Aboitiz Land Inc., the real estate arm of the Aboitiz Group, said Rafael Fernandez de Mesa will be its new chief executive officer (CEO) effective next year.

Fernandez will succeed David Rafael who will retire at the end of the year. Rafael has been AboitizLand CEO for five years.

Fernandez de Mesa’s appointment marks the return of AboitizLand’s leadership to the Aboitiz family. A fifth-generation family member, he will lead the realty arm of the group concurrent to his role as head of economic estates in Aboitiz InfraCapital, another Aboitiz Group business.

“Fernandez de Mesa plays a key role in the ongoing success of the award-winning Aboitiz InfraCapital Economic Estates. These thriving hubs, located in Batangas, Cebu, and Tarlac, now span nearly 2,000 hectares, host over 250 global industry leaders, employ more than 100,000 Filipinos, and have attracted over 155 billion pesos in investments,” AboitizLand said in a statement.

“Fernandez de Mesa spent 10 of his 15 years with the Aboitiz Group at Aboitiz Land, where he most recently served as first vice president of operations from 2016 to 2020. During his tenure, he held leadership roles across various areas, including business development, project management, technical services, construction, property management, and the residential, industrial and commercial business units,” it added.

Prior to joining the Aboitiz Group, Fernandez de Mesa worked in banking for BBVA and Banco Santander in the United States.

Fernandez de Mesa also holds various directorships within the Aboitiz Group, serving on the boards of AboitizLand, Aboitiz InfraCapital and Aboitiz Construction, underscoring his extensive skills and experience.