Souleymane Coulibaly is the Lead Economist and Program Leader for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions Practice Group for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. Before moving to Manila, he was the Program Leader and Lead Economist for Central Africa covering a diverse set of countries: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, and Sao Tome and Principe.

He joined the World Bank Africa Region in January 2014 from the Operation and Policy and Quality Unit (OPCS) where he was covering Development Policy Lending and Guarantee policies and operations, and represented the unit in the Non-Concessional Borrowing Policy committee. Before OPCS, he was in the Eastern and Central Asia (ECA) region working simultaneously as trade economist and country economist of some former Soviet countries (Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), as well as ECA regional trade coordinator. Before joining the World Bank as a Young Professional in September 2006, he used to be lecturer at the Ecole Nationale Superieure de Statistiques et d’Economie Appliquée (ENSEA) of Abidjan, teaching assistant at the University of Lausanne, and economist at the Economic and International Relations department of NESTLE in Vevey, Switzerland.

Reynaldo Cancio is presently the Director IV for National Policy and Planning Staff at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). He holds a PhD in Economics from University of the Philippines - Diliman, an MA degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines (UP) School of Economics and a BS degree in Business Economics also from UP - Diliman.

Currently, Mr. Cancio serves as a Vice-Chair of the NCR Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board. He also chairs the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees of Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology. Dr. Cancio was a senior economist at the European Union Delegation to the Philippines until October 2014.

Alvin Arogo is VP and Head of PNB’s Research Division.

PNB’s Research Division (Financial Management Sector) studies and forecasts key economic data of the Philippines. It also closely analyzes the fundamentals of companies listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange to identify unbiased equity investment opportunities for PNB and its clients. It is a shared resource for various investment focused business units and subsidiaries of PNB and is used for both internal decision making and client relationship building. PNB was recognized by Asiamoney as the Best for Investment Research in the Philippines during its 2021
Private Banking Awards.

Alvin’s previous experience includes Head of Research at Credit Suisse Philippines and Philippine Equity Partners (Bank of America Securities research and trading partner). He also used to be the Chief Investments Officer of a Philippine holding company employing a private equity investment strategy. For over 17 years, Alvin utilized financial and industry analysis for investment recommendation, M&A, business development, credit worthiness assessment, and corporate planning. Inclusive of his advisory role, he has over 11 years of experience working in the Philippine stock market.

Alvin has a Masters in Applied Economics and dual undergraduate degrees, majoring in Applied Economics and Financial Management, from DLSU Manila.

Atty. Kristine C. Francisco-Alcantara, a trade and technology lawyer, is the managing partner of Abad Alcantara and Associates and a member of the board of the Foundation for Economic Freedom. She is a graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies and Juris Doctor of Law. A 2017 participant in the US Department of State’s International Visiting Leaders Program and national delegate to the International Academy of Leaders , Kristine is a staunch advocate of inclusive economic growth and sustainable development through free trade, gender mainstreaming, and innovation exchange.