New FINEX chief calls for positive change through finance

February 2, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX)’s new president EJ Qua Hiansen has called on his fellow leaders to promote positive change for society through finance.

Qua Hiansen, chief financial officer of the Del Rosario Group’s Phinma Corp., has vowed to champion innovation in business under his term.

“Amid volatile and changing times, we will focus on the fundamentals, our capacity to lead organizations and a continuous drive for innovation,” he said.

As FINEX president, Qua Hiansen also intends to focus his leadership in using finance as force for positive societal change.

“We accept your challenge to be catalysts for positive change by going beyond the numbers to serve as guardians of our nation’s future in the national discourse and to lead our companies in fostering positive change for society,” Qua Hiansen said.

“Too often, especially during times of financial crisis, our profession is depicted as the villains, with stories of corporate greed emphasized. I, for one, would like to see more narratives highlighting the good that finance professionals accomplish in generating value for our shareholders and society,” he said.

Qua Hiansen started his journey in Phinma as an executive assistant to the president in 2013.

He rose through the ranks in the subsequent years, holding various positions such as investor relations officer, vice president-corporate strategy and planning and deputy CFO.

“FINEX has played a significant role in my professional career and personal life. I wanted to become a CFO only after joining FINEX and attending the CFO of the Year Award. The FINEX Academy’s Executive Leadership Course shaped the kind of CFO I wanted to become. At FINEX, I met many of my finance idols, gained even more respect for them, and eventually became friends,” Qua Hiansen said.

Phinma chairman and CEO Ramon del Rosario Jr., who served as inducting officer of the new FINEX board, urged the country’s finance leaders to use their expertise to help ensure national resources are used for the betterment of Filipino lives.

Del Rosario enjoined FINEX to help explain complex budget issues to the public, work with similar advocacy groups in pushing for beneficial reforms and clamor for using national resources to strengthen institutions.

“As finance professionals, we cannot stay silent when we see concerning patterns in public spending. We should not just be guardians of corporate bottom lines; we should be stewards of our nation’s dignity and well-being,” del Rosario said.

“Our role is not merely to crunch numbers, but to safeguard the dignity of every Filipino by ensuring that our nation’s resources are used wisely and equitably. We must bring our technical expertise to the forefront of budget discussions, providing independent analysis and evidence-based recommendations,” he said.