Management TeamBoard of Directors

Anthoni Salim

Anthoni Salim
Chairman

Age 73, Mr. Salim graduated from Ewell County Technical College in Surrey, England. He is the President and CEO of the Salim Group, President Director and CEO of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk and PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk, and holds positions as Commissioner and Director in various companies.

Mr. Salim serves on the Boards of Advisors of several multinational companies. He was a member of the GE International Advisory Board and the International Advisory Board of Allianz SE. Mr. Salim is a member of the Food & Agribusiness Advisory Board of Rabobank Asia and, since 2004 the Asia Business Council.

Mr. Salim has served as a Director of First Pacific since 1981 and assumed the role of Chairman in June 2003. He is the father of Mr. Axton Salim.



Manuel V. Pangilinan

Manuel V. Pangilinan
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

Age 76, Mr. Pangilinan graduated cum laude from the Ateneo de Manila University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. He received his MBA degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In Manila, he worked for Philippine Investment Management Consultants Inc. (PHINMA) in the Philippines, and in Hong Kong with Bancom International Limited and American Express Bank. Thereafter he founded First Pacific in May 1981.

Mr. Pangilinan served as Managing Director of First Pacific since its founding in 1981 until 1999, moving to the position of Executive Chairman until 2003, after which he was named Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, his current post. Mr. Pangilinan holds the positions of President Commissioner of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, and PT Nusantara Infrastructure Tbk in Indonesia. In the Philippines, Mr. Pangilinan is the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of PLDT Inc., and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Manila Electric Company (Meralco), the Chairman of Smart Communications, Inc., ePLDT, Inc., PLDT Communications and Energy Ventures, Inc., Maynilad Water Services, Inc., Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, NLEX Corporation, Philex Mining Corporation, PXP Energy Corporation, Landco Pacific Corporation, Medical Doctors, Inc. (Makati Medical Center), Davao Doctors, Inc., Colinas Verdes Corporation (Cardinal Santos Medical Center), Mediaquest Holdings, Inc. and Associated Broadcasting Corporation (TV 5), the Vice Chairman of Roxas Holdings, Inc., and a Director of Axelum Resources Corp.

In recognition of Mr. Pangilinan’s contributions to the country, the Philippine Air Force awarded him the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (Res) in a promotion list approved by the Philippine President in July 2021. In 2006, the Office of the President of the Philippines awarded Mr. Pangilinan the Order of Lakandula with the rank of Komandante. He was named Management Man of the Year 2005 by the Management Association of the Philippines. Mr. Pangilinan was awarded the First Honorary Doctorate Degree in Management by the Asian Institute of Management in 2016, an Honorary Doctorate in Science by Far Eastern University in 2010, in Humanities by Holy Angel University in 2008, by Xavier University in 2007, and by San Beda College in 2002 in the Philippines. He was formerly Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ateneo de Manila
University and was a member of the Board of Overseers of the Wharton School.

In civic duties, Mr. Pangilinan sits as Chairman of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), PLDT-Smart Foundation Inc., One Meralco Foundation Inc., Makati Medical Foundation Inc., and the Board of Trustees of San Beda College. He is Co- Chairman of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), the Board of Trustees of Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute, and the U.S.–Philippine Society. Mr. Pangilinan is also a Director of the Philippine Business for Education (PBED).

In sports, Mr. Pangilinan is Chairman of the MVP Sports Foundation, Inc., Chairman Emeritus of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and Chairman of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP).



Christopher H. Young

Christopher H. Young
Executive Director

Age 65, Mr. Young graduated from Waid Academy in Scotland and received a Master of Arts (Honors) degree in Economics from St. Andrews University.

He is currently a Director of PacificLight Power Pte. Ltd., and Roxas Holdings, Inc., and a member of the Advisory Board of PLDT Inc. and the Council of Board Advisors of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation. He also serves as Commissioner of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk and as a Trustee of IdeaSpace Foundation, Inc.

Mr. Young worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in London and Hong Kong from 1979 until 1987, at which time he joined First Pacific in Hong Kong as Group Financial Controller. He joined Metro Pacific Corporation in 1995 as Finance Director, a position he held until he joined PLDT as its Chief Financial Advisor in November 1998. Mr. Young returned to First Pacific in 2015 and served as Chief Financial Officer until he retired from the position in July 2022. He joined the First Pacific Board in August 2017.



