Carlo Enrico B. Lazatin l 21 January 2026 at the Rizal Ballroom, Makati Shangri-La
Honorable Frederick D. Go, Secretary of Finance of the Republic of the Philippines.
His Excellency Ambassador Kazuya Endo, Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines, and the distinguished members of the Japanese delegation.
Distinguished officials of the Monetary Board, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Past Presidents, Industry Partners, and Members of the Institute. My family, advisers, and guests. Ladies and gentlemen, Good evening.
We are here this evening not simply to mark the start of a new term. We are here to affirm responsibility, at a time when leadership is judged less by words and more by discipline, judgement, and follow-through.
My approach to this presidency is shaped by stewardship and institutional memory. I have known FINEX long before I assumed this role. As early as the late 80s, I encountered this Institute through its publications and engagements, at a time when my father was an active member and served on the Board.
I remember watching him return from FINEX meetings not just with new contacts,but with new perspectives—on integrity, on responsibility, and on the role finance leaders play in nation-building. From that early exposure, I learned something important about FINEX. This is not a social club nor a platform for personalities. It is an institution built on judgment, credibility, and the shared responsibility of safeguarding economic confidence.
FINEX has endured becauseit has never confused visibility with relevance. It has earned its place by exercising the very qualities that define senior finance leadership: restraint, discipline, and the courage to speak responsibly—even when it is inconvenient.
I accept this role mindful of that legacy. As we enter this new term, the economic landscape presents both opportunity and complexity. Liquidity exists. Capital is available. Yet capital today does not move automatically. It moves where trust exists.
Confidence has become the currency that unlocks investment, expansion, and long-term
commitment. Investors—both global and domestic—no longer respond to declarations alone. They observe behavior. They evaluate consistency. They watch how institutions perform under pressure and how policies translate into outcomes.
In this environment, confidence is built slowly—and lost quickly. It is in this context that we recognize the presence of Secretary Frederick Go. Mr. Secretary, the Department of Finance has articulated a clear direction: sustaining growth through openness, reform, and execution. Your emphasis on improving the investment
climate and lowering the cost of doing business sends an important signal to the market.
FINEX fully supports this direction. We as finance professionals also understand an essential truth: Vision creates opportunity. Discipline in execution secures results. This is where FINEX contributes—not as policymakers, but as practitioners who operate at the intersection of policy intent and operational reality.
This perspective anchors our theme for this term: Catalyzing Confidence: Leading Capital,
Integrity, and Innovation for the Nation. This is not a slogan. It is a standard by which we will measure our work.
By catalyzing confidence, we mean strengthening trust through three focused and realistic
priorities:
- Leading Capital through better practitioner insight
- Upholding Integrity through applied governance
- Driving Innovation through disciplined partnerships
Each reflects what FINEX can credibly do—and do well.
PRIORITY 1: LEADING CAPITAL
The FINEX CFO Business Pulse
Senior finance leaders operate where macroeconomic policy meets day-to-day execution.
We decide whether to invest, whether to expand, whether to hold cash, or whether to delay.
These are not abstract decisions—they affect employment, supply chains, and economic
momentum. Traditional macro indicators remain essential. But in today’s fast-moving environment, decision-makers also need insight into what is slowing capital deployment on the ground.
With this in mind, FINEX intends to pilot a new initiative during this term: the FINEX CFO Business Pulse. Let me be clear about its scope. We fully recognize that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Business Expectations Survey remains the authoritative macro-level benchmark. The FINEX CFO Business Pulse is not designed to replicate that work, nor to replace it.
Our objective is narrower and more practical. We aim to capture practitioner-level insights from senior finance leaders—particularly the frictions between investment intent and actual execution that are often difficult to quantify.
We will begin within our own membership, using a disciplined, anonymous pilot. If the results
prove useful, we will explore expanding participation over time, including engagement with
MSMEs especially within our members’ value chains. Any insights generated will be offered as a voluntary, complementary perspective—to inform dialogue, not to dictate policy. This is how FINEX leads capital: by providing context, grounded in real operating experience.
Equally important, FINEX will close the loop. We will not only surface practitioner insights—we will communicate back to our members what themes emerge, what issues resonate, and how these perspectives contribute to informed dialogue with policymakers. Confidence grows when finance leaders know their voice matters—and is treated with seriousness.
