While America deals with woke corporations destroying shareholder value, the Philippines shows us what real capitalism looks like. Mariana Zobel de Ayala is taking charge of her family’s 191-year-old business empire and proving that free enterprise still works. At just 36 years old, she’s already a managing director at Ayala Corporation, the oldest and most successful conglomerate in the Philippines.
This isn’t some diversity hire or nepotism case like we see in American companies today. Mariana earned her stripes the hard way, starting at J.P. Morgan in New York before working her way up through multiple divisions of the family business. She graduated from Harvard and got her MBA from a top European business school. She put in the work and earned every promotion.
The Zobel de Ayala family has been building wealth and creating jobs for eight generations. That’s what happens when families focus on business success instead of virtue signaling and political correctness. They’ve survived wars, economic crashes, and countless challenges by staying focused on what matters: making money and serving customers.
As Senior Vice President of Ayala Land, Mariana runs leasing and hospitality operations across the country. She also sits on boards for major companies including the Bank of the Philippine Islands. These aren’t token positions – she’s making real decisions that affect thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity.
This is exactly what American businesses used to look like before they got infected with woke nonsense. A family builds something great over generations, passes down real business skills to their children, and keeps growing wealth through honest work. No DEI programs, no climate hysteria, just results that matter.
Smart move marrying into the Aboitiz family too – another major Philippine business dynasty that runs power companies. These families understand that business partnerships create stronger economies. They’re not trying to tear down successful people like our politicians do here.
The Philippines is becoming an economic powerhouse while America stumbles with socialist policies and anti-business regulations. Countries that respect capitalism and successful families are leaving us behind. Mariana and companies like Ayala are proof that free markets still work when politicians stay out of the way.
Maybe American business leaders should take notes from the Philippines instead of listening to environmental activists and social justice warriors. Real success comes from hard work, smart investments, and keeping government bureaucrats away from private enterprise. That’s the lesson Mariana Zobel de Ayala is teaching the world.
