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Jaime Zobel de AyalaFilipino businessman and philanthropist
Country:
 Philippines |
Content:
- Jaime Zobel de Ayala: A Business and Philanthropic Legacy
- Early Life and Education
- Business Career
- Diplomatic Appointments
- Family
- Wealth and Recognition
Jaime Zobel de Ayala: A Business and Philanthropic Legacy
Jaime Zobel de Ayala, a prominent Filipino businessman and philanthropist, was a driving force behind the Ayala Corporation, one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines.
Early Life and Education
Jaime Zobel de Ayala was born in 1934. He received his early education in the Philippines before attending Harvard College, where he graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. He later completed the Advanced Management Program in the Far East from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1963.
Business Career
After completing his studies, Zobel joined the family business, Ayala y Compañía. He became its managing partner in 1967 when the company transitioned to a corporation, Ayala Corporation. From 1983 to 2005, he served as the corporation's president and chairman, succeeding his cousin, Enrique Zobel. Zobel retired as chairman in 2006 but remained as honorary chairman.
Diplomatic Appointments
In addition to his business ventures, Zobel served as a Philippine ambassador to London and the Scandinavian countries from the early 1970s.
Family
Jaime Zobel de Ayala was married to Beatriz Miranda Barcon Zobel de Ayala, and they had seven children. Their eldest son, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, born in 1959, serves as the chairman and chief executive officer of Ayala Corporation. Fernando Zobel de Ayala, born in 1960, is the corporation's president.
Wealth and Recognition
In 2007, Jaime Zobel de Ayala was ranked as the second richest man in the Philippines by Forbes magazine, with a net worth of $2.6 billion. However, due to declines in the corporation's stock value, he and his family fell to third place on Forbes' 2008 list of 40 richest Filipinos.
Zobel received numerous awards for his contributions to business and philanthropy, including the Spanish Order of Civil Merit (1968), the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1980), and honorary doctorates from De La Salle University (1985) and the University of the Philippines (1991). In 2004, he was awarded the FIRST Award for Responsible Capitalism, and in 2008, he was recognized as a "Hero of Philanthropy" by Asia magazine. In 2009, he received the Philippine Legion of Honor.
