alumnileadership spotlight
43
ß Dato’ Syed Ahmad Idid:
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAG E
A Rolling Stone That Gathers Moss
ß Perpetuo de Claro: Reaching Destinations ß Ed Limon: Solutions, Service, Servant Leadership
48 AIM Alumni Fund .................................................................50 Class Notes ..........................................................................54 End Note ................................................................................57
Alumni Associations
Coming in From the Cold 34 AAAIM Chapter Development Moving Ahead.......36
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Light illuminates. This light of leadership is a gift bestowed on AIM alumni—to be used to enlighten societies, enable transformation, and empower and inspire the multitude towards a brighter future. This second issue of the AIM Alumni Leadership Magazine marks my last as AIM President. Even now, many pleasant memories of our alumni flood through my mind as I reminisce the joyful and significant moments I have spent with all of you the past six years. The lingering image I have at present is the symbol of the flame, not only because of the recent images strewn like fragrant confetti during the recent homecoming week, the celebrations of which mark this issue. As veritable figures of light, you have left the institute to spread the brightness and the testament of leadership back to your own communities. And I have witnessed this light of leadership in our alumni—through our Triple A winners this year, through our AIM Alumni Leadership Fund awardees, through FAIM and the alumni associations old and new. You have energized the 38th anniversary of AIM with the light of wisdom and the warmth of friendship. 2005 marked a significant period of change for AIM. As global competition in the graduate business school environment intensified, it was imperative that AIM reexamines its competitive strategy, governance and its internal management systems. Several key measures had to be taken to reinvigorate AIM’s position as a premier graduate institute in Asia. Most significant of these was that AIM adapted a multi-stakeholder environment to enrich the Institute’s decision-making process. Prominent AIM alumni were appointed to the Board of Trustees, and a five-year strategic plan was formed entitled: “AIM 2011: Regaining Leadership in a More Competitive Environment”. The plan focuses on defining the unique value proposition embodied in the “AIM Experience”, student centeredness, creating academic value through faculty development and research, continued financial viability and sustainability, and alumni mobilization. It was then time for the alumni to help light the path for AIM. The foundation for a more strategic and globally competitive AIM has now been laid. As we await the promulgation of these implementing guidelines and structures, I am confident that the job will be done, as I welcome my successor, who is fittingly an outstanding alumnus of the Institute. Mr. Francis Estrada, MBA 1973, will man the helm beginning May 16, 2006. His torch of leadership will continue to give vision and direction and will be kept ablaze with the staunch and passionate support of the AIM alumni community, along with the AIM management, faculty, staff and studentry, to ensure the strengthening of AIM’s position as a leading business school in Asia. I fondly thank all the alumni whose support has been remarkable especially during the latter part of my term. I am hopeful that in the end, the guiding light of your wisdom and leadership will set forth a new path ensuring a future radiant with the fulfillment of our aspirations for our school, the Asian Institute of Management.
