contributing to improved earnings for the company.

5. Rolando Hortaleza

Chair and CEO

Hortaleza Corp.

2024 was a big year—getting that noncompete lifted in personal care was huge. It had been holding us back for years, but now we’re free to really innovate and go after some serious market share.

We spent the year getting ready—deep dives into market research, fine-tuning our products, and building some key partnerships.

The team’s fired up and ready to compete; we’ve got some game-changing products in the pipeline.

We’re really excited about 2025 and our reentry into personal care. Our launch plan is solid, and we’re confident our products will resonate.

Plus, we’re expanding our reach—get ready for some serious growth.

Arrey Perez —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

6. Arrey A. Perez

President and Chief Operating Officer

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.

Looking back on 2024, two of the most significant milestones for MPTC are the successful leadership succession and our renewed focus on delivering 5-star service to our motorists.

These initiatives have laid the foundation to strengthen our fiscal position and further enhance operational efficiency, positioning us for sustained success.

In 2025, our priorities will be centered on streamlining business operations, driving strategic expansion, elevating customer service excellence, maximizing profitability and fostering synergies across MPTC’s portfolio of businesses.

These focus areas align with our ambition to seize new growth opportunities and set higher benchmarks for operational and financial performance.

I have only been with the company for a few months, but I have already seen the immense potential MPTC holds as an organization. Stepping into the role of President/COO, I am excited to strengthen our operations further and work closely with the team to revitalize our growth strategy, deliver on our commitment to top-tier asset construction and management, and pursue bold business expansions in the Philippines and around Asia. INQ

To be continued