Edmund Alan A. Qua Hiansen l 23 April 2025 at the Discovery Primea Makati
Honorable Nylah Bautista, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry, Ms. Marie Claude Ferland, FINEX Past Presidents, FINEX Colleagues, Honored Guests,
Good morning, and welcome to our fourth General Membership Meeting of the year. We are honored to have two esteemed speakers today on “How to have an AI Edge: Driving Innovation, Growth & Investment for Philippine Companies.” Artificial Intelligence has been a topic on everyone’s minds for the past few years, especially with regard to how it can enhance productivity, drive efficiency, and potentially disrupt business.
Perhaps AI has been viewed through a purely technological lens for too long. But I want to frame it for you today as a fundamental driver of business value and competitive advantage. Innovation, in turn, is the engine that allows us to translate AI’s potential into tangible business outcomes.
Consider the hard numbers. A recent report by PwC indicates that AI is projected to contribute over $15 trillion to the global economy by 2030, a significant portion of which will be realized through business applications. This isn’t just about futuristic projections; it’s about the immediate opportunities for revenue growth, cost optimization, and
market share expansion that AI presents today.
Think about the practical business implications. McKinsey’s research shows that financial institutions leveraging AI in areas like customer relationship management are seeing increases in sales of over 10%. This isn’t about replacing human interaction; it’s about empowering your teams with intelligent tools that provide deeper customer insights,
enabling more personalized and effective engagement that directly translates to increased revenue.
Furthermore, operational efficiency, a core concern for any business, is significantly enhanced by AI. Deloitte’s analysis suggests that AI powered automation can lead to cost reductions of up to 40% in back-office operations. Imagine the impact of streamlining processes, reducing errors, and freeing up your operational teams to focus on
higher-value activities that directly contribute to your business goals.
Here in the Philippines, your understanding of the local market and customer needs, combined with the power of AI-driven insights, can create unique business advantages. Imagine leveraging AI to develop tailored financial products for specific customer segments, optimize your branch networks based on predictive analytics, or create more efficient and secure digital lending platforms.
However, the implementation of AI for business success requires more than just technological investment. It demands a strategic vision that aligns AI initiatives with clear business objectives. It requires fostering a
culture of innovation where experimentation is encouraged, and data driven decision-making becomes the norm. Your teams need to be empowered to identify business challenges that AI can solve and to develop innovative solutions that drive tangible results.
AI is not just a technological advancement; it is a fundamental business opportunity. The global statistics demonstrate its power to drive revenue growth, optimize costs, and enhance competitive advantage. Coupled with a strong culture of business innovation, AI can be the catalyst that propels your institutions to new heights of success in the dynamic Philippine market.
Moving on to FINEX, you’ll see on the screen behind me some
information on our past activities starting with our Partnerships
committee. [next slide]
Then our Membership Committee organized a trip to Calamba [next
slide]
Onto upcoming events: [next slide]
Our very first padel clinic is this Saturday [next slide]
In May, we will have the Hon. Marian Ivy Reyes-Fajardo to speak on the
anti agricultural economic sabotage act [next slide]
In June we will tackle the post election economic landscape [next slide]
And of course we have FINEX Week in October [next slide]
To update you on members, we now have 733 members including our
five inductees today [next slide]
I’d also like to thank our year round sponsors: PHINMA Corporation,
Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De los Angeles [next slide]
Bank of the Philippine Islands, SGV, Asticom and San Miguel
Corporation [next slide]
We have other announcements which you can check in our newly
launched, weekly FINEX Digest. Please share feedback with us on how
we can improve this.
Thank you and I’m looking forward to hearing our speakers.