Ayala exec Gerardo Ablaza resigns from RCI board to “lighten up board commitments”, focus on well-being

Longtime Ayala Group executive Gerardo C. Ablaza Jr. has stepped down as independent director of Roxas and Company Inc. (RCI) as part of a broader plan to scale back board duties and focus on personal pursuits.

Roxas and Co. said in a stock exchange filing that Ablaza resigned as independent director effective April 30 this year.

“In his letter, Mr. Ablaza relayed that his resignation confirms his previous intention to step off the RCI Board as part of his overall plan to lighten up his board commitments in order to have more time for his family, personal pursuits, and to be able to live a healthier lifestyle,” said the company, which is controlled by the Elizalde and Roxas families.

Ablaza was the former president and CEO of companies such as Globe Telecom and Manila Water. He remains on the board of Ayala firms ACEN Corp. and ENEXOR Energy Corp. and is the chair of the board of trustees at the Bank of the Philippine Islands Foundation.

He continues to serve as a consultant to Ayala Corp.