Jaime Zóbel de Ayala y Pfitz (born 18 July 1934), also known as Jaime Zóbel, is a
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
businessman who served as the chairman of the
Ayala Corporation
Ayala Corporation (Spanish: ''Corporación Ayala'', formerly ''Ayala y Compañía'' (Ayala & Company)) is the publicly listed holding company for the diversified interests of the Ayala Group. Founded in the Philippines by Domingo Róxas and A ...
from 1984 to 2006 and as its president from 1984 to 1994. Presently, he holds the
honorary title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
as "Chairman Emeritus".
Zóbel served as the
Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1975. He is also known as a noted
art photographer
Fine-art photography is photography created in line with the vision of the photographer as artist, using photography as a medium for creative expression. The goal of fine-art photography is to express an idea, a message, or an emotion. This stand ...
being the first Filipino photographer to be given a
Licentiate by the
Royal Photographic Society
The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, commonly known as the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), is one of the world's oldest photographic societies. It was founded in London, England, in 1853 as the Photographic Society of London with ...
of the United Kingdom.
Early life and family
Zóbel was born on 18 July 1934 to Alfonso Zóbel de Ayala (1904–1967) and Carmen Pfitz y Herrero (1909–1999). His siblings are Maria Victoria ("Vicky") and Alfonso Jr. ("Alfonsito"). He is a grandson of
Enrique Zóbel de Ayala
Enrique Jacobo Pedro Luis Plácido Zóbel de Ayala (October 9, 1877 – February 17, 1943) was a Spanish-born industrialist and philanthropist who became the first patriarch of the Zóbel de Ayala family. He was also one of the leaders in the Phi ...
and Consuelo de Ayala.
He is married to Beatriz Miranda. Together they have two sons (
Jaime Augusto and
Fernando
Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...
) and five daughters (Beatriz Susana ("Bea Jr."), Patricia, Cristina, Monica, and Sofia).
Education
After early education in the Philippines, Zóbel attended
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, where he graduated in 1957 with a bachelor's degree in architectural sciences. He attended the six-week Advanced Management Program in the Far East, conducted by faculty from the
Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration
Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...
in
Baguio
Baguio ( ,
), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
, the Philippines in 1963.
Career
Ayala Corporation
Zóbel joined Ayala y Compañía in 1958 as executive assistant upon the invitation of his father. His father placed him under the wing of his cousin
Enrique
Enrique () is the Spanish language, Spanish variant of the given name Heinrich (given name), Heinrich of Germanic origin.
Equivalents in other languages are Henry (given name), Henry (English), Enric (Catalan), Enrico (Italian), Henrik (Swedish, D ...
and uncle Col. Joseph McMicking. As an executive assistant in the company, he took down notes during management meetings and gradually learned the ropes of the family business. He was later transferred to the training section of the insurance companies of the Ayala group. In 1975, he became president of Filipinas Life Assurance Company (now, BPI-Philam Life Assurance Corporation).
In 1984, he succeeded Enrique, as chairman and president of
Ayala Corporation
Ayala Corporation (Spanish: ''Corporación Ayala'', formerly ''Ayala y Compañía'' (Ayala & Company)) is the publicly listed holding company for the diversified interests of the Ayala Group. Founded in the Philippines by Domingo Róxas and A ...
. Zóbel successfully steered Ayala through the tense, final years of the
Marcos dictatorship
At 7:17 pm on September 23, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos announced on television that he had placed the entirety of the Philippines under martial law. This marked the beginning of a 14-year period of one-man rule that would effectively last ...
. In 1988, the real estate division was spun off as
Ayala Land, Inc. Ayala Corporation also ventured into new businesses, like automotive (Ayala Automotive Holdings Corporation).
Zóbel stepped down as president of Ayala Corporation in 1994 and was succeeded by his son, Jaime Augusto. He continued as chairman until his retirement in 2006 and became the chairman emeritus of Ayala Corporation.
