Enrique Zobel de Ayala, grandfather of Ayala Corporation Chairman Jaime Zobel de Ayala, was born in Madrid, Spain. He was a managing partner of Ayala y Compañia from 1901 to 1913 and from 1920 until 1943. Aside from his involvement with Ayala, Enrique also established in 1903 the La Porcelanica, the first ceramics factory in the Philippines. The following year, he established a glass factory with Eduardo Soriano. A patron of the arts, he set up the Premio Zóbel literary award in 1920 and funded national artist Fernando Amorsolo’s art education in Europe. Enrique Zobel de Ayala passed away on 17 February 1943.

Source: Kuwentong Ayala, vol. 8, no. 4, September–October 1977, p. 15; Dictionary of Philippine Biography, vol. 3, pp. 538–39