Speakers for Classification Talks

Rtn. Nagi Zeitouni, Vice President of Operations, Middleby Philippines Corporation

He is a Lebanese/Canadian, born in Lebanon in August 1966. He moved to Paris at the age of 13 where he studied for three (3) years. After that, he moved to Canada where he finished high school and at the university. He graduated with a degree in Economics. He possesses an MBA in graphic design. He first worked in the food and kitchen equipment manufacturing industry. He has a special interest in real estate such that he has always found time to invest in this field.

He is the Vice President of Operations at Middleby Philippines Corporation. He likewise owns a commissary, a finance company and has invested in some real estate, mostly condominiums. He averages 4 to 5 hours of sleep everyday which gives him lots of time to do many things in 24 hours and still have time to do what he loves most, sports.

In college, he was part of the rugby and football (soccer) team. He is likewise a first degree black belt in Judo and a fifth degree black belt in Taekwondo. He was part of the Canadian Taekwondo team as a heavy weight for three years and when he moved back to Lebanon he was part of the Lebanese Taekwondo team. He competed in Tennis and Downhill Skiing. Presently, most of his sports activities include tennis, running, biking, swimming, weight lifting, Taekwondo, basketball and hiking.

In Canada, he volunteered in the Red Cross, Canadian Ski Patrol, family outreaches and as a motivational speaker. He has been a resident of the Philippines for fourteen (14) years and plans to make the Philippines his primary home because he loves the country and the people.

Mr. Isidro C. Alcantara, Jr., President, Marcventures Holdings, Inc.

Mr. Isidro C. Alcantara, Jr. is the President of Marcventures Holdings, Inc., a position he has held since he was elected in September 2014. Before his Presidency, he was elected Director in August 2013 and had served as the Company’s Executive Vice President. He currently sits as Vice Chairman and Director of Marcventures Mining and Development Corporation, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary; as Director and President of Bright Kindle Resources and Investment Inc. and Financial Risk Resolution Advisory, Inc.; as Chairman of BrightGreen Resources, Corp.; Alumina Mining Philippines Inc.; and Bauxite Resources, Inc. In April 2018, Mr. Alcantara was elected Chairman of Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA) and served until June 2020.

As a long-time Senior Banker for 35 years, he was Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate & Institutional Banking at HSBC. He was former President and CEO of Philippine Bank of Communications (PBCom) from 2000 to 2004 where he led its rehabilitation and recovery. In addition, he served as Executive Vice President of the Corporate Banking Group of Equitable PCI Bank (EPCIB) from 1981 to 2000 and as Director of Bankers Association of the Philippines from 2000 to 2004. Moreover, from 1975 to 2000 he occupied high-level posts at Bancom Finance Corporation, PCI Bank, and Insular Bank of Asia and America (a Bank of America Affiliate).

Mr. Alcantara is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an Economics and Accountancy Degree from the De la Salle University and took Special Studies on International Banking at the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania.

Constantin Franz Josef Robertz, Managing Director, ZALORA Group

Constantin Robertz is an entrepreneur and executive with extensive experience in building and scaling companies in the logistics, e-commerce and technology sector, predominantly in Southeast Asia. Based in the Philippines since 2013, he has started and led eLogistics company Entrego as CEO & President, and scaled Zalora’s operations in the Philippines as Managing Director & COO. He acts as a board member, early-stage venture investor and advisor to several technology companies in Southeast Asia.

Entrego is a technology-driven logistics provider in the Philippines, offering nationwide Express and Parcel delivery as well as Freight, Warehousing and Supply Chain Management designed for Ecommerce, Modern Retail and Just-in-Time supply chains. Zalora is Asia’s leading Ecommerce platform in the fashion and lifestyle segment with localized sites across South-East Asia, and part of the Global Fashion Group. Both Entrego and Zalora Philippines are joint ventures between Ayala Corporation, the Philippines oldest and largest conglomerate with a diverse portfolio of business interests, and the Global Fashion Group, which operates fashion Ecommerce platforms in emerging markets and is listed on Frankfurt stock exchange in Germany.

Prior to moving to Southeast Asia, Constantin has worked with digital commerce companies in multiple geographies, including Lamoda in Russia (Global Fashion Group), as well as Zalando and Rocket Internet in Germany. He is active in fostering German-South East Asian business relations as Vice President of the board of directors of the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHKPH), and a member of the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV). He supports startup founders as Advisor & Investor at Antler, a startup generator and early stage venture capital firm.

He graduated in Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen, and studied in Switzerland, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.