Photography
Zóbel joined the Camera Club of the Philippines in the mid-1970s and began taking photography more seriously. He is the first Filipino amateur photographer to be confirmed “Licentiate” by the
Royal Photographic Society
The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, commonly known as the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), is one of the world's oldest photographic societies. It was founded in London, England, in 1853 as the Photographic Society of London with ...
of the United Kingdom, and has received similar commendations from the French and Spanish governments for his contributions to art and culture. He exhibits regularly in the Philippines and abroad, and has produced several critically acclaimed books. He continues to break new ground in art photography with explorations in various art media.
Diplomat
Between 1970 and 1975, Zóbel was appointed as the
Philippine Ambassador to the
Court of St. James's
The Court of St James's is the royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. All ambassadors to the United Kingdom are formally received by the court. All ambassadors from the United Kingdom are formally accredited from the court – & ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, representing the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and ambassador of Scandinavian countries.
Honors and awards
* 1968, Comendador al Mérito Civil,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
* 1980, Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
* 1985, Doctor of Business Management (honoris causa)
De La Salle University
De La Salle University ( fil, Pamantasang De La Salle or Unibersidad ng De La Salle), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private university, private, Catholic Church, Catholic coeducational research university run by the I ...
, Manila
* 1986, Senator Award, highest honor bestowed by the
JCI Philippines
* 1987, “Management Man of the Year”, Management Association of the Philippines
* 1991, Doctor of Laws (honoris causa),
University of the Philippines Diliman
, image = University of The Philippines seal.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = Official Logo of UP Diliman
, motto = Honor and Excellence
, established = February 12, 194 ...
* 2004, FIRST Responsible Capitalism Award Winner
* 2008, Hero of
Philanthropy
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
, ''Forbes'' magazine, special issue ''Asia magazine'' initiated this recognition, including four Filipinos: Jaime Zobel de Ayala,
John Gokongwei
John Robinson Lim Gokongwei Jr. (; 11 August 1926 – 9 November 2019) was a Filipino businessman, investor, and philanthropist. His conglomerate company JG Summit Holdings, Inc., had an extensive panoply of business and investment holdings ac ...
, Ramon del Rosario Jr., and Oscar Lopez. The list recognizes four philanthropists from each of 13 selected countries and territories in Asia
* 2009,
Philippine Legion of Honor, Rank of Grand Commander, Armed Forces of the Philippines
* 2018,
Order of the Rising Sun, Second Class, Gold and Silver Star, Japan
Notability
*In 2007, Zóbel was ranked as tied with
Henry Sy
Henry Tan Chi Sieng Sy Sr. (; ; October 15, 1924 – January 19, 2019) was a Filipino businessman and investor.
Born in Fujian, he moved with his family to the Philippines at age 12. While his family returned to China, he stayed behind and f ...
as the richest person in the Philippines, with a net worth of $2.6 billion, according to ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' magazine.
*In 2008, Zóbel and his family were ranked 3rd in
Forbes magazine
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also repo ...
's 2008 list of 40 wealthiest Filipinos, due to a 46% drop in their conglomerate Ayala Corp. shares, which were worth $800 million.
See also
*
Zóbel de Ayala family
The Zóbel de Ayala clan is a prominent Filipino family of Spanish and German descent who were the founders of Ayala y Compañía (now Ayala Corporation) and patrons of the Premio Zóbel literary awards. The clan is directly descended from Jacob ...
References
Further reading
Jaime Zobel de Ayala & family, The World's Richest People Forbes.com
Ayala at 175 Magazine Ayala 2009 Annual Report
External links
Jaime Zobel (official website)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zobel De Ayala, Jaime
1934 births
Filipino people of German descent
Filipino people of Basque descent
Filipino people of Spanish descent
Harvard University alumni
20th-century Filipino businesspeople
Jaime
Jaime is a common Spanish and Portuguese male given name for Jacob (name), James (name), Jamie, or Jacques. In Occitania Jacobus became ''Jacome'' and later ''Jacme''. In east Spain, ''Jacme'' became ''Jaime'', in Aragon it became ''Chaime'', and i ...
Filipino billionaires
Filipino photographers
Filipino businesspeople in real estate
Filipino bankers
Businesspeople in retailing
Businesspeople in telecommunications
Living people
People from Manila
Filipino diplomats
Ambassadors of the Philippines to the United Kingdom
Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
21st-century Filipino businesspeople