Roberto F. de Ocampo PRESIDENT, ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
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FRO M
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In this second issue of the AIM Alumni Leadership Magazine, or AIMLeader for short, we take a short breather to watch our ALUMNI AT PLAY, as we celebrate the 38th Anniversary of our school with a myriad of fun but meaningful activities that only AIM alumni can muster. As we begin another school year this coming June, allow us to share with you an annual summary of the activities of the Alumni Relations Office (ARO)—YOUR department, as we continuously find more avenues to SERVE you better. SERVE, if you have not logged-in at www.aimalumni.org yet, stands for Services, Executive Education, Recognition and Referrals, Ventures and Events. The multiple efforts of the Alumni Relations Office (ARO) in delivering these in 2005 have resulted in a perceptible rise in alumni attendance and participation in school life, such as during the following: 1st and 2nd Alumni Leaders Summit, banner attendance to the Kuala Lumpur trip for the President’s Cup, assistance from alumni for EntrepAsia among many others. These many networking activities of ARO have also resulted in the successful placement of 10% of MBA 2005 graduates in established local and foreign companies. These relationship-building efforts with alumni have also been translated into tangible help for AIM such as the PhP 1 million donation of Ed Limon, the renovation of the SA store, the dorm lobby renovation project of MBA 1986, and the launch of the AIM Alumni Leadership Fund. Internationalization Efforts
A continuous build-up of alumni relations can be facilitated through sustainable programs such as country chapter development and visits from AIM. Such activities enable alumni to benefit from international networking and opportunities to be aware of the latest developments of the Institute. ARO participated in many alumni activities abroad to develop closer relations with alumni outside the Philippines: Kelab AIM Malaysia Annual Dinner, FAIM Conference in Mumbai, India, EntrepAsia in Beijing and Shanghai, AIMAS annual fellowship in Singapore and the FVR Delegation to India. Publications
The maiden issue of the AIM Alumni Leadership Magazine was distributed last January 2006. ARO continues to seek ways and means to minimize cost and increase income for operations through advertisements and subscriptions to alumni. Two more issues will be released after this one in July and October to complete the first quarter, and to make sure you receive your copy, we encourage you to subscribe. Better yet, you can place an ad, which we guarantee will be viewed by your fellow alumni from around the world. The fortnightly alumni electronic newsletter, MyAIM, was launched on September 12, 2005, and it serves as a link to the AIM website and AIM Alumni Portal. To subscribe, send your email to myaim@aim.edu. Support for Alumni Association and FAIM Projects
We are happy to welcome the AIM Alumni Association Canada, AIMAAC, with Ms. Ria Sanchez-Januszczak, MBA 1999, taking the lead as part of our international community of graduates. They now have their own website (www.AIMAAC.com). We look forward to establishing more alumni chapters in Dubai, Australia and Europe to spread the light of our alumni around the world. For the Alumni Association of AIM, Inc., (AAAIM) Philippine chapter, ARO supported many meaningful projects. Most notable was the 2
first Alumni Leadership and Learning Series held last March 2006 with Prof. Glenn Miyataki as guest speaker. Last February 18, 2006, AAAIM, Kelab Malaysia and ARO organized the AIM President’s Cup 2006, which was held at the Perangsang Templer Golf Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This first out-of-the-country golf event hopes to establish closer ties with AIM alumni in Malaysia, and proved to be an unforgettable bonding experience with the AIM community. Recognition
With the Alumni Relations Executive Managing Director taking the helm as the Secretary General of the Federation of AIM Alumni Associations, Inc., the process of nomination, screening and selection of the Triple A awardees for 2005 was streamlined. Three winners were awarded last March 3, 2006, namely Perpetuo De Claro, MBA 1973, President and General Manager of Wyeth Philippines Incorporated, Edgardo Limon, MBA 1974, Director/President of Intex Holdings Corporation, and Dato’ Syed Ahmad Idid Syed Abdullah, ABMP 1983, Director of the Regional Center for Arbitration Kuala Lumpur. Events
The Alumni Relations Office and AAAIM was able to successfully organize significant events in 2005, such as the 1st and 2nd AIM Alumni Leaders Summit which assembled selected and distinguished AIM alumni to a Focus Group Discussion aimed at providing valuable inputs for AIM’s Medium Term Strategic Plan. An impressive attendance of eminent alumni representing different industries graced the event. Homecoming 2006 was held last March 3, 2006 at the NBC Tent in Fort Bonifacio. Honorees/host batches include alumni from the class of 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2001. ARO tips its hat to the hardworking yet fun-filled members of the Homecoming Committee led by Gil Genio, MBA 1986. Alumni Database
The update and improvement of the AIM alumni database is a never ending challenge for ARO, as we continue to implement policies and administrative measures to ensure the validity and cleanliness of your data. You may have recently received email from our office about an Alumni Database Update Campaign, and we thank all of you who have replied, and we look forward to hearing from those who have not yet touched base with us. THANK YOU!
And finally, we are grateful to you, our ever dynamic alumni community from which all these come, and who provides us the inspiration to visualize concepts to continue to build, strengthen, and grow the alumni community, making it a potent force in enabling positive changes in your respective communities and to AIM as a whole. Please do keep in touch because we are only an email away—aimalumni@aim.edu.
