Gozon passes baton to Duavit as new GMA CEO

MANILA, Philippines — During the celebration of his 84th birthday at the Isla Ballroom of Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, GMA Network chairman and CEO Felipe Gozon announced his retirement as the chief executive officer of the country’s leading multimedia conglomerate.

Effective Jan. 1, 2024, GMA president and chief operating officer Gilberto Duavit Jr. will assume the role of CEO. Gozon will continue to serve as the chairman of the board and asdviser to the corporation.

In 1975, Gozon, along with Gilberto Duavit Sr. and Menardo Jimenez, revived the struggling Republic Broadcasting System, Inc. (RBS), the precursor of GMA. The triumvirate made various initiatives to make the company financially viable – restructured debt, upgraded equipment, and produced local shows.

But for many years, GMA was a distant No. 2 TV station. This changed when Gozon took the helm of the network in 2000.

With his transformational leadership, GMA rose to become the top broadcast network in the Philippines.

In 2004, GMA’s programs were No. 1 in Mega Manila. In 2005, GMA bagged the coveted Asian Television’s Terrestrial Channel of the Year Award.

Two years later, GMA’s initial public offering was met with much enthusiasm and resounding success. In July 2011, GMA was No. 1 in the entire Philippines.

Today, GMA reaches over 73 million Filipinos across the country. It has grown into a network of 106 TV stations and 21 radio stations nationwide. A four-time winner and the only Philippine recipient of the highly prestigious George Foster Peabody Award, GMA has consistently been recognized by various international award-giving bodies such as the New York Festivals and the US International Film and Video Festival, among others. The Network was likewise named as the most trusted news brand in the country, according to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.

Globally, GMA International connects with millions of Filipinos in over 100 countries. GMA Regional TV also continues to reach more Filipinos with its top-rating and award-winning local programs. The Network’s flagship AM station, DZBB, and FM station, Barangay LS, are likewise the number one radio stations in their respective categories in Mega Manila.

Duavit, the eldest son of one of GMA’s founders, Gilberto Duavit, Sr., joined GMA’s Board of Directors in 1999 and has been the chairman of the Network’s Executive Committee since August 2000. He was named executive vice president and COO in November 2000 and was elected as the company’s president in 2010.

Duavit is also the chairman of the Board of GMA Network Films and serves as president and CEO of GMA Holdings, Inc., RGMA Marketing and Productions, Inc., and chairman, president, and CEO of Group Management and Development, Inc., and Dual Management and Investments, Inc. He is the vice chairman of GMA Ventures, Inc.

He also serves as the president and a trustee of GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc., a Trustee of the Guronasyon Foundation, Inc., and a board advisor of the HERO Foundation. Duavit holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Joel Marcelo Jimenez was elected as the new Chairman of the Network’s Executive Committee, effective Jan. 1, 2024.

Jimenez, son of Menardo R. Jimenez, one of GMA’s founders, is the president and CEO of Menarco Holdings, and the CEO of Alta Productions Group, Inc. He is a director of RGMA Network, Inc., executive committee chairman and director of GMA New Media, Inc., Scenarios, Inc., GMA Worldwide, Inc., Citynet Network Marketing and Productions, Inc., Malayan Savings and Mortgage Bank, and Nuvoland Philippines. He is also a trustee of GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc.