RRHI CFO Mylene Kasiban is 14th ING-FINEX CFO of the Year for 2020

Mylene Kasiban, RRHI Chief Financial Officer, (center in blue) receives her award at the 14th ING-FINEX CFO of the Year Awarding Ceremony. She is joined onstage by officers from ING, FINEX and the Ateneo De Manila University namely (from L-R) Atty. Alvin Geli, Vice Chairman, Search and Selection, CFO of the Year Award Committee; Marylou Duka Castillo, Director, Securities and Exchange Commission; Fr. Roberto Yap, S.J., President, Ateneo de Manila University; Jose Jerome R. Pascual III, President, FINEX; SEC Commissioner Domingo C. Go; Dr. Rosalind Wee, Vice Chairman, W Group; Hans B. Sicat Managing Director – Country Manager, ING Bank N.V., Manila Branch; and Enrique Victor M. Pampolina, Overall Chairman, CFO of the Year Award Committee.

Robinsons Retail’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Mylene Kasiban was selected 14th ING-FINEX CFO of Year for 2020. This award is the Philippines' longest-running and only search that honors outstanding chief financial officers. The awarding ceremony was held on November 18, 2020 at the Hyundai Hall of Areté, Ateneo De Manila University’s creativity and innovation hub.

The search was first launched in 2006 through a permanent partnership between Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) and ING Bank, N.V., envisioned to “herald a legacy for future generations of Philippine financial leaders.”

“All candidates (for the award) were asked the same set of questions and Mylene concisely articulated strong evidence of performance, initiative, and behavior across all four CFO qualities of Strategist, Catalyst, Steward, and Operator,” said FINEX President Jose Jerome Pascual III.

FINEX is the premier professional organization for finance executives and decision makers in Philippine business and ING Bank, N.V. is one of world’s largest banks and a leading global financial institution offering banking, insurance, and investment management services.

Mylene was selected based on her career track record as a finance professional, with an in-depth discussion on leading progressive and innovative initiatives in the field. The selection process also outlined how the candidate contributed to achieving their institution’s corporate and sustainability goals.

From L-R: Gabby Tagala, RRHI VP for Human Resources; Robina Gokongwei-Pe, RRHI President & CEO; Mylene Kasiban, RRHI CFO; Jody Gadia, RRHI Managing Director – Supermarket Segment; and Rolly Salvador, RRHI Corporate Controller

“We are very happy and proud that Mylene won the CFO of the Year Award, and I would like to thank ING-FINEX for giving her this much deserved recognition. She has shown great dedication to the work that she does at RRHI, as she spearheaded several initiatives to strategically move the business forward. I would like to thank Mylene for the significant contributions she has made to the Company,” said Robina Gokongwei-Pe, RRHI President and CEO.

As RRHI CFO and through working effectively with different departments and business unit heads, Mylene implemented various measures to simplify business processes to take advantage of automation and digitization in place of manual procedures. She is also involved in resource management and negotiations for significant business deals, such as RRHI’s acquisition of TGP in 2016, Rustan Supercenters, Inc. in 2018 , and most recently, Rose Pharmacy, Inc.

In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, she played a key role in the Company’s Business Continuity Programs, the launching of e-commerce platforms such as gorobinsons.ph, and implementing necessary austerity measures to ensure financial liquidity.

“I am very proud and honored to receive this award as the second woman CFO of the year, after 12 years. May this award continue to be an inspiration to the women CFOs to keep on doing their best, to be their best authentic self. This award is for Robinsons Retail, a tribute, and my way of honoring our founder, Mr. John Gokongwei and of course to Mr. James Go, Mr. Lance Gokongwei and Ms. Robina Gokongwei Pe. They are my inspiration in getting this award. It is a joy going to the office everyday knowing that you can make a difference and your voice can be heard. It is a company that values good governance and sustainability,” said Mylene Kasiban in her acceptance speech at the 14th ING-FINEX CFO of the Year Awarding Ceremony.