After completing his B.S. in Industrial Management Engineering at De La Salle University, Francisco "Jay" M. Bernardo III entered the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) where he graduated with Distinction from the Master in Business Administration in 1991. His venture, JAD, grew from a manufacturer of plastic sticks for cotton buds to what is now the JAD Group of Companies (JADGC), a conglomerate of several strategically aligned outsourcing businesses in manufacturing, logistics, distribution, research and development, information technology, and human resource, where he sits as chair.

As testaments to Prof. Bernardo's passion for excellence and personal and company achievements, he was conferred numerous awards by both international and local organizations.

2005 Outstanding Leadership in the Field of Business Creativity and Entrepreneurship
(Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education - USA)

The 2004 Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP)
(Junior Chamber International)

The 2003 Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (TOYM) in the Field of Entrepreneurship
(Philippine Jaycees)

The 2002 Agora Award for Outstanding Achievement in Entrepreneurship
(Philippine Marketing Association)

The Honor and Prestige Award
(Asian Institute of Management)

In just ten years of operation, JADGC was awarded the following:

The 2005 Parangal ng Bayan Award (Pride of the Nation)
(Parangal ng Bayan Foundation)

The 2002 Personnel Program of the Year -“Employee to Entrepreneur” Program
(Personnel Management Association of the Philippines)

The 2002, 2003 and 2004 Outstanding Healthy Workplaces in the Philippines
(Department of Health)

The 2002, 2003 and 2004 Business Excellence Award
(Sara Lee Direct Selling Philippines)

The 2002 Logistics Contractor of the Year
(Johnson and Johnson Phils.,Inc.)

The Pinnacle Quality Award
(Procter and Gamble)

He is a professor at the Graduate School of Business and the Asian Center for Entrepreneurship at AIM and developed courses and programs, such as Venture Into Entrepreneurship, Establishing and Running a Venture Enterprise, New Product and Service Development and Entrepreneurship in Asia.

Prof. Bernardo founded the LET'S GO (Leading Entrepreneurs Towards Sensing Global Opportunities) Foundation, a non-profit, non stock organization that aims to support small and medium scale entrepreneurs with the end view of pushing entrepreneurship to uplift the Philippine economy. LET'S GO won the 2004 World Bank's 1st Philippine Development Innovation Marketplace competition and the 2005 Junior Chamber International Philippines’ Best Business Plan competition for its project of producing video modules to aid in teaching entrepreneurship in schools. He also engaged himself in the co-management of a television show entitled “EntrePinoy” geared to inspire and educate more people on entrepreneurship, which won the Catholic Mass Media Award’s 2004 Best Business Show. Today, he is working closely with the Department of Education and the International Labor Organization in designing and institutionalizing entrepreneurship education in the high school level.

Prof. Bernardo's and his company's success stories merited the publication of AIM cases and features in several business magazines and newspapers. Asked whether he has achieved success, he replies, "It is not how much you accumulate but how much you contribute. Thus I will continue to find bigger and bolder ways to be a blessing to other people's lives."