Meet the Team

We are a multi-cultural, cross-disciplinary team of professionals dedicated to transforming the lending industry.

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Aoi Ikeda

BBA (Econ.)

President

As a Japanese citizen, Aoi is our bridge to Japan and Mount Fuji’s investors.

Aoi has 6 years of business experience across multiple industries, including founding startups, with a focus on societal improvement. He specializes in comprehensive business market analysis with an emphasis on geopolitics,

Before entering the corporate world, Aoi was a firefighter and paramedic, which solidified his commitment to put the community’s welfare before his own. This ethos has carried over into his businesses.

Aoi values the phrase “士魂商才 – Shikon Shousai”. The meaning of the phrase is “to bring the spirit of a samurai to business talent”. He wants to work closely with Filipinos who have a lot of potential to make their business successful.

In his spare time, he enjoys golf and dining with family and friends.

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Gene Frizzell

MBA, M.Ed.

Vice President

Gene is a Canadian who offers 20 years of corporate experience in numerous industries and countries, including six years in Japan. His expertise is in strategy, operations, training, and change management for large multinational companies as well as startups.

As a kid, Gene wanted to be an astronaut but throws up on roller coasters, so he settled for traveling the world. It brought him to Peace Corps-type work in South America, going full Steven Seagal in Japan, and years in the army and defense industry in Canada and overseas. These adventures have introduced him to incredibly intelligent and capable people; an experience that constantly challenged him to level up professionally, academically, and personally. He emerged on the other side with expertise in strategy, operations, an M.Ed., MBA, and grey hair.

At Mount Fuji Lending, Gene is dedicated to building the most capable and happiest team possible in order to positively transform the lending industry.

In his spare time, Gene can be found at the gym and being a pushover for puppies and toddlers.

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Miks Nieves

BSc.

Managing Director

Miks is a seasoned banker turned business lending executive with extensive experience in lending, trade finance, and management solutions from some of the largest financial institutions in the Philippines.

Within his diverse know-how in the field of banking, his expertise is in lending operations, risk identification and mitigation, relationship and portfolio management, and business growth.

Across the years and his several projects, he’s stuck to one belief: in everything we do, it’s all about finding the right balance.

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Janina Santiago

BSIE (Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering)

Continuous Improvement Manager

Practicing quality management since 2016, Nina has been exposed to various facets of the industry including audits, automation, and process improvement. Her journey commenced in construction projects but gradually she found her niche with the leading HMO in the country, predominantly emphasizing on quality management.

Nina’s holistic experience from diverse industries positions her perfectly to drive quality and innovative outputs for MFLI. Her endeavors will invariably aim at forging a positive influence not just for our customers but also for all our stakeholders.

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Ged Cotoco

BSM (Bachelor of Science in Management)

Credit and Relationship Manager

Working in the nation’s top financial institutions such as BDO Unibank, Inc. and EastWest Banking Corp., and rubbing elbows with the industry’s best finance mentors, Gerard has gained a mastery of establishment and renewing commercial loans; from application, documentation, up to post-approval monitoring of transactions and portfolios.

His most notable trait is his ability to be a successful team-player, in the office and on the court. At work, he has a strong track record of building profitable and sustainable loan portfolios through managing multiple staff, forming fruitful client relationships, and working for optimal efficiency and Kaizen in all his companies. After hours, he heads straight to the basketball gym to become one of the GOATS with his team to chase greatness.

Gerard’s clear-cut drive is informed by the belief that like every moment, every shot counts.

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Mikee Narciso

BSBM (Bachelor of Science in Business Management)

Credit and Relationship Manager

Mikee has been in the business lending industry for over 7 years. Before joining Mount Fuji, she worked at BDO Unibank, Inc., the Philippines’ largest bank, where she’s racked up skills and experience working with businesses of all sizes from various industries.

As a Credit and Relationship Manager, she sums up her daily work with a quote by Paulo Coelho: “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” At her core, she is motivated by entrepreneurs’ unique business stories, from that a-ha moment of discovery down to the grit of building their dream companies.

With Mount Fuji, Mikee hopes to become an agent of growth to help Filipino business owners realize their biggest aspirations.

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Ren Cuevas

BSBA-FM (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Major in Financial Management)

Credit and Relationship Manager

Ren is a dedicated Credit and Relationship Manager with a passion for building meaningful connections with his clients. Throughout his career, Ren has focused on helping his clients achieve their business goals by providing them with the support and resources they need. He takes great pride in watching his clients succeed and finds it fulfilling to know that he has played a part in their growth.

He had previously worked for Sterling Bank of Asia, Inc. for over 7 years. During his time there, he worked closely with seasoned industry experts, acquiring valuable knowledge and experience which he now applies in his current role.

Ren’s approach to building relationships with his clients is based on open communication, trust, and respect. He believes that by listening carefully to his clients’ needs and concerns, he can help them achieve their objectives more effectively.

With his strong work ethic, attention to detail, and passion for his work, he is committed to providing exceptional service to his clients and helping them achieve their goals.

