Marixi Prieto retires from Inquirer

FARE THEE WELL, MA’AM Outgoing Inquirer chair Marixi Prieto stands before her portrait drawn on a wall of messages wishing her well on her retirement at the age of 78. —ALEXIS CORPUZ

Marixi Prieto, chair of the board of directors of the Philippine Daily Inquirer Inc., announced on Friday at the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting her retirement as chair effective immediately.

She said that, at 78 years old, it was time to transfer the management of the company to a new leadership.

She expressed her desire to “spend more time with my family, especially with my grandchildren, and devote my energies to various advocacies, charity organizations and foundations.”

Multimedia entity

Under her leadership, the Philippine Daily Inquirer grew from a print organization to a multimedia entity. “I unassumingly joined the Inquirer in the late ’80s and it never crossed my mind that it would be No. 1 and diversify into different media platforms,” Prieto said.

The Inquirer was at the forefront of momentous political and social events that changed the course of the country’s history. During her watch, the Inquirer expanded to Inquirer.net, Cebu Daily News, Bandera, Inquirer Libre, Megamobile, Radyo Inquirer, Hinge Inquirer Publications, Print Town, DAG Xpress Courier and Inquirer Academy.

Ma. Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez shall continue to serve as president and chief executive officer of the company. Romualdez said: “I will continue to draw inspiration from the chair’s legacy.”

CHANGING OF THE GUARD Former Inquirer legal counsel, Readers’ Advocate, columnist and now Inquirer chair Raul Palabrica makes the No. 1 sign, along with outgoing chair Marixi Prieto, who announced her retirement on Friday during the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting. Inquirer president and CEO Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez (below) celebrates with the chair during the paper’s 32nd anniversary in December last year. —ALEXIS CORPUZ AND JAM STA. ROSA

Palabrica is new chair

Raul Palabrica has been elected as new chair of the company.

A lawyer by profession, Palabrica graduated from the University of the Philippines and served as the Inquirer’s legal counsel and Readers’ Advocate for more than 10 years, in addition to being a columnist of the paper’s opinion and business sections for three decades.

He was a commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission from 2005 to 2012. He brings to the position his extensive experience in corporate law and editorial management.