Jaime Ayala explains why development is just as important as profit in businesses

An entrepreneur addressing social and development issues through his many roles, Jaime ‘Jim’ Ayala will be speaking at the Tatler Gen.T Summit on November 9 in Hong Kong

Jaime “Jim” Ayala holds multiple leadership posts in various enterprises and organisations. Ayala, who previously headed the Ayala Corporation and worked as a Director at McKinsey & Company, recognised the urgent need to empower poor, remote communities throughout the Philippines.

In 2010, he left corporate life and embarked on his entrepreneurial journey. His efforts to all have a singular, magnanimous goal; Ayala is focused on bettering communities through his social enterprises, tackling sustainability efforts and social and urban development.

His resulting work has been impactful. Ayala has been conferred many awards including the Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2013, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and Social Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines in 2012. While there are many social causes, these are the advocacies that Ayala prioritises.

Renewable energy for all

Above Solar grid panels are an effective means of renewable energy (Photo: Unsplash)

The founder and CEO of Hybrid Social Solutions Inc., Ayala has pioneered a social enterprise that builds gridless solar electricity networks in rural communities.

As of 2022, over 380,000 people have benefited from his range of solar products, which have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by over 130,000 metric tons. They currently have multiple solar hubs across the Philippines, from southern Luzon regions such as Albay and Camarines Sur to Visayas islands including Puerto Princesa and Iloilo.

Ayala is also the chairman of Solar Village Foundation, the Asian arm of Stiftung Solarenergie International Network for Rural Development. They have forged initiatives to stabilise rural electrification in Africa, Asia and Europe. The sustainability advocate also sits as the director and corporate governance chairman of First Philippine Holdings, a diversified conglomerate which has installed the largest vertically integrated geothermal company in the world.

Reaching underserved communities

Above Ayala aims to ensure that important products reach even the most remote locations (Photo: Unsplash)

Through his role as an advisory council member of the Global Distributors Collective, Ayala works with the collective of last-mile distribution companies to alleviate poverty. This network ensures that life-changing products are made available to underserved customers worldwide.

In an interview, Ayala had previously commented that the key to building institutions was in ensuring the connectivity of isolated areas to the economy and to society. “I think that there’s a lot of work that can be done to build the value chains that will enable goods and services to reach these villages,” he concludes.

Supporting grassroots economies

Despite his successful career in the corporate world, Ayala is, at heart, an entrepreneur. One of his advocacies is grassroots economies and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). He is a network partner at Hystra, a global hybrid strategy consulting firm, where he advises key players in the business ecosystem on how to scale up social and environmental innovations.

Through his extensive network, Ayala ensures that impact investors, donors, corporations and social entrepreneurs find a way to bring their innovations to those who need them.

Ayala is also a Luzon private sector representative in the MSME Development Council. This organisation guides the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry on how to support the growth of MSMEs in the country—an important agenda after the pandemic.

Learn more about the other speakers at the Tatler Gen.T Summit.

The Tatler Gen.T Summit is sponsored by Standard Chartered Private Bank, Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong and MTR Lab, organised in partnership with M+, Regent, Black Sheep and Cathay Pacific and supported by Brand Hong Kong, Hong Kong Tourism Board and InvestHK.

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Topics

Gen.T Summit Ayala Social Entrepreneurship Leadership Philippines

Tatler Asia

The advocacies social entrepreneur Jaime Ayala champions for

Renewable energy for all

Reaching underserved communities

Supporting grassroots economies