Professor Edward K.Y. Chen, GBS, CBE, JP

Professor Edward K.Y. Chen, GBS, CBE, JP
Independent Non-executive Director

Age 77, educated at the University of Hong Kong and Oxford University, Professor Chen is an Independent Non-executive Director of Wharf Holdings Limited. He has served as President of Lingnan University; Professor and Director of the Centre of Asian Studies of the University of Hong Kong; Chairman of Hong Kong’s Consumer Council; as an Executive Councillor of the Hong Kong Government; and as a Legislative Councillor.

He was the Chairman of the HKU SPACE Board of Directors and is currently an Honorary Professor of the HKU Business School, a Board Director of the Hong Kong Institute for Monetary Research of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong. Professor Chen joined First Pacific’s Board in 1993.



Philip Y.H. Fan

Philip Y.H. Fan
Independent Non-executive Director

Age 73, Mr. Fan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering, a Master’s Degree in Operations Research from Stanford University and a Master’s Degree in Management Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mr. Fan had been an Executive Director of CITIC Pacific Limited in charge of industrial projects in China. Prior to his retirement as the Executive Director and General Manager of China Everbright International Limited, he made significant contributions to the company’s leadership position in the Chinese Waste-to-energy industry.

Mr. Fan is also an Independent Non-executive Director of China Everbright Environment Group Limited (formerly China Everbright International Limited), Hysan Development Company Limited, China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Limited and Sumida Corporation. He joined First Pacific’s Board in December 2012.



Madeleine Lee Suh Shin

Madeleine Lee Suh Shin
Independent Non-executive Director

Age 60, Ms. Lee graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Economics and Accounting from the University of Leeds, UK and holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Bradford, UK. She obtained her Chartered Financial Analyst qualification in 1989.

Ms. Lee has spent more than 35 years in investment management. She worked with the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, Chase Manhattan, Morgan Grenfell, and as Managing Director at Commerzbank Asset Management Asia. In 2002, she was made a Fellow of the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship. From 2005 to 2007, Ms. Lee was the Deputy Chief Investment Officer of the Endowment Investment Office of the National University of Singapore. In 2008, she founded Athenaeum Limited, a boutique investment manager of Asian Pacific funds. The funds business was sold to Azimut Group in 2016. Since 2018, Ms. Lee has started an advisory and consultancy partnership to cater to Asian Family Offices.

Ms. Lee has served on the board of directors of Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd, Aetos Security Pte Ltd, and ECICS Holdings of the Temasek Holdings stable of companies. She was on the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Financial Sector Review Committee on the Liberalisation of the Stockbroking Industry and the Business Development Review Group for the Merged Exchange.

Ms. Lee is currently an Independent Director of Verde AgriTech Ltd., an Independent Non-executive Director of GuocoLand Limited, and serves on the Board of The Arts House Ltd., and the Singapore Institute of Management. She joined First Pacific’s Board in September 2015.



Margaret Leung Ko May Yee, SBS, JP

Margaret Leung Ko May Yee, SBS, JP
Independent Non-executive Director

Age 70, Mrs. Leung holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Accounting and Business Administration from the University of Hong Kong. She was the Vice-Chairman and CEO of Hang Seng Bank Limited and Chairman of Hang Seng Bank (China) Limited prior to her retirement on 30 June 2012. Mrs. Leung also held various pivotal positions in HSBC Holdings Plc and The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited from February 1978 until 30 June 2012. She was the Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Chong Hing Bank Limited from February 2014 to May 2018. She was also an Independent Non-executive Director of Hong Kong-listed Swire Pacific Limited, Hutchison Whampoa Limited, China Construction Bank Limited, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, and Li & Fung Limited. Mrs. Leung was the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Hang Seng Management College and Hang Seng School of Commerce until March 2013, and a Member of the Advisory Board and Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation until December 2010.

Mrs. Leung is a non-official member of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong SAR, a council member and Treasurer of the University of Hong Kong, a member of the Culture Commission, a member of the Public Service Commission, a non-ex officio member of the Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong, the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Arts Development, and a member of the Advisory Committee on Post-office Employment for Former Chief Executives and Politically Appointed Officials. She is an Independent Non-executive Director of Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited, Agricultural Bank of China Limited, and China Mobile Limited. Mrs. Leung joined First Pacific’s Board in December 2012.