Greg Atienza Editor-in-Chief, AIM Alumni Leadership Magazine Executive Managing Director, Alumni Relations Office Secretary General, Federation of AIM Alumni Associations, Inc.
A I M A LU M NI LEA D ERS H IP MAGAZIN E April to J u n e 2006
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L E T T E R S
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AIMLeader invites all AIM alumni to contribute articles, Class Notes and letters to the Editor to aimleader@aim.edu or aimalumni@aim.edu.
zine, so it’s either I haven’t received or read it, or that it has not left a very strong impression. Still, I’d like to thank you all for the effort, and keep the magazine coming. Yin San Loh MDM 2001 (Malaysia)
Congratulations on the wonderful premiere issue of “Alumni at Work “that is extremely well thought of and addresses Leadership in a way that only we the alumni can reminiscence. It captures the glory of AIM and all the good things that have been engrained in making it such a special centre for learning along with the exalted faculty that the school boasts of. As an alumnus, it is my proud privilege to congratulate the Alumni Office and the school on this wonderful edition. Sanjeet Nandi MM 2001 (India) 4
Congratulations on the wonderful Alumni Leadership Magazine. It’s everything I could only dream the magazine could be one day.
As I understand it, the old Asian Manager has undergone a revamp, which is fine. Greg mentioned in the editor’s note that he is soliciting for paid subscriptions, (the amount is actually quite reasonable, although not sure what the response rate has been to date) and that the future direction will be to limit print distribution to paid subs, contributors, and some others. If the future direction will be to make the mag advertising-driven, in effect the limited distribution will contradict this direction as this means minimal exposure to prospective advertisers. It may be too late, but my suggestion will be to go back to free distribution (future ad revenues should more than make up for mailing costs), and simultaneously ask all alumni for their latest profiles. Maybe you can provide some kind of freebie, as an incentive to sign up quickly. Armed with the demographic
profile of the alumni, it becomes easier to solicit for advertisements. Just my 2 cents...cheers! Llana Domingo MBA 1993 (Philippines)
The AIM Alumni Leadership Magazine is a good way to connect with the Institute and other alumni while learning about how fellow graduates change their communities for the better. The premiere issue reminds me of reading TIME or Newsweek. The look and feel of the magazine exudes the professionalism and content expected of a regional must-read. I have been informed that the ARO plans to charge subscription fees to alumni in order to receive copies of the magazine. I would like to respectfully suggest that instead of charging these fees, maybe ARO can look at getting companies to post their ads in the magazine and the proceeds could be used to pay for the magazine’s publishing/printing expenses. Janice Davila-Pascual MDP 2006 (Philippines)
Marvee Celi-Bonoan MBA 1995 (Philippines) Printing of the maiden issue at Lexmedia Digital, Laguna, Philippines
I enjoyed the maiden issue. Marco Diaz MBA 2005 (United Kingdom)
Just to let you know I didn’t even realize there’s a maiden issue of AIM Alumni Leadership Maga-
A I M A LU M NI LEA D ERS H IP MAGAZIN E April to J u n e 2006
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Leadership Week
AIM Pays Tribute to President de Ocampo ANNOUNCES NEW INSTITUTE HEAD
T
HE ASIAN INSTITUTE of Management held a special dinner in honor of its outgoing president, Dr. Roberto “Bobby” F. de Ocampo, at Le Soufflé in The Fort, Makati City on March 3, 2006. At the same event, AIM co-chairman Jose L. Cuisia Jr. announced the appointment of Mr. Francis G. Estrada, a member of the AIM Board of Trustees and a graduate of MBA ’73 (With Distinction), as the new Institute president effective May 16, 2006. Mr. de Ocampo will retire from his post on May 15. Mr. Cuisia welcomed more than 100 guests, who included AIM’s governors, trustees, multi-stakeholders, and friends and former colleagues of Mr. de Ocampo, who assumed the AIM presidency in September 1999. “On this occasion, not only do we honor Bobby’s six years as AIM president,” said Mr. Cuisia. “We also recognize his invaluable contributions to the Philippines as a renowned economist, Cabinet
