Philippine gaming technology provider PhilWeb Corporation has elected businessman Lance Gokongwei as chairman of its board, just over a month after he joined the company as a director.
Gokongwei will serve as chairman for the remainder of the current term, according to an announcement issued by the company on Thursday.
He replaces Crisanto Roy Alcid, who relinquished his positions as chairman and chief executive officer effective August 27th. Alcid will remain a PhilWeb director, while the CEO position remains vacant.
The leadership change follows Gokongwei’s PHP2.02 billion ($32.6 million) strategic equity investment in PhilWeb. The businessman was elected to the company’s board in July.
“This transition marks a critical inflection point for our capitalization and operational scale,” Gokongwei said.
“Our objective is clear: to deploy institutional-grade, AI-powered infrastructure that establishes a new operational standard for security and compliance across the regulated digital ecosystem.”
AI and B2B expansion
PhilWeb said Gokongwei would oversee the rollout of its artificial intelligence infrastructure and the expansion of its business-to-business technology operations.
The company’s immediate plans include real-time operational monitoring, algorithmic risk management, regulatory compliance automation, anti-fraud detection and data-driven customer lifecycle management.
PhilWeb President Brian Ng said the appointment would provide the governance needed for the company’s next phase of expansion.
Ng said the AI infrastructure was being developed to support the backend requirements of commercial tourism complexes and multinational platform providers.
PhilWeb did not disclose a timetable for the rollout or identify the overseas markets covered by its planned transnational expansion.
The Philippine-listed company provides digital infrastructure, operational systems and platform technology to licensed online gaming operators. Its partners include the online gaming businesses associated with HANN Casino Resort, NUSTAR Resort Cebu, Newport World Resorts and Okada Manila.
Gokongwei is also president and CEO of Philippine conglomerate JG Summit Holdings. The Gokongwei Group’s Universal Hotels and Resorts operates NUSTAR Resort Cebu.
