The Women of Ayala

For National Women’s Month, The Ayala Way features a series of stories celebrating the women leaders of Ayala, their success and their leadership insights. This issue puts the spotlight on members of the founding family who were partners in the business and known for their civic work, as well as some of our present-day women executives blazing the trail in their respective Ayala companies.

Second generation partner, Margarita Roxas de Ayala, was a renowned businesswoman and philanthropist. She donated her summer estate in Santa Ana and brought in the Sisters of Charity from Spain to establish a school for girls that exists to this day as Concordia College.

Carmen de Ayala y Roxas, daughter of Antonio and Margarita Roxas de Ayala and sister of Trinidad, was a managing partner of Ayala y Compañía. Carmen was married to Pedro Pablo Roxas, who owned vast agricultural estates. After Pedro passed away in 1912, she also managed his own investments in addition to Ayala y Cía.

Trinidad de Ayala y Roxas, daughter of Antonio and Margarita Roxas de Ayala and sister of Carmen, is a third generation managing partner of Ayala y Compañía. Trinidad was married to Jacobo Zóbel y Zangróniz, whose family founded Botica Zobel. Trinidad took over active management of Ayala after Jacobo relinquished his role in the business.

Known for her quiet leadership, fifth generation partner Mercedes Zobel McMicking was an important decision maker in the family business. In 1961, she and her husband Joseph McMicking founded Filipinas Foundation, the forerunner of Ayala Foundation.

On March 11, the Globe Group announced the appointment of Beia Latay as CEO of KonsultaMD, the pioneering telehealth platform under 917Ventures. Latay brings a bold vision to her role and aims to redefine healthcare as a fundamental right for every Filipino.

Meean Dy is the only Filipina to be named to Forbes’ list of Asia’s Power Businesswomen 2023. Dy, who joined Ayala Land in 2005, is its first female president and CEO.

Mariana Zobel de Ayala, an eighth generation member of Ayala’s founding family, is an executive director at Ayala and senior vice president for Leasing and Hospitality at ALI. She also sits on the board of several Ayala companies. She previously led BPI’s Consumer Bank Marketing and Digital Platforms group.