Secretary, and civil servant. An international publication described him as ‘the principal architect of the resurgence of the Philippine economy in the 1990’s. “After his failed bid in the 1998 senatorial elections, I presented to Bobby another challenge–to be at the helm of AIM,” he continued. “At the time, he had promised his family in the U.S. that he would spend more time with them. But due largely to what he calls my ‘persuasive powers’ and ‘the interesting prospect of a new and different experience that the AIM involvement posed,’ he accepted the position. Right after he assumed the presidency, Bobby further explained in a magazine interview his reason for accepting. He said, ‘If it was just academe, I might not have done it. But it was not just academe. It was the Asian Institute of Management… It satisfied my inclination to be in a developmental role; it is educational in a global and regional perspective.’” Representatives from AIM’s
for encouraging alumni involvemulti-stakeholders, as well as ment and strongly supporting colleagues and friends of Mr. de alumni projects. Ocampo gave their testimoniMr. de Ocampo’s term als. Mr. Fidel V. Ramos, former covered a period of major President of the Philippines under transitions at AIM. He clinched whose administration Mr. de Ocampo was Secretary of Finance, major partnerships for AIM, most notably with the World Bank spoke on behalf of Mr. de Ocampo’s colleagues. AIM co-chairman through the establishment of the AIM-World Bank Washington RFO’s major breakthroughs: Development SyCip welResource Center. comed Mr. de Establishment of the AIM-World Bank AIM was awarded Ocampo to his Development Resource Center international acnew position International accreditation by EQUIS and AACSB creditation by the as member of Revived the involvement European Qualthe AIM Board of alumni as stakeholders of AIM ity Improvement of Trustees, Introduced a multi-stakeholder System (EQUIS) where he can system of management and the Associa“criticize Initiated AIM Strategic Plan 2011 tion to Advance without worryCollegiate Schools of Business ing about implementation.” Prof. (AACSB). He revived the involveFelipe Alfonso, vice chairman ment of alumni as stakeholders of of the Board of Trustees, gave AIM. He introduced a multi-stakea testimonial on behalf of the faculty, and Ramon del Rosario Jr. holder system of management. Most recently, he initiated AIM on behalf of the trustees. Finally, Alex Tanwangco, chairman of the Strategic Plan 2011. For several months in 2004, he was concurAlumni Association of AIM-Philrent president and dean. ippines, thanked Mr. de Ocampo A I M A LU MN I L E A D E R SH I P MAGA Z I N E A p r i l to J une 20 0 6
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Leadership Week
(left to right): Alex Tanwangco, Dr. Gan Cheong Eng, Marilen Patricio, Sukarawan, Edgardo Limon, Mark Sanchez, Dato’ Syed Ahmad Idid Syed Abdullah, Bimal Chapagain, Perpetuo de Claro, Hong Soo Lee, Mai Nguyen and Mohan Phadke
AIM Alumni Achievement Awards
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HE ASIAN INSTITUTE of Management and the Federation of AIM Alumni Associations paid tribute to an exceptional breed of leaders last March 3, 2006 at the AIM Conference Center Manila during the weeklong celebration of AIM’s 38th Anniver-
sary. The Alumni Achievement Award or Triple A was conferred upon three AIM alumni—Mr. Perpetuo de Claro, MBA 1973, President and General Manager of Wyeth Philippines Incorporated; Mr. Edgardo Limon, MBA 1974, Director/President of Intex Holdings Corporation; and
Dato’ Syed Ahmad Idid Syed Abdullah, ABMP 1983, Director of the Regional Center for Arbitration Kuala Lumpur—for their excellent performances in their professional, entrepreneurial, and developmental endeavors. Since 1975, the Triple A has been bestowed on 105 AIM
alumni for their outstanding achievements related to the exercise of professional management in their respective arenas. The basic criteria for the Triple A are excellence and capability related to the exercise of one’s profession. More about this year’s Triple A Awardees in Spotlight on page 43.
