Jaime Zobel de Ayala

Jaime Zóbel de Ayala y Pfitz GCLH (born July 18, 1934), also known as Jaime Zóbel, is a Filipino businessman who served as the chairman of the Ayala Corporation from 1984 to 2006 and as its president from 1984 to 1994. Presently, he holds the honorary title 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 being the first Filipino photographer to be given a Licentiate by the Royal Photographic Society of the United Kingdom.

Zóbel and his wife Beatriz were noted to be among the most fervent anti-Marcos personalities leading up to the 1986 presidential election, with the two actively participating in the People Power Revolution that overthrew the Marcos family in late February 1986.

Zóbel was born on July 18, 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 and Consuelo de Ayala.

He is the widower of Beatriz Miranda. Together they have two sons (Jaime Augusto and Fernando) and five daughters (Beatriz Susana ["Bea Jr."], Patricia, Cristina, Monica, and Sofía).

After early education in the Philippines, Zóbel attended Harvard University, 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 in Baguio, the Philippines in 1963.

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 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 AIA^[2] Life Assurance Corporation).

In 1984, he succeeded Enrique, as chairman and president of Ayala Corporation (AC).^[3] Zóbel successfully steered Ayala through the tense, final years of the Marcos dictatorship. The assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983 was later cited by Zóbel to have pushed him and his wife Bea into active participation in the opposition movement against President Ferdinand Marcos, with Zóbel stating that "Ayala has always been apolitical but this was a time that you knew that you had to be political, there was no other way."^[4][5]

In the lead-up to the February 1986 presidential election, the Ayala couple were among the most fervent supporters of presidential candidate Corazon Aquino, widow of Ninoy Aquino.^[4] Two weeks after the election, the People Power Revolution against President Marcos occurred, wherein the Ayalas were active participants, and upon the overthrow of the Marcos family and the installation of Corazon Aquino's new administration, Bea "helped put things in order" at the Malacañang Palace.^[4] Jaime Zóbel's photographs of people at the revolution were later compiled into a book entitled Filipino, published in March 1987 by Kyodo Press.^[6]

In 1988, the real estate division was spun off as Ayala Land, Inc. AC also ventured into new businesses, like automotive (Ayala Automotive Holdings Corporation).^[7]

Zóbel stepped down as president of AC in 1994 and was succeeded by his son, Jaime Augusto. He continued as chairman until his retirement in 2006 and then became its chairman emeritus.

Zóbel joined the Camera Club of the Philippines in the mid-1970s and began taking photography more seriously.^[8] He is the first Filipino amateur photographer to be confirmed “Licentiate” by the Royal Photographic Society 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.

Between 1970 and 1975, Zóbel was appointed as the Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James's in London, representing the United Kingdom and ambassador of Scandinavian countries.

• 1968, Comendador al Mérito Civil, Spain
• 1980, Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France
• 1985, Doctor of Business Management (honoris causa) De La Salle University, 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
• 2004, FIRST Responsible Capitalism Award Winner^[9]
• 2008, Hero of Philanthropy, Forbes magazine, special issue Asia magazine initiated this recognition, including four Filipinos: Jaime Zobel de Ayala, John Gokongwei, Ramon del Rosario Jr., and Oscar Lopez. The list recognizes four philanthropists from each of 13 selected countries and territories in Asia^[10]
• 2009, Philippine Legion of Honor, Rank of Grand Commander, Armed Forces of the Philippines^[11]
• 2018, Order of the Rising Sun, Second Class, Gold and Silver Star, Japan^[12]

• In 2007, Zóbel was ranked as tied with Henry Sy as the richest person in the Philippines, with a net worth of $2.6 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
• In 2008, Zóbel and his family were ranked 3rd in Forbes magazine's 2008 list of 40 wealthiest Filipinos, due to a 46% drop in their conglomerate Ayala Corp. shares, which were worth $800 million.^[13][14][15]

• Zóbel de Ayala family

• Jaime Zobel de Ayala & family, The World's Richest People, Forbes.com
• Ayala at 175 Magazine
• Ayala 2009 Annual Report

• Jaime Zobel (official website)