BGen Benjamin I Espiritu PN(M) (Res) PhD MNSA
Dr. Benjamin Espiritu is a Certified Public Accountant, President of Risks, Opportunities Assessment and Management, (ROAM) Inc., Chairman of Banco de Mindoro, Inc., CEO of Laudibus League Holdings, Inc., President of EC Ventures Corporation and heads several other private corporations and two family foundations. He is also an Independent Director of four publicly-listed corporations, Central Azucarera de Tarlac, SP New Energy Corporation, Dizon Copper Silver Mines, NiHao Mineral Resources International, Inc., and of an insurance company, Intrastrata Assurance Corporation.
He is President of the Mindoro Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., Chairman of the Philippine Marine Corps Board of Advisers and President of the National Defense College of the Philippines Alumni Association, Inc.
He is a corporate governance practitioner who has trained roughly over 5,000 directors of banks, publicly listed companies, insurance companies and distribution utilities since 2002. He has also written numerous articles on corporate governance, and authored research papers on the subject that have been presented at international academic fora.
In government, Dr. Espiritu served as Provincial Governor of Oriental Mindoro. Under his leadership, Oriental Mindoro became a 1st Class Province.
In the military, he is a Brigadier General and former Commander of the 7th Marine Brigade (Reserve) which has the entire Luzon as its area of responsibility. Under his command, the 7th Marine Brigade was adjudged as the AFP Ready Reserve Unit of the Year for three consecutive years – 2013, 2014 and 2015 (Brigade/Wing Level) and Philippine Navy Reserve Unit of the Year also for six straight years – 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
In the academe, he was the former Chairman of the Board of Regents of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila) concurrent Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ospital ng Maynila (Hospital of Manila) Medical Center, President of Don Bosco Technical College Mandaluyong, and Dean of Far Eastern University – Makati. He was also Chairman of the Accounting, Finance, Business and Governance Department of De La Salle University Graduate School of Business, Program Coordinator of the Doctor of Business Administration program, and Course Director of the Corporate Governance and Risk Management program.
In sports, he is a Director of the Larong Hockey sa Pilipinas, Inc. (Philippine Hockey Association) and a Director of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA). He was also formerly Chairman of Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc., and President of the Philippine Olympic Academy. He served as Deputy Chief of Mission to the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, NOC Attaché to the 2011 Southeast Asian Games, Chef de Mission to the 3rd Asian Beach Games in 2012, Member of the Management Committee to the 2015 Southeast Asian Games, Delegation Official to the 2016 Rio Olympics, and Head of Security of the RP contingent to the 2017 South East Asian Games.
He is a regular columnist of the Daily Tribune and used to write for BusinessWorld, Manila Standard, City Life and military publications such as Citemar 6 and the Navy Journal.
Dr. Espiritu earned his Doctor of Philosophy major in Public Administration degree from the University of Santo Tomas (graduating Meritissimus/Highest Merit); Master in National Security Administration from the National Defense College of the Philippines (Gold Medal-Leadership; Special Award-Academic Excellence; Special Award-Best Thesis); Master of Business Administration from De La Salle University; and Bachelor of Science in Commerce, Major in Accounting, also from De La Salle University.
He completed the Basic Management Program at the Asian Institute of Management (1975) and the Naval Command and General Staff Course at the Naval Command and Staff College (2001) where he finished at the top of the Non-Resident Instruction (NRI) group.
His book, “A Practical Guide to Completed Staff Work (CSW)” (co-authored with Dr. Leonora Vasquez-De Jesus), is being used by several large organizations both in the public and private sectors.
Dr. Espiritu was named Most Outstanding Faculty Member of the De La Salle Professional Schools Graduate School of Business in 2001, and in 2006 was given a Most Outstanding Alumnus award. In 2005, he received the St. Antoninus of Florence Award (Outstanding Alumnus in the field of Public Administration) from the UST Graduate School and the UST Graduate School Alumni Association, Inc. He was given an Outstanding Alumnus Award by the National Defense College of the Philippines and the National Defense College of the Philippines Alumni Association, Inc. in 2007, 2014 and 2017. In 2020, he was awarded the Distinguished Bedan Award in the field of Education by the San Beda University Alumni Association. In 2023, the De La Salle Alumni Association gave him the DLSAA Lasallian Achievement Award in Business Education.
In 2010, he received the Ulirang Ama Award in the field of education from the National Mother’s Day & Father’s Day Foundation, Inc., and in 2013, the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Outstanding Graduate Award from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.