Dr Jesus is the Founding Chairman of the Institute of Corporate Directors, The Philippines, and Institute for Solidarity in Asia. He is also the Chairman of the Center for Excellence in Governance and a visiting professor at the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Empresa (IESE) Business School in Barcelona, Spain.
He had served in government as Secretary (Minister) of Finance and as Economic Planning Secretary during the Presidency of Corazon Aquino. His carrier in banking was capped by his appointment as Chairman and CEO of the Development Bank of the Philippines, which he rehabilitated in 1986-1989.
He served in academe as the Founding President of the University of Asia & the Pacific in Manila and as Founding Dean of the ADB Institute in Tokyo.
He has a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University and an MA in Economics from Fordham University. His undergraduate degrees were obtained from the University of San Carlos.
His awards include the Philippine Legion of Honor; the Philippine Management Man of the Year in 2010; the Outstanding Filipino (for governance) in 2012; and the Hernando de Soto award for democracy in 2013.
He is also an author of several governance books such as “Governance in the Philippines: Spanish Colonial Rule, 1565-1898” (the first of a series of 3). The current volume is the second of the series.