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Mark Anthony Velasco

BS Nursing (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)

Credit and Relationship Manager

With 13 years of experience in the financial industry, Marki has honed his expertise in collections, sales, customer service, consumer lending, commercial lending, and risk management. At HSBC, he spent 11 fulfilling years, refining his skills as a credit analyst and credit manager. This invaluable experience granted him a profound understanding of credit evaluation, risk assessment, and strategic financial decision-making.

Marki prides himself on building strong client relationships and effectively communicating to meet their unique financial needs.

During his recent tenure at Finstro, a leading payment solutions provider in Australia and the United States, he started as a Credit Analyst, specializing in credit analysis, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance for the Australian market. His dedication and commitment to continuous improvement led him to assume the role of Credit Manager for the US market, where he showcased strong leadership abilities, negotiation skills, and credit underwriting expertise. He ensured efficient operations and adherence to industry standards, contributing significantly to Finstro’s success and growth.

At Mount Fuji Lending, he is excited to leverage his diverse skill set and experience to make a meaningful impact. He believes in staying updated with the latest industry trends and fostering a culture of learning and adaptability in the ever-evolving financial landscape. He is dedicated to contributing his passion for excellence and a customer-centric approach to support the team’s objectives and drive the organization’s continued success. He’s excited to embark on this thrilling journey with the team and achieve new heights in the financial services realm.

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Ayesha Alib

BSBA-FM (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Major in Financial Management)

Credit and Relationship Associate

Ayesha has extensive experience within claims, mortgage loan, healthcare and customer service. Her invaluable contributions have been dedicated to enhancing operational efficiency, decision-making, and fostering growth for renowned organizations.

As an individual who continually seeks personal growth, she remains driven by insatiable curiosity and hunger for knowledge. Constantly staying at the forefront of industry advancements and acquiring new skills, Ayesha embraces and leverages emerging technologies to drive innovation, transformative change, inspire others, and deliver outstanding results.

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Rhey Baquero

BS-E (Bachelor of Science in Economics)

Credit and Relationship Associate

Rhey has years of experience in research and analysis for the financial and real estate industries, particularly at FactSet Philippines Inc, which is one of the top 10 global investment banks and 95 of the top 100 asset managers. There, he analyzed, collected, and processed financial market data from various data sources for database entry, leading to his skills with data tools such as SQL, E-View, and SPSS, and Excel.

Through his skills in relationship building, communication, organization, and accountability, Rhey develops trusting and respectful relationships with colleagues and clients.

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Kim Lance Quialquial

AB Phil., AFA, CRA, CTA

Compliance and Risk Manager

Kim has had previous experience in risk and compliance operations for the real estate industry, banks, investment companies, and major international insurers such as The Insular Life Assurance Company LTD ( Insular Life)
Philippine National Bank (PNB), Allianz PNB Life (Allianz PNB). Throughout his career, he’s also held membership in the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Kim is a natural savant. He possesses credentials in risk analysis, technical analysis, and financial analysis, as well as three years of education in the legal field. These skills have informed his finesse as a professional in risk and compliance, even earning a high-ranking position as Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, ensuring that the company is able to strike a healthy balance between the risks it takes and the rewards it receives. He’s a proven asset not just to the Boards who look to him for well-informed assessments, but also to the entire company’s future and longevity. He hopes to bring the same reliability and mastery to Mount Fuji.

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Lester Ollague

BSBA (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration w/major in Business Management)

Compliance Associate

Lester spent several years in real estate evictions compliance at Filinvest Land, a leader in real estate. There, he helped ensure the company remained compliant with regulatory agencies, conducted risk audits and customer risk mitigation, and filed legal cases.

During his spare time, Lester goes home to his province to spend time with his family and unwind by going to the family beach, and sometimes play basketball.

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Jameson Rivera

BSBA-FA (Business Administration with a Major in Financial Accounting)

Accounting Officer

Jameson is an accounting professional with over five years of experience in bookkeeping, financial administration, tax accounting and compliance, document processing, and records keeping. Prior to Mount Fuji Lending, he worked at an accounting consultancy firm where he served numerous clients across various industries.

At Mount Fuji Lending, he  maintains the accuracy and transparency of financial reports and contributes to the growth and development of the accounting department and our company. With a penchant for learning new things, he strives for continuous development both on a personal and professional level.

Jameson has high interest in sports, especially basketball. He also loves to travel via his motorcycle.

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Patrick Crespo

AB-CDA (Bachelor of Arts in Consular and Diplomatic Affairs)

Executive Assistant

Coming from the public sector, Patrick has extensive experience with diverse stakeholders. Having served in the Legislative Branch as an Administrative Officer under the Office of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and in the Executive Branch as an Administrative, Field and Political Officer under the Office of Vice President Leni Robredo. During his eight year stint serving different institutions he developed government administrative and public service skills that are people centered.

Patrick is very family oriented. His interests include cars, Korean dramas, Korean pop music, Korean observational variety shows, geopolitics, and history.

As part of the Mount Fuji Lending family, Patrick wants to contribute by applying the best practices he gained in the public service sector  and give the best service possible for our clients and senior leadership.

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