Tony Tan Caktiong

Tony Tan Caktiong, the visionary behind Jollibee Foods Corporation, transformed a small burger-and-ice cream shop in Cubao into a global fast-food phenomenon. As founder, executive chairman, chairman of the board, and chief taste officer, Tan Caktiong propelled Jollibee from a local favourite to a globally recognized brand, known for redefining fast food across continents.

Under Tan Caktiong's leadership, the Jollibee Group now boasts 19 brands across 32 countries with over 9,400 stores, making it a world leader in food and beverage. Beyond flagship brands like Jollibee, Chowking, Mang Inasal, and Greenwich Pizza, the group also owns or partners with global names, including Tim Ho Wan, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Yoshinoya, and Milksha.

In recent expansions, Jollibee acquired a 10% stake in Botrista, a beverage technology leader, and increased its ownership to 90 per cent in Titan Dining Partners II Ltd., further solidifying its presence across Asia.

Tan Caktiong's contributions have garnered national recognition; in July 2022, he received the Ramon V. del Rosario Award for Nation Building for elevating the Philippines on the world stage. Upon receiving this honour, Tan Caktiong humbly remarked, “When we set our vision of being one of the top five restaurant companies in the world, we never intended to become big for the sake of becoming big. We set [ourselves on this path] imbued with a sense of purpose—including that it be something we, our people and our country can all be proud of.”

In 2023, Tan Caktiong furthered his commitment to innovation and education by donating a building to his alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas. The Tony Tan Caktiong Innovation Center now stands on the university's 40-hectare campus in Laguna, inspiring the next generation of Filipino leaders.