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Ariel is the Managing Director and Lead Partner for BI Philippines. He is a transformation leader, a C level adviser and a seasoned finance executive (CPA) with more than 27 years of experience, 20 years of which as a Chief Finance Officer (CFO). 

 

As CFO, he has led the finance unit of Ginebra San Miguel, Inc. (GSMI), the liquor division arm of San Miguel Corporation, and one of the largest liquor companies in the country, listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange. During his stint in GSMI from 1997 to 2009, he has led various initiatives including mergers and acquisitions of the company’s non-liquor segments (eg. Bottled water and powdered juice drinks); the eventual sale of these segments, setting-up of the company’s third-party toll manufacturing facilities, launching of new liquor brands, and implementation and upgrading of the company’s ERP system SAP.

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In his stint as CFO of Manila North Harbour Port, Inc. from 2011 to 2020, he has led the fund raising initiatives required for the Phase 1 Development program, raising a total of USD 170 Million to support the development.  This fueled the completion of the first phase of the modernization and development program of the largest domestic port in the Philippines raising its total capacity from 700,000 TEUs to 2,300,000 TEUs, raising the company’s revenues from Php 808 M (USD 16M) to Php 4.2 Billion (USD 84 M).

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He spent the first five years of his career,  in the premier auditing firm of the country Sycip, Gorres, Velayo & Co. (Ernst & Young) handling large clients in the FMCG, Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing and Insurance sector.

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KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Led the fundraising for the Phase 1 Development Program of Manila North Harbour Port, Inc. amounting to Php 8.5 Billion (USD 170 Million)

• Led and executed M & A transactions in GSMI

• Led system implementations and upgrading ( eg. SAP, Microsoft GP, Navis)

• Part of the team that strategized and implemented new brands for GSMI

• Led the improvement in GSMI’s financial performance coming from the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, raising net income from Php 241 M (USD 4.8M) to Php 1.7 Billion (USD 34 M)

• Navigated the GSMI Finance team from both the 1997 and 2008 Asian Financial Crisis

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Ariel finished his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting in Colegio De San Juan de Letran and completed the Management Development Program of the Asian Institute of Management.  He also attended an Executive Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Massachusetts Institue of Technology

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Ariel is often featured in major publications including FOX, CBS, NBC

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SERVICES:  Advisory, Consulting, Project Implementation, Policy Making

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EXPERTISE:  Business and Digital Transformation, Technology Transformation, Cyber Security, Mergers and Acquisitions; Risk Management Framework; Strategic Planning; ERP and System implementations; Project Management; Fund Raising

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