In photo: AirAsia Philippines Chief Finance Officer Ray Cauilan Berja recently appointed as one of the board of directors of the Association of Public Accountants in Commerce and Industry (ACPACI)
AirAsia Philippines Chief Finance Officer Ray Cauilan Berja has been appointed as one of the board of directors of the Association of Public Accountants in Commerce and Industry (ACPACI), taking office from January to December 2022. The 48-year old organization held its online national elections end-year 2021, electing Berja and other leaders from the Philippine finance industry as officers, such as 2021 Outstanding CPA in the Commerce and Industry and CEO of Red Chef and Events Specialist, Aphat C. Martinez Jr.; veteran CFO Lito Diga of United Laboratories; SGV’s Chief Financial Officer Catherine Lopez; President of Infocycle Solutions Rowena Lemen; Director of Isla Lipana and Co. Floredee Odulio; and VP of the Center for Internal Audit Services of the Philippines Alejandro Palacio.
Berja, along with his fellow officers, will be holding the reins to the premier organization of certified public accountants in commerce and industry, composed mostly of comptrollers, finance officers and other executives affiliated with the country’s top corporations. ACPACI is driven to promote the advancement of the accounting profession in the field of Commerce and Industry through research, seminars, discussions and dynamic exchange of knowledge among its members. It also assists members in addressing common problems in accounting, information systems, business finance, administration and management.
“Professionals across all industries are all hands on deck in powering through the pandemic and building more resilient and future-proof organizations, hence I take it as an honor to be trusted by my colleagues to be among the leaders of our beloved ACPACI during these most challenging times. I and my fellow officers are committed to ensuring our organization stands by its mission of furthering the finance practice in the country while also propelling it into the post-pandemic future,” shares Berja. The CFO of the world’s best low-cost airline brings with him almost two decades of professional experience in the field of business finance and risk management. Under his belt is a menagerie of accolades recognizing his work, among which is the Global CFO Excellence Awardee: FinTech CFO of the Year award in 2019 and Aviation CFO of the year in 2020.
The seasoned strategic business and commercial leader joined ACPACI in 2018. Ever since he became part of the esteemed organization, he’s been regarded as one of its stalwarts – contributing to various projects in knowledge-sharing, upskilling and corporate citizenship. He also frequents talks and webinars as a resource speaker and co-host in 2020 and 2021, driving in topics like ‘Finance Reimagined’, ‘Finance Leadership: Adapt and Thrive’, ‘The role of CPAs in crisis management’, and ‘Adapt to Survive: Leading in Turbulent Times’ – all of which were relevant topics and issues concerning the CPA profession in that period. Also in 2021, he took up the role of Professional Development Co-Chair and helped the organization launch webinars and talks that provided value to the CPAs in the country. He, alongside Kurt Dayrit who was also elected as BOD of ACPACI this 2022, led ACPACI’s ‘A Shot for Life: Anti-Flu Vaccine Drive’. This resulted in the inoculation of three thousand individuals from Cagayan Province. Truly, Berja and ACPACI embodied their 2021 theme of “Reimagine and recover. RISE (Resilience, Innovation, Solidarity, Excellence) in the Next Normal”, which the former worked on with the help of other officers and members in early 2021.
Continuous Digital Transformation, People Development, and Relevance in the Grassroots are three of Berja’s aspirations for ACPACI this year. He will be working closely with recently elected APCACI President Aphat Martinez Jr. Berja and the rest of the officers are also expected to keep members abreast with global trends in finance which change rapidly due to emerging industry challenges, new work dynamics, and advancing technology.