Ayuyu is mag’s exec of the year

Jose C. “Joe” Ayuyu

TUMON, Guam—Jose C. “Joe” Ayuyu, president and owner of McDonald’s Guam and Saipan, RJ Corp., and RJ Guam LLC, was named the 2016 Guam Business Magazine’s Executive of the Year at the annual gala held Saturday night at the Hyatt Regency Guam.

The gala is a fundraising event for the Guam Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Ayuyu, 64, was born and raised on Saipan. On May 1, 2016, he became the president and owner of JCA Guam LLC, which does business as McDonald’s of Guam, adding that title to his longtime presidency of JCA Inc., which does business as McDonald’s of Saipan. He is now co-franchisee of two locations on Saipan and six on Guam with his wife, Marcia E. Ayuyu, whose title is owner and operator.

His early appointments saw him devote time to the CNMI government, lastly at the Department of Commerce and Labor from 1976 to 1981, where he rose to acting director. Ayuyu then joined the private sector, serving as vice president and manager at the Bank of Guam, a career that took him to Guam, Chuuk, and Majuro.

He followed this with the position of vice president and general manager of Hakubotan Saipan Enterprises Inc. until he acquired McDonald’s Saipan franchise.

In 2003 Ayuyu also took the step to become president and owner of RJ Guam LLC and RJ Corp. Saipan, now also owning and operating various residential and commercial properties both in Guam and Saipan.

Ayuyu attended high school in Lisbon, North Dakota. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1975 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

He serves as chairman of the Bank of Saipan, a position he has held since 2006, is a past president of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, was co-founder and first president of the Majuro Chamber of Commerce and treasurer and board director of the Truk Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Ayuyu has chaired the CNMI Tax Force, the CNMI Foreign Investment board, and the Friends of the Beach Pathway. Vice chairmanships include the NMI Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors, and the NMI Economic Development Loan Fund. Directorships include the Marianas Visitors Bureau, the CNMI Community Action Agency, and the CNMI Fishing Authority.

Ayuyu has also been named the Saipan Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year in 1998, the Mariana Islands Visitors Guide Businessperson of the Quarter in 1990, and was a nominee for Executive of the Year in 2012.

Ayuyu is featured in portraiture on the cover of the Guam Business Magazine January-February issue, which was released at the gala.

Aside from Ayuyu, the other nominees for the award were Dr. Vincent T. Akimoto, vice president, American Medical Center; Susan M. Biolchino, president, Graphic Center Inc. and All Micronesia Media Inc.; Charles E. Ewart, president, Mobil Oil Guam Inc., Mobil Oil Marianas Inc. and Mobil Oil Micronesia Inc.; Desmond J. Graham, president, Atkins Kroll Inc.; Stevyn J. Radonich, vice president and general manager, Smithbridge Guam Inc.; John W. Scragg, CEO and president, JWS Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Ltd. Guam and JWS Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Ltd. Saipan and CEO of JWS Holdings; and Jeffrey A. Voacolo, chief operations officer, Micronesia Renewable Energy Inc.

Among past Executive of the Year recipients from Saipan are Robert H. Jones of Triple J Enterprises (1983); Marian Aldan-Pierce of DFS Saipan (2000); Juan T. Guerrero of Herman’s Modern Bakery Inc. (2003); David M. Sablan of Century Group of Companies (2005); Jerry Tan of TanHoldings Inc. (2009); George Chiu of TanHoldings (2013); Norman T. Tenorio of Joeten Enterprises Inc. and Pacifica Insurance Underwriters Inc. on Saipan (2014); and Jeffrey B. Jones of Triple J Enterprises (2015).