26 November 2024 – UBS unveils its third installment of the UBS Women and Finance dialogue series, with this edition focusing female entrepreneurs. Titled “Women Mean Business”, key speakers included Maria Grace Uy, President & Co-Founder of Converge ICT Solutions Inc. and Ana Lorenzana De Ocampo, CEO & President of Wildflour Group.
Robby Go, Country Head of UBS Philippines said “UBS is committed to empower women and increase their financial confidence. Over the years, we have seen an increase in the number of women participating in the workforce, reflecting a rise in economic empowerment. Here in the Philippines, we have seen strong growth in the number of women entrepreneurs and their contribution to the society. Through our ‘Women and Finance’ Dialogue series, we aim to encourage more women to support and empower each other to achieve greater success.”
During the panel discussion, Ms. Uy shared that she and her husband launched Converge to ensure that every Filipino have access to world-class internet connectivity and today, their company is one of the leading internet service providers in the country. Ms De Ocampo was working for the family business before she founded the first Wildflour Cafè + Bakery in Bonifacio Global City. With a passion for cooking and an eye for details, Ana’s business expanded to five main restaurant concept brands in 16 branch locations. Their advice to aspiring entrepreneurs – Women would generally have the tendency to plan for the longer term. Women are resilient, and they tend to operate with integrity. Women are passionate about what they do, and focused on doing it right. These are the qualities inherently that make women excel, so it is imperative to harness these qualities.
Since its launch in the Philippines last year, more than 100 women CEOs, corporate leaders and entrepreneurs have attended the UBS Women and Finance dialogue series. The panellists covered a diverse range of topics including their views as women corporate leaders in finance, the opportunities and challenges encountered by female entrepreneurs, building cohesive and winning teams in the workplace, increasing financial literacy and financial independence for women.
Some of the speakers who participated in the UBS Women and Finance Dialogue series include:
Ms. Anita Linda “Annie” Aquino, ex-Monetary Board Member, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Ms. Anna Ma. Margarita “Meean” Bautista Dy, CEO, Ayala Land Inc., Ms. Marianna H. “Hannah” Yulo, CEO, Hotel101 Global Pte. Ltd., Ms. Angela “Angela” Sy, CFO, Focus Global, Ms. Sandra Araullo, Chief Investment Officer, ATRAM Trust Corporation Ms Rowie Zamora, Chief Strategy Officer, Gcash