PRIORITY 2: UPHOLDING INTEGRITY
Governance as a Professional Discipline
Second, FINEX will continue to uphold integrity—not as an abstract principle, but as a daily
professional responsibility. Senior finance leaders regularly face complex decisions under pressure: balancing
performance targets, regulatory requirements, and stakeholder expectations. In these moments, governance is not about perfect rules. It is about sound judgment.
For finance leaders, integrity is not only a moral obligation—it is also a form of professional
protection. Sound governance shields institutions, preserves reputations, and protects individuals who are often asked to carry risk on behalf of organizations.
FINEX’s role is to support finance leaders in making defensible decisions—especially when
pressures are real and consequences are personal. During this term, FINEX will work toward developing a Governance and Integrity Framework, a practical governance guidance for senior finance professionals—drawing from real cases, shared experience, and existing regulatory frameworks.
This will not be a rulebook, nor a substitute for regulation. It will be a peer-based reference, designed to help finance leaders navigate gray areas with clarity and confidence. We will engage constructively with regulators and partner institutions to ensure alignment with national standards. By strengthening judgment at the practitioner level, we reinforce confidence at the institutional level.
PRIORITY 3: DRIVING INNOVATION THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS
Third, FINEX will deepen partnerships that translate dialogue into meaningful outcomes. The role of FINEX is to convene disciplined conversations between capital, policy, and enterprise. In this context, our country’s long-standing relationship with Japan provides a powerful example.
Japan represents values we deeply respect: long-term thinking, operational discipline, and technological excellence. Through structured engagements and forums, FINEX seeks to support clearer understanding around investment priorities, infrastructure development, and emerging areas such as energy transition—always within the bounds of our role as a professional organization. By helping align expectations and reduce uncertainty, we contribute to the consistency that long-term investors value.
THE FOUNDATION: OUR MEMBERS AND OUR VOICE
All of these external initiatives depend on one foundation. FINEX’s strength is its Members. Our effectiveness as an institution is built on active participation, professional credibility, and collective discipline. Beyond advocacy and dialogue, FINEX must deliver practical value to its members. Senior finance leaders often make high-stakes decisions in isolation. During this term, we will strengthen FINEX as a trusted professional community—where members can exchange insight, test assumptions, and sharpen judgement in a confidential and constructive environment.
This peer dimension is not incidental to our mission. It is central to it. We will focus on strengthening committee engagement, broadening participation, and ensuring that FINEX remains relevant to both seasoned leaders and the next generation of finance professionals.
To support this work, we will also invest in strengthening the FINEX Secretariat. We will focus on equipping the Secretariat with clearer mandates, better coordination and the operational support needed to ensure that our initiatives are executed consistently, documented properly and sustained beyond any single presidency.
While leadership terms change, institutional effectiveness depends on continuity, capability
and quiet professionalism. We will be deliberate in preserving institutional memory. Our credibility has been built over decades. We will solidify that foundation—we will document it, refine it and make it accessible to the next generation of finance leaders. Continuity, when managed well, is itself a form of stability—and stability builds confidence.
This is how FINEX ensures that ideas translate into action and that progress endures. Professional excellence will remain at our core. Our programs, forums, and recognitions will continue to reflect competence, judgment, and ethical discipline.
We will remain committed to social responsibility—through the FINEX Foundation and FINEX Academy—recognizing that finance leadership carries obligations beyond the balance sheet. Finally, on matters of national concern, FINEX will speak deliberately and responsibly—grounded in data, analysis, and evidence. Not through noise, but through substance.
CLOSING
At the end of this term, progress will be evident when:
– Members find FINEX more useful to their professional decision-making
– Regulators see FINEX as a constructive, disciplined partner
– Younger finance leaders view this Institute as relevant to their growth
– And public discourse increasingly links governance quality with capital confidence
Measured initiatives. Credible engagement. Leadership grounded in professional responsibility. These are the outcomes we will work toward—steadily and responsibly. To my family and advisers: thank you for your patience and support.
To my fellow FINEX members: each of you shapes confidence through your daily decisions. FINEX exists to ensure that your individual integrity is reinforced by our collective strength. As one community, let us move forward with our defining purpose:
To Catalyze Confidence.
To lead capital with discipline.
To uphold integrity with conviction.
And to drive innovation that strengthens the Philippine economy.
Thank you for your trust, your presence, and your partnership.
Good evening.