A I M G OV E R N O R S AT F I R S T L E A D E R S P E A K
Students learn from leaders’ experiences before they rose to eminence AIM STUDENTS HAD A chance to interact with and interview three members of AIM’s prestigious Board of Governors during the 1st LeaderSpeak forum held on March 2, 2006 as part of the 38th Anniversary and 6
weeklong AIM Leadership Week celebration. Master in Management students and first year MBAs listened to Washington SyCip (left), AIM cochairman, and William Anderson, retired chairman of the National Cash Register (NCR) Corp., to
learn from these leaders about their experiences and insights before they reached the top of their careers. Master in Development Management students, meanwhile, attended the talk of Dr. Vo-Tong Xuan, rector of An Giang University, on sustainable food security.
A I M A LU M NI LEA D ERS H IP MAGAZIN E April to J u n e 2006
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Leadership Week
FAIM Holds Annual Conference in Manila
M
EMBERS OF THE Federation of the AIM Alumni Assocations (FAIM) met at the Asian Institute of Management Conference Center last March 4, 2006 for their annual conference. Countries represented were: (1st Row L-R): Philippines (Alex Tanwangco, MBA 1973, Head; Emil Reyes, MBA 1979, FAIM Treasurer); Singapore (Dr. Gan Cheong Eng, MBA 1982, Head and Concurrent FAIM Vice Chair); Malaysia (Datuk Ir. Dr. Mohd Annas Bin Haji Mohd Nor, MM 1984, Head and Concurrrent FAIM Chairman); Vietnam (Mai Nguyen, MDM 2000, Representative); Canada (Marilen Patricio, MBA 1986, Representative); Taiwan (Michael Han Chuan Hsu, MM 1991, Representative); and AIM representative (Gregorio Atienza, MBA 1983, FAIM Secretary General). (Back Row L-R): Hong Kong (Stephen Tang, MBA 1976, Representative); India (Mohan Phadke, MM 1980, Head); Beijing, China (Jack Niu, MM 1998, Head); Nepal (Bimal Chapagain, MDM 1996, Head); Korea (Hong Soo Lee,
MM 1979, Head); US East Coast (Mark Sanchez, MBA 1998, Head); and Indonesia (Sukarwan, MBA 1982, Representative). There were 13 out of 16 member countries represented. Among the items discussed during the meeting were the approval of the minutes of the meeting held in Manila and Mumbai, India; the re-accreditation of FAIM; a special presentation of the AIM internationalization strategy by Prof. Horacio Borromeo; welcoming of the new AIM Alumni Association Canada (AIMAAC); country reports; election of FAIM officers; and proposed amendments to the constitution. Chairman Datuk Annas of Malaysia and Vice Chair Dr. Gan Cheong Eng of Singapore were re-elected into their respective posts. After an exchange of viewpoints of each present in the meeting, a summary of actions to be taken was discussed. Chairman Datuk Annas gave his sincerest thanks to all present and an exchange of small gifts took place to show camaraderie and solidarity of the group.
AIM LAUNCHES THE ALUMNI LEADERSHIP FUND
The AIM Alumni Leadership Fund was launched last March 3, 2006 during the Triple A Awarding ceremonies. The fund-raising project will support four social investor opportunities: Scholarships, Learning Space, Faculty Development, and Research. The AIM Leadership Award was given to the following batches and individuals in recognition of their support in 2005: The Alumni Association of AIM-Philippine Chapter for the renovation of the SA store; the class of MBA 1971 for their donation of P500,000 to the Washington SyCip Graduate School of Business; and Edgardo Limon, MBA 1974, for his donation of P 1,000,000 to the AIM Scholarship Fund.
Using the flame as a symbol of humanity, hope, passion and leadership, the AIM Alumni Leadership Fund will help AIM maintain its position as a leader in Asian management education. In recognition of the alumni’s support, the AIM Leadership Award will be given to classes and individuals during the Annual Alumni Homecoming. Leadership Fund plaques in honor of alumni donors will also be installed at the J.V. Ongpin Quadrangle. AIM invites its alumni to help ensure that the flame of leadership keeps burning by making a gift to the AIM Alumni Leadership Fund. For more details, please contact aimalumni@aim.edu.
