Stewardship is integral in a corporation that wishes to pursue shared prosperity for all stakeholders, according to Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, a next-generation leader in the Ayala Corporation, Philippines. He shared this insight with Stewardship Asia Centre (SAC) in an interview conducted during the Steward Leadership Summit 2022, as part of our engagements with business leaders.

In the interview, Mr Ayala discussed the purpose of the corporation, which is to deploy resources towards solving important challenges in the national economy, in addition to striving to be an innovative and enduring Philippine-based business group, with a vision for shared value and prosperity for all stakeholders. He emphasised the importance of accountability and generating trust with stakeholders by delivering on the vision.

Mr Ayala also discussed the role of businesses in safeguarding society today, stating that collaboration with like-minded institutions is key to solving complex challenges such as climate change, income inequality, and accessibility to healthcare. He noted that a company can serve as a model for generating value over the long term by taking into account the interests of all stakeholders. The interview also touched on the importance of stewardship and long-term value creation in business decision-making. Mr Ayala shared his perspective on how to prioritise and address the interests of all stakeholders and confront larger problems by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable ones.

The conversation with Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala highlighted the importance of steward leadership and doing good as a business from the perspective of an enduring Philippines-based family business. Watch the full video to hear from Mr Ayala and head over to our YouTube channel to watch more of our conversations with business leaders.