MANILA, Philippines – Only one Filipino made it to Forbes‘ 50 Over 50 list: Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso, the new president of Megaworld Corporation.
The 61-year-old took the helm of Megaworld mid-2024 and succeeded its founder, billionaire Andrew Tan, after over three decades with the company.
“Gutierrez-Alfonso’s new role will be a challenge: borrowing costs remain high while rivals are aggressively constructing hotels in anticipation of a tourism rally,” Forbes said.
She first joined Megaworld in 1990 and has worked various roles across Tan-led companies. MREIT, the real estate investment trust of Megaworld, noted of Gutierrez-Alfonso’s “extensive experience in real estate and strong background in finance and marketing.”
Gutierrez-Alfonso now has a big task: to oversee the listed property giant’s $6.1-billion expansion in the next five years. The company is looking to expand its townships by 13% to 35%, and build up to 12,000 hotel rooms in 27 properties from its current 8,000 rooms in 18 properties.
Megaworld currently has a total of 35 townships, majority of which are located outside Metro Manila. Two more are expected to launch in 2025.
Meanwhile, the listed property developer is also working on attracting more international tourists for its hotel rooms.
Gutierrez-Alfonso is no stranger to accolades. In 2024, she was also among Forbes‘ Asia Power BusinessWomen (again, the only Filipino on the list) and was one of the seven Filipinas featured in Fortune Magazine‘s 2024 Most Powerful Women in Asia.
This is the magazine’s first-ever global edition of the 50 Over 50 list. Forbes recognized women at the top of their game, “proving that age is not an impediment to making a lasting impact on the world.”
The list has featured various women who have contributed to American economy and culture, including former US vice president Kamala Harris and television producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes in 2021; and television personality Kris Jenner, philanthropist and singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, and Jones Road Cosmetics founder Bobbi Brown in 2022.
In 2023, the list included actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Viola Davis, and former US Department of Defense secretary of the army Christine Wormuth. Singer Celine Dion, Taylor Swift’s publicist Treen Paine, and World Bank chief information officer Amy Doherty were part of the 50 Over 50 Forbes list in 2024.
The magazine started a 50 Over 50 Asia list in 2022.
Rappler CEO and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa and Converge co-founder and president Maria Grace Uy were included in 2022; Kickstart Ventures co-founder and president Minette Navarrete landed on the list in 2023; and peace negotiator and professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, actress Dolly de Leon, MediLink Network president and chief executive officer Esther Go, Ayala Land chief executive officer Anna Ma. Margarita Dy, and Puregold co-founder Susan Co were part of the list in 2024. – Rappler.com