Donor
Edgardo Limon MBA 1974 Donation
P 1,000,000 to the Alumni Fund for Scholarships
Donor
MBA 1971 Donation
P 500,000 to the Alumni Fund for Research and Development
Donor
AAAIM Philippine Chapter Donation
P 500,000 to the Alumni Fund for Learning Space
A I M A LU MN I L E A D E R SH I P MAGA Z I N E A p r i l to J une 20 0 6
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news P R O F. L A G R O S A , N E W LY M I N T E D P h D
PROFESSOR Milagros Du Lagrosa has recently completed her PhD in Psychology from the Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. The title of her dissertation is
“Personal Transformation of Women Leaders in their Transforming Organizations.” Prof. Lagrosa is the Program Director of AIM’s Education Management Program and is on the core faculty of
the Executive Education and Lifelong Learning Center (EXCELL). She is involved in the latter’s FAMCOR (family corporations) program and its pioneering program on Leading from Higher Ground: Cultivating a Spirited Workplace.
AIM Awards Loyal Staff
F
OR DEDICATING YEARS of loyal service to AIM, 33 employees received plaques of appreciation and cash from the Institute on March 2, 2006. The Employee Service Award Ceremonies were part of the weeklong celebration of AIM’s 38th Anniversary. AIM Co-chairman Jose L. Cuisia Jr. delivered an inspirational message. He, along with AIM President Roberto F. de Ocampo, Dean Victoria S. Licuanan, and 8
Vice-President for Administration and Finance Victor E. Tan, handed out the plaques to the staff awardees. Awardees were Rolando Ramos (20 Years); Rogelio Baja and Carolina Imperial (15 Years); Maritess Aniago-Espiritu, Cristina Balanquit, Reynaldo Balbiran, Jr., Ma. Editha Bautista, Felix Caingal, Marvee Celi-Bonoan, Cecilia Contreras, Priscilla ConventoArabe, Noel Maravilla, Celia PaatCalebag, Elizabeth PayongayongMunsayac, Kathleen Charlotte
Punongbayan, Sebastian Regino and Joanne Santos (10 Years); Josephine Contreras, Mary Janice Davila-Pascual, Henry Bernabe Grageda, Jeric Meraña, Odette Padilla, Emerlinda Reyes, Pilar Cecilia Reyes, Mary Grace Sablaya-Reynoso, Michelle Sarabillo, Avelina Sison, and Mary Grace Tirona (5 Years); and Wilmar Agra, Armie Gamueda, Ciriaco Tapiru, Sharon Sabroso, and Dionisio Otom (Special Citation for Tamaraw Security Guards).
MBA Students Triumph in International Competition AIM MBA STUDENTS AND professors came back successful from Bangkok, Thailand where they participated in the Sasin Asian MOOT CORP® Competition on March 22-25, 2006. The event saw 20 teams from business schools all across Asia compete for the right to represent the region at the Global MOOT CORP® 2006 competition in Texas and contend with teams from around the world. Sasin Asian MOOT CORP® Competition is considered the “premier graduate new venture plan competition in the Asia Pacific region”. This year, out of 80 schools invited to join, 20 business plans were selected from different business schools in China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Two projects from AIM qualified to the Asian competition—Cross Biotechnology (vegetarian capsules made out of seaweed) and Healthcare Inc. (residential hospice for the terminally ill). Only Thammasat University in Thailand and AIM had two teams qualifying. Sunil Iyengar won the 60-second business pitch with a cash prize of $500, and Cross Biotechnology team topped the MAI Challenge Round with a cash prize of $625. AquaSiam team from Mahidol University in Thailand was declared the overall winner. Cross Biotechnology Faculty Advisor: Prof. Jay Bernardo Leader: Jeffrey Galan Sunil Iyengar Anirban Parua Willem Den Toom Drupad Upadhyaya
Healthcare Inc. Faculty Advisor: Prof. Mau Bolante Leader: John Bayot Camille Lim-Marquez Sudarshan Bang Vhaibav Anand Vikas Narnoly
The AIM teams’ success would not have been possible without the support of their mentors headed by Professors Bolante, Bernardo, Nani Roxas, Danny Antonio, and other faculty.