Blair C. Pickerell

Blair C. Pickerell
Independent Non-executive Director

Age 66, Mr. Pickerell holds a BA degree in Political Science and an MA degree in East Asian Studies from Stanford University and an MBA degree from Harvard Business School.

Mr. Pickerell joined Jardine Matheson Holdings Group in 1984 and held various positions at Jardine Matheson Holdings Group and at Jardine Fleming Holdings, including as Managing Director of Jardine Pacific Limited. In 2003, he joined HSBC Investments (Hong Kong) Limited as the Chief Executive, Asia Pacific. From 2007 to 2010, he served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Asia of Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Mr. Pickerell joined Nikko Asset Management Group in 2010 as Head of Asia and subsequently served as Chairman, Asia until July 2015. He was an Independent Non-executive Director of Dah Sing Financial Holdings Limited.

He is currently an Independent Director of Principal Financial Group, Inc. and an Independent Non-executive Director of Link Real Estate Investment Trust, Dah Sing Banking Group Limited, and Dah Sing Bank, Limited.

Mr. Pickerell is also a member of the Supervisory Committee of Tracker Fund of Hong Kong, Chairman of the Harvard Business School Association of Hong Kong Limited and a member of the International Advisory Council of the Faculty of Business and Economics of The University of Hong Kong.

Mr. Pickerell joined First Pacific’s Board in March 2020.



Axton Salim

Axton Salim
Non-executive Director

Age 43, Mr. Salim obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Colorado, USA.

Mr. Salim has had wide exposure across various industries and extensive experience in managing companies in the fast-moving consumer goods sector. He has served in various senior positions since joining the Indofood Group in 2004. Mr. Salim heads the Dairy Division of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk (“Indofood”) and is concurrently a Director of Indofood and PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk, a Non-executive Director of Indofood Agri Resources Ltd. and Gallant Venture Ltd., as well as a Commissioner of PT Perusahaan Perkebunan London Sumatra Indonesia Tbk and PT Salim Ivomas Pratama Tbk.

Mr. Salim is a Co-Chair of the United Nations Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Business Network Advisory Group, a Coordinator of SUN Business Network Indonesia since 2014, and an Advisory Board Member of Nanyang Business School since 2020. He is a recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award from Leeds School of Business, the University of Colorado Boulder in 2021 for his sustained commitment, support, and exceptional services to the campus and the community.

Mr. Salim is the son of Mr. Anthoni Salim. He joined First Pacific’s Board in March 2020.



Benny S. Santoso

Benny S. Santoso
Non-executive Director

Age 64, Mr. Santoso graduated from Ngee Ann College in Singapore. He serves as a Commissioner of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, a President Commissioner of PT Nippon Indosari Corpindo Tbk, a Commissioner of PT Fast Food Indonesia Tbk, a Director of PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa Tbk and PT Nusantara Infrastructure, Tbk, and as a member of the Advisory Board of PLDT Inc. He joined First Pacific’s Board in 2003.


 

Senior Executives

Joseph H.P. Ng

Joseph H.P. Ng
Chief Financial Officer and Associate Director

Age 60, Mr. Ng received an MBA and a Professional Diploma in Accountancy from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is a member of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Mr. Ng is a Commissioner of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, a Non-executive Director of Philex Mining Corporation and PXP Energy Corporation, and a Director of PacificLight Power Pte. Ltd., which are First Pacific Group subsidiary and associates.

He joined First Pacific in 1988 from PriceWaterhouse’s audit and business advisory department in Hong Kong. Mr. Ng was appointed as Chief Financial Officer in August 2022 and has been an Associate Director since April 2019. Previously he was Executive Vice President of Group Finance and served in several senior finance positions within the Group, including as the Group Treasurer, the Head of Finance of the Group’s regional telecom division, and as a director of a number of the Group’s telecom joint ventures in India, Indonesia, and China.



Marilyn A. Victorio-Aquino

Marilyn A. Victorio-Aquino
Associate Director

Age 67, Ms. Aquino was educated at the University of Santo Tomas (A.B.) and University of the Philippines (LL.B., cum laude) and qualified as a barrister in the Philippines in 1981. She joined Sycip Salazar Hernandez and Gatmaitan Law Offices in the Philippines in 1980 where she became a partner in 1989. Ms. Aquino’s practice focused on banking, finance and securities, construction and infrastructure, investments, mergers and acquisitions, and mining and natural resources.

