San Miguel Corp. has elected former Transportation Secretary and Philippine Airlines president Jaime J. Bautista as an independent director, adding a veteran of the aviation, finance, and government sectors to the conglomerate’s board.
Bautista was elected during SMC’s regular board meeting on August 13, filling the vacant independent director seat for the remainder of its unexpired term, which began on June 9.
SMC said Bautista brings “years of finance and business experience from the perspective of the private and the government sector,” which it said would equip him to contribute expertise and proficiency to the board.
Bautista served as Transportation secretary from 2022 to 2025, overseeing a portfolio that included the country’s airports, airlines, railways, roads, and other transport infrastructure.
He brings extensive private-sector experience from Philippine Airlines, where he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer from 1993 to 2003 before becoming president and chief operating officer from 2004 to 2012 and again from 2014 to 2019.
Before joining PAL’s senior management, Bautista held leadership positions in other companies of the Lucio Tan Group, including PNB Forex, Air Philippines, and Asian Alcohol Corp.
His corporate experience also includes board or trustee positions at Cosco Capital Inc., Philippine Bank of Communications, Alphaland Corp., Airspeed International Corp., Gothong Southern Shipping Corp., the International School of Sustainable Tourism, the University of the East/UERM Memorial Medical Center, and MacroAsia Group of Companies.
Bautista is a certified public accountant and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce, major in accounting, from Colegio de San Letran. He also holds a Doctor of Humanities degree.
