MA. ALEXANDRA "SANDY" R. PRIETO-ROMUALDEZ

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

Group Chief Executive Officer of the Inquirer Group of Companies

As President and CEO, Sandy directs the operations of the company and is responsible for corporate strategic planning, management development, succession planning, performance management, organizational design, corporate policy-making and organizational development. She also plays a key role in network building particularly with regard to the business community and non-government sector.

In October 2012, Sandy was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer of the Inquirer Group of Companies. She is also the Chairperson of Hinge Inquirer Publications (magazine publishing); President of Inquirer Publications, Inc. (tabloid publishing); and Member of the Board of Directors of Inquirer.net, Trans-Radio Broadcasting Inc. (Radio Inquirer), MegaMobile and Inquirer Digital Outdoor.

Sandy's business competence is balanced by her inclination towards advocacy work. She is one of the founding members of Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundation and Hands On Manila Foundation. Gifts and Graces, which she heads, provides marketing support for the livelihood projects of non-government organizations. Hands On Manila, on the other hand, recruits, educates and coordinates a network of volunteers for diverse community projects within Metro Manila.

She used to Co-Chair "Tabang Mindanaw" with Ambassador Howard Dee and Mr. Fernando Zobel. In 2013, the same group spearheaded the formation of Task Force "Tabang Visayas" to help in the relief and rehabilitation of Typhoon Yolanda survivors. 

Sandy also held the following positions: Commissioner for Media and Arts of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW);  President of the Associate Missionaries of the Assumption (AMA) and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation. In 2011, she chaired the "game changing" 22nd Advertising Congress. 

Currently, she is a board member of WAN-IFRA (World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers) and committee member of WAN-IFRA Asia-Pacific.

Corporate social responsibility is something that Sandy takes seriously. The Inquirer launched projects such as the award-winning Read-Along Program for children, "New Paper Drive," and a youth readership campaign. The organization also provides scholarships to journalism students and newsboys through the Inquirer Foundation.

Sandy has been recognized by several groups for her work not only in business but for her advocacies as well. Among the major awards and citations she has received are: The Outstanding Asian Institute of Management Alumni Achievement Award (2012); Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service (TOWNS) for print and media journalism (2007); one of the Young Global Leaders recognized by the World Economic Forum (2006); Gusi Peace Prize for Journalism (2005); one of the finalists for the first Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2004); Aurelio Periquet Business Leadership Award-Pearl (2002); Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) for Public Service in Print Media and Advocacy (2001); Best Woman Achiever in Business Award given by the Filipino-Chinese Federation of Business and Professional Women of the Philippines (1999). She was also cited in 2010 by Forbes Magazine as one of Asia's 48 "Heroes of Philanthropy."

On her leisure hours, Sandy enjoys sports such as golf and badminton. She has won the Women's Open Champion title of the Manila Golf Club Tournament for more than ten times over the past years. In 2008, she was the HSBC Regional Golf Tournament champion. An active badminton player, Ms. Romualdez was a national non-ranking champion in 1983 and was a Philippine national badminton team member from 1984-1986. She was part of the team which won for the Philippines in 1985 its first international award in badminton.