Ms. Aquino is the President of First Coconut Manufacturing Inc. and a Director of PLDT Inc., Philex Mining Corporation, Philex Gold Philippines, Inc., PXP Energy Corporation, Silangan Mindanao Mining Company Inc., and Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company. She was appointed Chief Legal Counsel and Senior Vice President of PLDT in January 2019, and was elected Corporate Secretary in January 2022. Ms. Aquino joined First Pacific in 2012.



Ray C. Espinosa

Ray C. Espinosa
Associate Director

Age 66, Mr. Espinosa has a Master of Laws degree from the University of Michigan Law School and is a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. He was a partner of SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan from 1982 to 2000, a foreign associate at Covington and Burling (Washington, D.C., USA) from 1987 to 1988, and a law lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila School of Law from 1983 to 1985 and 1989.

Mr. Espinosa is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Manila Electric Company (Meralco), a Director of PLDT Inc. (PLDT), Smart Communications, Inc., Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, Meralco PowerGen Corporation, Global Business Power Corporation, PacificLight Power Pte. Ltd. and Roxas Holdings, Inc. He also serves as an Independent Director of Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (Lepanto) and Maybank Philippines, Inc. (Maybank Philippines). He is the Chairman of the Audit Committee and Nomination Committee of Lepanto and the Risk Management Committee of Maybank Philippines, and a member of the Technology Strategy Committee of PLDT.

Mr. Espinosa is also a trustee of the Beneficial Trust Fund of PLDT. Mr. Espinosa joined First Pacific in 2013. He is First Pacific Group’s Head of Government and Regulatory Affairs and Head of Communications Bureau for the Philippines.



John W. Ryan

John W. Ryan
Associate Director and Chief Sustainability Officer

Age 57, Mr. Ryan received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Connecticut and completed a Master of Philosophy course on Slavonic and East European Studies at St. Antony’s College, Oxford University. He spent several years as a financial journalist, opening and leading Bloomberg’s Moscow bureau for five years in the early 1990s and later joining Dow Jones as Bureau Chief over the period 1998–2004 in Moscow and Hong Kong. Mr. Ryan subsequently served as Head of Corporate Communications, Asia Pacific for HSBC’s wholesale bank. He joined First Pacific in 2010. Prior to his appointment as Associate Director in April 2019, Mr. Ryan was Executive Vice President of Group Corporate Communications. He is currently a Commissioner of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk as well as Group Chief Sustainability Officer and Group Chief Investor Relations Officer.


Victorico P. Vargas

Victorico P. Vargas
Associate Director

Age 70, Mr. Vargas was educated at Ateneo de Manila and University of Santo Tomas.

Prior to his appointment as Associate Director of First Pacific, Mr. Vargas was the President and Chief Executive Officer at Maynilad Water Services, Inc. He joined PLDT Inc. (“PLDT”) in 2000 as its Human Resources Group Head and through his stay at PLDT got involved in managing the PLDT Business Transformation Office, Asset Protection and Management Group, and the PLDT International Carrier Business. He has worked in senior roles at Union Carbide, Pepsico, Colgate Palmolive and Citigroup.

He is a Director of Meralco, Smart Communications, Inc., MGen Global Business Power, Maya Bank, Inc., PLDT Global, Corp., PLDT Subic Telecom, Inc., PLDT Clark Telecom, Inc., Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., and Beacon PowerGen Holdings, Inc., President and Member of the Board of Trustees of the First Pacific Leadership Academy, Trustee of the MVP Sports Foundation, PLDT Smart Foundation, Inc. and IdeaSpace Foundation, and President of the PhilPop Music Fest Foundation.

Mr. Vargas joined First Pacific in January 2016, overseeing First Pacific Group businesses operating in the Philippines and its regions, particularly focused on leading the Business Transformation of PLDT.



Stanley H. Yang

Stanley H. Yang
Associate Director

Age 46, Mr. Yang received a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He oversees First Pacific’s investment and corporate development activities including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, and other strategic initiatives for the group. Prior to joining First Pacific, Mr. Yang worked at Deutsche Bank where he led investment banking coverage in Asia for the industrials sector. He also previously served as director of Deutsche Bank’s mergers and acquisitions department where he advised clients on acquisitions, divestments, mergers, and leveraged transactions across Asia and the United States. Mr. Yang began his career in New York in 1998 gaining experience in principal investing and investment banking, and he subsequently transferred to Hong Kong in 2007. He joined First Pacific in 2013 and is currently a Director of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, PacificLight Power Pte. Ltd. and Philippine Coastal Storage & Pipeline Corporation.


