Virgilio C. Rivera, Jr.

Virgilio (Perry) Rivera, Jr was employed by Ayala Corporation, one of the Philippines’ largest and leading conglomerates, for nearly 33 years where he held various appointments with the highest position of Managing Director. He was seconded to Manila Water Company, Inc. (MWCI) in 1997 and held key leadership roles including the position of Chief Operating Officer for New Business/Subsidiary Operations and Business Development through 2021. 

His expertise includes utility economics, design and implementation of large-scale water PPP with focus on BOT/Concession and Management Contract models, corporate strategy, public policy and regulation, conduct of price reviews over span of 25y, preparation of master plans for city-wide utility operation, international business development and general management in a highly regulated water utility setting with P&L accountability. 

Mr. Rivera served as President and CEO of Manila Water Philippine Ventures (MWPV) and Manila Water Asia Pacific (MWAP), subsidiaries of MWCI. Mr. Rivera led MWCI’s expansion in other cities in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. He led a leadership team (workforce: 950) which has direct supervision and accountability in 18 subsidiaries in the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia with served population of nearly 10 million. 

After his retirement, he advised MWCI on policy, institutions and regulation for the period 2021 to 2023 which result in a successful price review for the period 2023 to 2028. 

He was an Independent Director of the Toilet Board Coalition (TBC), a Founding Member of The Academy of Regulatory Professionals, and an Adjunct Professor at the Global Change Institute at University of Queensland. He served as a Board Member from 2018 to 2022 and an active Fellow of the International Water Association (IWA) and member of the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) and its advisory council on Mutual Accountability Mechanism program. He advises UK- based Container-Based Sanitation Alliance. 

Mr Rivera has been a resource speaker on public policy and regulation, PPP and water utility management and economics for more than 27 years. 

He earned his degrees in Economics and Behavioral Science at the University of Santo Tomas (Philippines) and completed his graduate-level coursework in Economics at De La Salle University (Philippines). In 2011, he completed the Advanced Management Program of Harvard Business School. 

His book Tap Secrets: The Manila Water Story - An Exercise in Successful Utility Reform in Urban Water Sector, was published by the Asian Development Bank in 2014. 

In 2021, he established WatSan Analytics, a management consulting firm catering to the water and sanitation sector. In 2023, Mr Rivera was engaged by UK-based Global Water Intelligence and Global Water Leaders Group as Regional Champion and Steering Committee Member of with specific mandate to support its 300 Water Leaders for 300 Million People Initiative. He is currently one of the mentors of the Singapore Water Association’s Mentorship Program 2024.