Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. was nominated by President Benigno S. Aquino III to be Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the United States of America on November 30, 2010 and confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on February 09, 2011. He formally assumed his position on April 2, 2011 and served until June 2016.
Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Cuisia was Vice Chairman of Philam Life after having served the company as its President and Chief Executive Officer for 16 years. He was also Chairman of the Board for BPI-Philam Life Assurance Co., the Philam Foundation and Tower Club, Inc.
Before becoming Philam Life’s President and CEO, Ambassador Cuisia served the Philippine Government as Governor of the Philippine Central Bank and Chairman of its Monetary Board from 1990-1993. He was also Governor for the Philippines to the International Monetary Fund and Alternate Governor to the World Bank. Prior to service in the Central Bank, he was Administrator and CEO of the Philippine Social Security System from 1986- 1990.
Ambassador Cuisia is also Vice Chairman of the Board as well as Lead Independent Director of SM Prime Holdings; Bacnotan Consolidated Industries (now PHINMA Corporation); Independent Director of Century Properties Group & also Manila Water Company, Inc. (all publicly listed companies). Likewise, he is also Chairman of the Board of The Covenant Car Company, Inc., and holds directorates in PHINMA, Inc. In 2018, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of FWD Insurance and elected as Chairman of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation.
Ambassador Cuisia was active in educational institutions, having been Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Asian Institute of Management, a previous Trustee of the University of Asia & the Pacific and Chairman of De La Salle University Board of Trustees. He was the CV Starr Chairman of Corporate Governance for the Asian Institute of Management. He is also a Convenor-Trustee of the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd).
Ambassador Cuisia is an alumnus of De La Salle University, where he graduated in 1967 with degrees in Bachelor of Arts in Social Science and Bachelor of Science in Commerce (magna cum laude). He also finished his Masters in Business Administration-Finance at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in 1970 as a University Scholar.
Ambassador Cuisia’s Awards and accolades
Ambassador Cuisia is a recipient of numerous awards and accolades including:
- 2018 SIGNUM MERITI for exemplary public service from De La Salle University
- 2016 Distinguished La Sallian Award
- TEN OUTSTANDING FILIPINO (TOFIL) awardee on December 2016 by the JCI Senate and ANZA Foundation
- The ORDER OF THE SIKATUNA with the rank of Grand Cross by President Benigno Aquino III in 2016
- LIFETIME CONTRIBUTOR AWARD (public sector) by the Asia CEO Forum in 2015
- “JOSEPH WHARTON AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT” by the prestigious Wharton Club of Washington, DC in May 2011
- Management Association of the Philippines’ MANAGEMENT MAN OF THE YEAR for 2007
- Manuel L. Quezon Award for Exemplary Governance in 2006; Raul Locsin CEO OF THE YEAR AWARD in 2004
- TEN OUTSTANDING YOUNG MEN (TOYM) Award for Domestic Banking in 1982.
Ambassador Cuisia is married to the former Maria Victoria Jose with whom he has five children.
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Male Champions of Change Philippines
Ambassador Jose is a Member of the Male Champions of Change Philippines Group established in 2019 in partnership with the Philippine Business Coalition of Women (PBCWE). PBCWE was formed from a partnership with the Philippine Women’s Economic Network (PhilWEN) and Investing Women (IW), an initiative of the Australian Government.
The group includes leaders from various industries including oil and gas, logistics, insurance, professional services and retail. Members have a deep personal commitment to advancing gender equality in their organisations, and they are working together towards the advancement of gender equality in leadership, recruitment and promotions.