Richard P.C. Chan

Richard P.C. Chan
Executive Vice President, Group Financial Controller

Age 53, Mr. Chan received a BBA (Hons) degree from Hong Kong Baptist University and an MBA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is a Certified Public Accountant (Practising), a CFA charterholder, and a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. He has experience in auditing, accounting, finance and management spanning a diverse range of business activities. He has served as a Non-executive Director of Philex Mining Corporation since January 2019, which is a First Pacific Group associate.

Mr. Chan joined First Pacific in 1996 from KPMG. Prior to his appointment as Executive Vice President, Group Financial Controller in April 2019, Mr. Chan was Vice President, Group Financial Controller.



Fiona W.M. Chiu

Fiona W.M. Chiu
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Company Secretary

Age 41, Ms. Chiu received a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B (Hons.)) from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Laws from the City University of Hong Kong. Ms. Chiu is a qualified lawyer. She spent 18 years undertaking roles across legal, governance and compliance in Hong Kong. Ms. Chiu has been a Solicitor of the High Court of Hong Kong SAR since December 2006.

She joined First Pacific in May 2022 from Goldman Sachs, where she was an Executive Director in the Compliance Department overseeing their Investment Banking Division’s mergers and acquisitions and equity/debt capital markets businesses in Asia Ex-Japan. Prior to that, Ms. Chiu also held senior leadership roles in investment banking and corporate banking compliance at both JP Morgan and HSBC. In particular, Ms. Chiu built the compliance program for JP Morgan's Asia Pacific Global Corporate Banking business from ground up, she also pioneered a number of compliance initiatives amongst peer financial institutions.

Ms. Chiu was a seasoned corporate finance lawyer in private practice prior to becoming a financial services compliance professional.

Ms. Chiu has been appointed as a director on the board of the Hong Kong Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel since June 2023. She also Co-chairs the membership engagement committee and sits on the sponsorship committee of the same organisation. Ms. Chiu is also a council member of the Asia Chief Legal Officers’ Council, organized by The Conference Board. Ms. Chiu volunteers as a mentor on The Women’s Foundation Mentoring Programme in Hong Kong.



Peter T.H. Lin

Peter T.H. Lin
Executive Vice President, Group Treasury and Tax, and Group Human Resources

Age 53, Mr. Lin received a MSc in Management Sciences from the University of Southampton and a BSc in Economics and Statistics from Coventry University. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Mr. Lin joined First Pacific in 1998 from KPMG where he was a Tax Manager. Mr. Lin has been Executive Vice President, Group Treasury and Tax since 2018 and took on added responsibility for Group Human Resources in 2022.


Sara S.K. Cheung

Sara S.K. Cheung
Vice President, Group Corporate Communications

Age 59, Ms. Cheung received a BA in Business Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles and an MBA from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. She is a member of the Hong Kong Investor Relations Association. She joined First Pacific in 1997 from the Public Affairs department of Wharf Limited and Wheelock and Company.


Yvonne W.Y. Lau

Yvonne W.Y. Lau
Vice President, Company Secretariat

Aged 56, Ms. Lau received a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in Accountancy from City University of Hong Kong. She is an Associate of both The Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute and The Chartered Governance Institute. Ms. Lau joined First Pacific in 1989.


ELIZA Y. WANG

ELIZA Y. WANG
Vice President, Group Finance and Corporate Development

Age 34, Ms. Wang has worked in Corporate Development overseeing investments and other strategic initiatives of First Pacific since joining in 2015, and has increased her treasury responsibilities in Group Finance since 2022. She received her Bachelor of Commerce with High Distinction co-majoring in Accounting and Finance and was placed on the Dean's List from the Australian School of Business. She graduated from the University of New South Wales where she also received merit scholarships to undertake business studies exchange at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and social sciences studies exchange at the University of Hong Kong. Prior to joining First Pacific, Ms. Wang came from Deutsche Bank where she worked in the Investment Banking Division covering Consumer, Industrials and Healthcare sectors. She started her career in Sydney with Macquarie Bank as a sponsored Co-op Scholar, in their tollroads infrastructure fund. Ms. Wang is a CFA charterholder.