Cebu Pacific adds entrepreneurs to its board

The operator of budget airline Cebu Pacific welcomed entrepreneurs who have established themselves in digital transportation and restaurants on its board.

Cebu Air Inc. said Grab Philippines cofounder Brian Cu and Kenny Rogers founder Bernadine Siy were appointed as independent directors on Feb. 3.

Cu started his career as a management consultant with the Boston Consulting Group. It was also during this time he cofounded Indonesian ride hailing giant GoJek.

He later cofounded online retailer Zalora Philippines in 2012 and in 2013 started ride sharing company Grab Philippines with partners. Cu was Grab Philippines president until August last year.

“He has a real passion for building companies that deliver a positive impact in society,” Cebu Air said of Cu.

“Aside from enjoying getting into the weeds and fixing a company’s operational challenges and defining growth strategies he also finds time to build up the next generation of entrepreneurs through mentorship or investments,” the company said.

Siy, meanwhile, is a board member of Kenny Rogers, which she founded in 1994. She also brought the Seattle’s Best Coffee chain to the Philippines in 2000 and is currently the chair of the board of trustees of the Ateneo De Manila University.

Cu and Siy are joining Cebu Air as the company navigates a challenging period amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

To weather the crisis, Cebu Pacific recently launched a so-called business transformation program.

This will entail raising fresh funds, cutting costs, streamlining current flights and going digital to improve business operations.