| THE AYALA WAY

Vol 6 No 26

PURPOSE & VALUES

Momentum: Shaping the Future

At the 2025 People Summit held on March 5, the Ayala group’s human resource community gathered to talk about purposeful organizations, skills of the future, and leading forward.

Ayala Corporation President and CEO Bong Consing opened the program by highlighting Ayala’s role in Philippine development and how its purpose of “building businesses that enable people to thrive” has been evident in its 191-year history. He underscored the importance of choosing the right people to keep these values alive.

Boston Consulting Group Managing Director and Senior Partner Anthony Oundjian and McDonald’s Philippines Marketing SVP Margot Torres then discussed how having a defined purpose motivates people to the right course of action. Joined in a panel discussion by Ayala Corporate Strategy and Business Development Head Mark Uy, they emphasized committing to the purpose, even when this comes at a cost, especially for organizations that include creating societal value as part of their business strategy.

On building skills of the future, Deloitte Consulting Executive Director and Partner Rukhsana Pervez discussed artificial intelligence and job productivity, noting that human skills such as curiosity and empathy will remain crucial. In the panel with Ayala Data Science and AI Head Karl Chua and GCash Chief People Officer Robert Gonzales, she elaborated on balancing soft skills and technical abilities. The idea of experiential, project-based learning instead of purely digital approach was also raised as a way to learn new technical skills.

Lastly, on leading forward, Apple Initiatives: Accessibility team member Jessica Grauds and Stewardship Asia Centre Head of Research and Engagement Sunil Puri discussed the importance of accessibility and the concept of doing well by doing good, respectively. Together with ALI SVP for Leasing and Hospitality Mariana Zobel de Ayala, they emphasized the importance of inclusivity in organizational culture to drive purpose and success.

“Together we can lead with purpose, innovate for the future, and drive success to shape Ayala’s 200th year,” said Ayala Chief HR Officer Paco Romero Milán, encouraging the whole Ayala group to keep the momentum going.

The 2025 Ayala People Summit closed with the recognition of Ayala Land as the overall JZA Cup champion for the eighth consecutive year.

Bong Consing; Paco Romero Milán; Stewardship Asia Centre’s Sunil Puri and Mariana Zobel de Ayala

Robert Gonzales, Rukhsana Pervez, Karl Chua, and ACEN’s Michelle Gorrospe take the stage to discuss skills of the future.

Apple Initiatives: Accessibility’s Jessica Grauds; McDonald’s Philippines’ Margot Torres, BCG’s Anthony Oundjian, and Mark Uy; participants share their thoughts on purpose and values

Team Ayala Land celebrates their overall JZA Cup championship; exciting prizes await lucky delegates