A I M A LU M NI LEA D ERS H IP MAGAZIN E April to J u n e 2006
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news AIM ALUMNI CARD LAUNCHED
Alumni Association-Cebu Pacific agreement gives major discount to AIM graduates THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION of AIM (AAAIM)—Philippine Chapter opened a new world of privileges and opportunities for AIM graduates when it launched the AIM Alumni Card on January 31, 2006. The card gives AIM alumni numerous discounts at various establishments. A major feature of the card is a 30% dis-
count on Cebu Pacific airfares. On the same day as the soft launch, AAAIM Chairman Alex Tanwangco and Cebu Pacific Vice President for Passenger Sales Vera Lim signed a memorandum of agreement to formalize their new partnership that gives AIM alumni a corporate, preferred group discount. A L U M N I
Marlon Young, MBA ’79, to Lead HSBC U.S. Expansion Efforts HSBC PRIVATE BANK, A DIVIsion of HSBC Bank USA, N.A., announced that it has hired Marlon Young to lead the private bank’s U.S. expansion efforts. He will be a managing director and head of U.S. domestic private banking. As a member of the U.S. senior management team, he will report to Gerard Aquilina, chief executive officer for the Americas, HSBC Private Bank. “Marlon brings more than 27 years of in-depth market experience to help further the private bank’s expansion efforts in U.S.,” said Gerard Aquilina. “He will work with our team of highly skilled domestic private bankers to achieve much closer collaboration with our partners in tax, investment banking, corporate and commercial banking and personal financial services as HSBC continues to grow its footprint nationwide.” Young joins HSBC after 27 years at Citigroup where most recently he was the head of private client lending at Smith Barney. He has held various leadership roles including head of the Northeast
Cebu Pacific is the Philippines’ second largest and fastest growing airline company. With Cebu Pacific’s re-fleeting program to be completed in February 2007, it shall have the youngest fleet of aircraft in Asia.
The AIM Alumni Card is valid for one year and is available for only Php 1,000. For details, please contact AAAIM at (632) 750.1010 ext. 2103/2104 or email dsalimbagat@aim.edu.
N E W S M A K E R S
region for Citigroup Private Bank, head of investment finance and senior credit officer for the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. His international private banking experience encompasses assignments as team head of the Hong Kong ultra high net worth segment and global markets manager for Thailand. Young also has extensive corporate banking experience covering the commercial real estate, automotive and energy industries. Young holds a Master’s degree in business management from the Asian Institute of Management in Manila, Philippines and is fluent in English, Tagalog and Mandarin. SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.FORBES. COMBUSINESSWIRE/FEEDS/BUSINESSWIRE/2006/03/08/ BUSINESSWIRE2006 0308005771R1.HTML
Alumna Named Woman Entrepreneur 2005 Ms. Ruth Callanta, MM 1986, was among the category winners in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines 2005 Awarding. Ruth received the Woman Entrepreneur award on March 8, 2006 at the Shangri-La Makati, Manila, Philippines. Ruth is the Founder and Presi-
dent of the Center for Community Transformation (CCT), a Christian nonprofit organization in the Philippines that provides microfinance, training and education to help people build their futures through savings and hard work. Founded in 1992, it aims to implement a “valuebased poverty alleviation model”. Twenty entrepreneurs were awarded in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines 2005, with Lance Gokongwei as the Entrepreneur of the Year. SOURCES: PHILIPPINE STAR, MARCH 13, 2006, WWW.UNCDF.ORG AND WWW. CCT.ORG.PH
Napoleon Nazareno: CEO of the Year PHILIPPINE LONG DISTANCE and Telephone Company (PLDT) President and CEO was chosen as the best chief executive in the Philippines in January 2006 for the second straight year by Asiamoney, one of Asia’s leading finance magazines, in its latest survey of investors and analysts.
