Megaworld's president among Forbes 'power businesswomen'

MEGAWORLD President Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso was named among Asia's Power Businesswomen of 2024 by Forbes Magazine this month, the only executive from the Philippines to make the list. "Gutierrez-Alfonso's new role will be a challenge: Although the central bank has started to ease interest rates, borrowing costs remain high while rival builders are aggressively constructing hotels in anticipation tourism will rally as the government and private sector invest heavily in infrastructure, including airports," Forbes wrote. "Since joining the builder in 1990, Gutierrez-Alfonso, a certified public accountant, has held various positions, including senior executive vice president for finance and administration and, most recently, chief operating officer," it added. Also mentioned in the list is Feny Djoko Susanto of Indonesia, whose Sumber Alfaria Trijaya operates Alfamart, which has 1,600 outlets in the Philippines. "Feny has held key roles in the company's growth, such as overseeing its public listing in 2009 and managing its expansion to the Philippines in 2014 in a joint venture with local retail giant SM Investments, resulting in over 1,600 Alfamart outlets in the Philippines today," Forbes' description read. Other executives on the list, which was done in no particular order, were Telstra Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Vicki Brady from Australia, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing CEO Bonnie Chan, Hong Kong Investment Corp. CEO Clara Chan, Chenbro Micom co-founder and chairman Maggi Chen of Taiwan, Kakao CEO Shina Chung of South Korea, Mori Trust President and CEO Miwako Date, and several others.