Luz named ANZF honorary adviser

MANILA, Philippines - New Zealand’s leading non-government authority in Asia has named a Filipino as its new honorary adviser.

The Asia New Zealand Foundation (ANZF) appointed Guillermo “Bill” Luz, co-chairman of the National Competitiveness Council, to the post in June.

Luz is an associate director of the Ayala Corp. and former executive director of the Makati Business Club.

“We welcome Bill as one of our new honorary advisers from Asia,” ANZF executive director Simon Draper said.

“He brings with him a wealth of expertise and experience that the foundation can draw from in our various engagements especially in the Philippines,” he said.

Luz graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from the Ateneo de Manila University.

He joins Heekyung Jo Min of Korea, Hon Rafidah Aziz of Malaysia and Pavida Pananond and Thitinan Pongsudhirak, both of Thailand, as honorary advisers of the foundation.

Honorary advisers hold key positions in business, academe, community or other sectors that are relevant to the foundation’s mandate of “equipping New Zealanders to thrive in the Asian century.”

The appointments are made by the New Zealand’s ministry of foreign affairs.

ANZF is a non-partisan, non-profit organization set up in 1994 to build New Zealanders’ knowledge and understanding of Asia.

“I look forward to the Foundation engaging with the newly appointed honorary Asia advisers and drawing on their wisdom in helping the foundation achieve its mandate,” Draper said.