Former Globe & Manila Water CEO Joins Holcim’s Board of Directors

Holcim Philippines, Inc. recently welcomed its newest Board of Directors, Mr. Gerardo C. Ablaza, Jr., an experienced executive who has successfully led some of the top companies in the Philippines. His nomination as an independent director was approved during the Annual Shareholders Meeting on May 11.

Mr. Ablaza joins the company’s Board of Directors headed by Chairman Tomas I. Alcantara, Holcim Group Head of Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa Martin Kriegner, Holcim APAC Group Head of Learning and Development Tan Then Hwee, former Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Thomas G. Aquino and former Senior Partner at SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co. Medel T. Nera.

Holcim Philippines Chairman Tomas I. Alcantara said: “We are pleased to have Gerry as a member of the Board of Directors at Holcim Philippines. His strong track record in leading several top corporations in the country will definitely strengthen the Board’s ability to set direction in further strengthening Holcim Philippines’ business performance and positive impact. We look forward to more enriching and insightful discussions during our meetings with Gerry on board.” 

Holcim Philippines President and CEO Horia Adrian shared: “Gerry’s experience in driving change and growth in the companies he led are invaluable as we accelerate our transformation in Holcim Philippines. We have reached exciting milestones in becoming the leader in innovation and sustainability in the local building materials industry and are excited to continue these with Gerry’s support.”

Mr. Ablaza is a Board Director in some publicly listed companies and privately held corporations in the Philippines, in the fields of retail banking, property development, education, infrastructure, and health. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of several non-profit foundations engaged in social initiatives, namely the Ayala Foundation, BPI Foundation, and Gawad Kalinga Foundation.

Mr. Ablaza performed various corporate executive roles for over 43 years. He retired from full-time executive work in 2017, and his last executive assignment was from 2010 to 2017, as President and CEO of Manila Water Company (PLC). During his term, Mr. Ablaza took Manila Water beyond its singular presence in Metro Manila and led an expansion into new markets in the provincial areas of the Philippines, as well as in Vietnam.Before Manila Water, Mr. Ablaza was at the helm of Globe Telecom, Inc. (PLC) from 1997 to 2009. He led Globe Telecom from being a start-up company with 97 thousand subscribers in 1997 to become a large business with 25 million customers at the end of 2008, the year he stepped down from the CEO post. Revenues grew exponentially from P 3 billion in 1997 to P63 billion in 2008.