Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has appointed former Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe as chairperson and the first woman to lead its board, as the listed fiber broadband provider accelerates its transformation into a technology solutions company.

During its annual stockholders’ meeting on Friday, Perlas-Bernabe was elected to succeed former Public Works and Transportation Secretary Jose de Jesus, who will remain with the company as an independent director.

De Jesus has served as board chair since Converge’s listing on the Philippine Stock Exchange in October 2020.

“It is with heartfelt delight that I pass the baton to Justice Perlas-Bernabe, a respected jurist celebrated for her unshakeable integrity. As the first female chairperson of Converge, she ushers in a new era of fairness and accountability to the Board,” De Jesus said.

Perlas-Bernabe joined the Converge board in May 2023 and previously chaired both the Remuneration Committee and the Related Party Transactions Committee.

“I am deeply honored to serve as Chairperson of the Board of Converge. Over the past three years, I have witnessed the company’s adherence to the highest standards of corporate governance and seen its subscriber base grow to more than three million in a highly competitive industry,” Perlas-Bernabe said.

“I am also elated to join the growing number of women leading in the boardroom. I have always believed that greater diversity brings out the best decisions in any organization,” she added.

The company also elected former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr., Reyes Tacandong & Co. Chairman Manuel Felipe Reyes, former Naver Cloud CEO Woengi Park, and company founders Maria Grace Uy and Dennis Anthony Uy to its board.

Perlas-Bernabe served in the Philippine judiciary for 26 years, including as an associate justice of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, before retiring in 2022.

Since February 2025, she has also served as a member of the Panel of Arbitrators of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.