Based on industry chatter, PLDT’s leadership has quietly met with former Smart boss Anastacio “Boy” Martirez to negotiate his return after nearly two decades.
Martirez, often described as a marketing wunderkind, could reinvigorate the group’s fortunes after the once-dominant telecommunications giant ceded its leadership to main rival Globe in the mobile market.
At this stage, it’s anyone’s guess which role Martirez might take. But it’s no secret that PLDT chair and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan (MVP) has been searching for a successor since he resumed management duties at the start of 2024 after Al Panlilio’s sudden retirement.
Those familiar with Martirez’s style describe him as a polarizing, yet forceful and respected figure who knows how to get the job done.
In addition to an impressive resume and a long history with Smart, Martirez is one of the few who personally shared in MVP’s near brush with disaster, having been among the occupants in a chopper crash with the tycoon in the late 1990s.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
