John Derick De Recto, MBA. MSDT. CMA (US).

John Derick De Recto is the Chief Finance Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Kidlat CivicLabs, Inc., a public policy and innovation firm that supports government agencies, development partners, and private sector organizations in designing data-driven solutions to complex societal challenges. Operating at the intersection of research, technology, and governance, the firm works on fiscal policy, climate resilience, agricultural development, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable infrastructure. Its digital tools bring transparency and efficiency to public sector processes, including a procurement and supply chain platform with competitive pricing mechanisms and real-time inventory tracking, and a conversational AI tutor for learners under the Alternative Learning System. Kidlat CivicLabs is the Philippines’ first TESDA-accredited microcredential provider for Artificial Intelligence applications and a provisionally approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) provider.

Before Kidlat CivicLabs, Derick was Director for Finance, Accounting, and Compliance of AcadArena’s Singapore and Philippine entities, where he also held the posts of Corporate Secretary and Corporate Treasurer. He served as a consultant to the offices of Rep. Joey Salceda and Rep. Adrian Salceda of Albay, working on AI policy and legislative initiatives, and is a Consultant and Project Assistant Director of the Albay Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI4AI), the country’s first LGU-led AI training center, which trained more than a thousand government personnel in Region V within its first three months. In July 2026, AI4AI and the province of Albay host the national side event of the United Nations consultations on artificial intelligence governance—a recognition of Albay’s leadership in practical, inclusive, and community-based AI development. Derick’s private sector consulting practice covers automotive, electronics, professional services, education, and software companies, and he leads a water rights valuation research and consultancy engagement with the National Irrigation Administration, developing frameworks for recognizing water rights as economic assets that do not yet exist in Philippine accounting practice.

Derick is a U.S. Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and holds the Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis (CSCA), FMVA, CBCA, and CPHR credentials. He is a two-time global awardee of the Institute of Management Accountants, having been named Exemplary Young Professional in 2024 and IMA Champion in 2025, besting more than 140,000 members worldwide. He sits on IMA’s Global Volunteer Engagement Committee and has helped establish seventeen IMA student chapters in Philippine universities. A graduate of the UST Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy, he served the Association as Treasurer before his election as President of the Board of Trustees, and led the staging of Excel 2025: The UST Accountancy Alumni Homecoming. He also holds leadership roles with JCI Makati and the UST Pax Romana Alumni Association, and completed his MBA in Advanced AI and Automation and his MS in Digital Transformation at Nexford University.