Experience

Ben is a leader in the Philippine accounting profession, with over 60 years of experience in public accounting. In 1988, he founded Punongbayan & Araullo (P&A). Today, P&A Grant Thornton is one of the largest public accounting firms in the Philippines, with 24 partners, over 1000 staff members, and four offices around the country.

Memberships

Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (Former President)
Association of Certified Public Accountants in Public Practice (Former President)
Management Association of the Philippines (Former Governor and Treasurer)
Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Co-Chair National Issues and Legislative Committee, Director and Internal Auditor)
Rotary Club of Makati East (Former President)
Audit & Assurance Standards Council (Former Chairman)
American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. (Member)
Makati Business Club (Member)
Philippine-Japan Economics Cooperation Committee, Inc. (Member)
The Wallace Business Forum, Inc. (Member)

Qualifications

Certified Public Accountant

Awards

Outstanding Professional of the Year in the Field of Accountancy, Professional Regulation Commission
Hall of Fame Award, Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Lifetime Achievement Award, Association of Certified Public Accountants in Public Practice
Most Outstanding CPA in Public Practice, Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Outstanding Manilan of the Year, City of Manila
Diamond Jubilee Outstanding Alumnus, Far Eastern University
Outstanding Alumni Awardee, Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Anvil Award of Merit, Public Relations Society of the Philippines, for the publication New Accounting Standards and Income Tax Reporting: A Study of Differences

Education

Master’s degree in Business Administration, Wharton Graduate School, University of Pennsylvania
Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy, Far Eastern University
Associate in Commercial Science with Highest Honors, Philippine College of Commerce (now Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

Publications

Co-author, New Accounting Standards and Income Tax Reporting: A Study of Differences
Various commentaries published in BusinessWorld and The Manila Times