Dr. Jikyeong Kang
President and Dean | Asian Institute of Management (AIM)
Jikyeong Kang is the President and Dean of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) since 2015, holding the MVP Chair in Marketing. She serves on multiple influential academic boards as well as advisory boards in various schools and universities all over the world. She is currently an independent director of Security Bank (Philippines) and Kesoram Industries (India).
With her leadership, AIM was given the 2019 Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award for Corporate Excellence in Education and Training for demonstrating sustainable growth, responsible leadership, and operational excellence. Most recently, she was awarded the 2021 Philippines Education Leadership Award, presented by the Asian Confederation of Businesses and endorsed by the World Federation of Academic and Educational Institutions, to recognize excellence in the application of leadership principles to education.
Jikyeong Kang received Bachelor’s degree from Hanyang University, Masters from Colorado State University and PhD from University of Minnesota.
Bernie H. Liu
Chairman and CEO | GOLDEN ABC, Inc. (GABC)
Group Chairman | LH Paragon Incorporated (LHPI)
Bernie H. Liu is the Chairman and CEO of GOLDEN ABC, Inc. (GABC), and Group Chairman of LH Paragon Incorporated (LHPI). He leads businesses across various industries including fashion, real estate, wood distribution, food retail, and medical services. Bernie is an independent director of PLDT and CARD MRI’s Mga Likha ni Inay, Inc.
Under Bernie’s leadership, GABC’s brands Penshoppe, OXGN, ForMe, Memo, Regatta, and BOCU have been recognized for their excellence in brand and retail management. His contributions to the retail industry and business community have earned him numerous accolades.
He has received the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award for Entrepreneurship by JCI Philippines, the Agora Award for Outstanding Achievement in Entrepreneurship by the Philippine Marketing Association, and the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Papal Award.
Bernie Liu graduated with a degree in BS Architecture from the University of San Carlos and completed the Executive Education Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Ramon M. Lopez
Independent Director | SM Investments
Ramon M. Lopez is the former Secretary of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), serving from July 2016 to June 2022. He chaired multiple institutions, including the Board of Investments and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, and supervised agencies such as the Intellectual Property Office and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
Currently, Mr. Lopez serves as an Independent Director of the SM Investments Corporation, Monde Nissin Corporation, Airspeed Logistics, Aboitiz Food and Agribusiness, New Marketlink Pharmaceuticals Corporation. He is the Chairman of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Valenzuela City Technological College (VALTECH), working on workforce advancement. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Asian Consulting Group and an Advisory Board member at Bayan Family of Foundations, as well as two other start-up companies.
During his tenure at DTI, Mr. Lopez pushed for economic reforms, investment liberalization, innovative manufacturing, and MSME development. He led the country’s participation in free trade deals such as the WTO, ASEAN, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Philippines-South Korea FTA. His performance earned him awards including the Presidential Award- Order of Sikatuna, Presidential Medal of Merit for his active role in the IATF during the pandemic, the People Asia of the Year Awards and the Asia CEO Awards 2022 “Lifetime Contributor of the Year Award.”
Mr. Lopez began his career in government and transitioned to the private sector in 1994 until he was called for public service in 2016. He holds a Master’s Degree in Development Economics from Williams College, Massachusetts, USA, and an AB Degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines School of Economics.