The Filipino-Australian community and the Filipinos around the world have a reason to celebrate. Michelle Baltazar, editor-in-chief of Money magazine in Australia has been selected to receive the prestigious “Most Influential Filipina Woman in the World” award from the Foundation for Filipina Women’s Network (FWN).
Baltazar will be honoured at the Awards Gala Ceremony, the highlight of the 20th Filipina Leadership Global Summit, to be held at the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park in Sydney, Australia, this November 2024.
Baltazar was chosen from an outstanding field of nominees from 10 countries including the US, Canada, Australia and the Philippines for her exceptional contributions in media and community service.
FWN awards Baltazar under the ‘Builder: Architect of Change’ category. She joins a prestigious list of awardees dating back to 2013 when the global awards were first launched.
Previous awardees include Juslyn Manalo, Mayor of Daly City, California (2015); Holly Vocal, managing director, Bank of America Securities, New York (2021); and Rechie Valdez, Member of Parliament, House of Commons, Canada (2022).
From the Philippines, awardees include Georgitta Puyat, chairman of Philippine Orchard Corporation (2022), Gina Atienza, president of SunStar Management Inc (2016) and Leni Robredo, former vice president of the Philippines (2016).
“I am deeply honoured to accept this award, and I thank FFWN for this recognition. The Global FWN100™ award connects us, Filipino women, in a global network of support and empowerment, enabling us to make meaningful contributions that transcend boundaries and uplift our communities,” says Baltazar.
Marily Mondejar, founder and chief executive of the Foundation for Filipina Women’s Network, states, “The Global FWN100™ awardees are not just leaders; they are visionaries who dare to reimagine the future.”
“Each nominee goes through a rigorous multi-stage vetting process by the Global FWN100™ Awards Selection Committee composed of global awardees,” explained Global FWN100™ 2019 Awardee and Commissioner Teresita Batayola, appointed by U.S. President Joe Biden to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI), a Selection Committee Member.
“The awardees are selected based on the size and scope of their influence in their industries, communities, board affiliations, and other leadership roles.”
Honorable Rechie Valdez, Canadian entrepreneur, television personality, and politician, serving as the Minister of Small Business since 2023, elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2021 federal election and previous award recipient adds, “This recognition goes beyond individual achievement. It’s a testament to the collective power of Filipina women to drive change on a global scale. Each awardee carries the torch of our shared heritage, illuminating paths for future generations to follow and exceed.”
As part of this recognition, Baltazar commits to a two-year “Global Project” to benefit Filipina women in her local community. This initiative includes female mentoring (femtoring) the next generation of leaders and supporting their participation in future FWN programs.
Baltazar is the editor-in-chief of Money magazine and executive director – media at ISS Market Intelligence (part of ISS STOXX) in Australia. Prior to Money, she was the editor at Financial Standard and worked in London as a business reporter for Shares magazine. She has been involved in the Filipino-Australian community for more than 20 years, actively volunteering her time and media expertise as a community writer, founder of www.australianfilipina.com.au and as an officer or member of various Philippine-Australian community organisations. She is also a regular contributor to Radio Tagumpay, a two-hour Filipino-Australian community radio program, through the Money Matters Sana All segment where she shares information and tips on various financial issues.
She is currently the president of Kababaihang Rizalista, Inc (Sydney Chapter), a not-for-profit global Filipino women’s organisation. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Sydney.
In 2022, she completed the Innovation and Technology Acceleration Program from MIT as a Chief Executive Women (CEW) scholar, sparking her interest in the field of augmented reality and AI technologies to amplify the effectiveness of financial literacy programs.
“Research has shown that financial literacy programs can help more people achieve financial security and empowerment, which has become one of my advocacies. I look forward to collaborating with my fellow Global FWN awardees,” says Baltazar.
The 2024 Summit’s theme “Femtech Futures: AI & Tech,” celebrates women of Philippine ancestry who are transforming leadership in the global workplace. Among the headline participants from Australia is the Hon. Ma. Hellen de la Vega, the Philippine Ambassador for Australia, who will participate in the keynote panel discussion: “Builders Changing the World: Tech and AI”.
The panel session will tackle the impact of AI and tech on diplomatic relations, the workforce and the Philippine economy.
This is the first time that the FWN is holding their summit in Australia. Now in its 20th year, the summit has been held in key cities around the world, including Manila, Prague, Lisbon and San Francisco.