As Asiamoney’s winner of the best large-cap corporate in the Philippines for 2005, PLDT has excelled in many areas. While inevitably the result of a team effort, analysts and investors see president and chief executive Napoleon L. Nazareno—known as Polly to his friends—as “the leading force behind the company,” said Asiamoney in its December 2005January 2006 issue. The magazine also quoted one fund manager saying that Nazareno “has been very astute in terms of getting the company to where it is today as a leading player in the market.” Nazareno said in the Asiamoney article that consensus is central to his management style. “The biggest challenge managers face is often in the area of execution. When you involve people in the decision-making process, it is usually much easier to win their support,” said Nazareno. SOURCE: WWW. PLDT.COM.PH/MEDIA/ NEWS_IMG/ PLDT’S%2 0NAZARENO%20BEST %20CEO%20IN%
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Cebu Pacific - 30% discount Ergonomics System Philippines - 30% discount Prince of Jaipur - 25% discount Ramcar Inc. - 25% discount Una Mas - 20% discount Perez Optical - 15% discount Kamayan and Saisaki Restaurant urant - 10% discount disco Café Havana - 10% discount for cash and 5% for card c Café afé Adriatico - 10% discount disco Bistro istro Remedios - 10% discount disco In the Mood - 10% disco discount Bollywood - 10% discount And Hang - 10% discount Cascada - 10% disco discount Joallier Fine Jewelry ewelry - 5% discount disc Heaven en n’ Eggs - 5% discount disc Crustasia ustasia - 5% di discount The Red Crab “Seafood od Island” - 5% di discount The Seafood od Club - 5% discount di The Red Crab - 5% discount Grappas - Free one (1) drink Access to AIM’s Library Facilities P1,500.00/night on AIM M Conference Cen Center in Baguio City (ACCB) P1,650.00/night on AIM Conference Center in Makati City C (ACCM) One-time time FREE overnight sta stay at ACCM Discount count on ACCM laundry and dry cleaning services serv Discount count on ACCM Function Room rental rrates Your Class Directory Lifelong Learning and Continuing Education discounts Free cocktail for Jubilarians 10% discount on AIM Faculty Books
The AIM Alumni Card The AIM Alumni Card is valid for one year and is available for only Php 1,000. For details, please contact AAAIM at (632) 750.1010 ext 2103/06 or email dsalimbagat@aim.edu.
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briefcase
How to Determine A N T O N I O
R .
SA M S O N ,
M BA
1 9 7 1
The sociology of the corporate tribe is seldom simple. Relationships that seem self-evident are really not. The careless observer will think he understands what’s going on, but arrive at some inappropriate conclusions. >>
Even the tribal folks themselves already working inside the system are led astray. Complexity multiplies as a company undergoes transformation in an acquisition or merger. The ups and downs of corporate life are not like a sedate elevator ride moving vertically, letting out people at intended floors. They are more closely approximate a roller coaster spin. The rise is slow (you can hear the ratcheting chain bringing your cab to the summit). This is followed by an inevitable and dizzying plunge. You catch yourself screaming. Of course, no one notices as many others are screaming around you. There are clues to determine who’s up or down. Forget titles. These are handed out like counterfeit bills that cannot be deposited in a bank. Between a title, no matter how elevated, and say, frequency of attendance at meetings, the latter counts for more in determining importance. Meetings which include the CEO 12
(one title that always means what it says) are counted twice in terms of weighting. Perks, or their removal, also serve as good indicators. These include cars (Vans are part of the down syndrome) and memberships in clubs. While some may consider invitations to watch basketball games with the CEO or join him in a round of golf as surefire signs of hierarchical success, we don’t. There are too many gate crashers and Velcro types who invite themselves and cannot be shaken off to make the coterie factor a reliable index of corporate importance. Does not inclusion of the personal valet in the coterie (What would you like to drink, Sir?) prove the point? Seating arrangements, for the same reason, should be discounted. Seat usurpers merely need to plop down on the position beside the boss to upset this index. And what of name cards? One only has to check who handles name card placements to see how easily this one can be manipulated. Purchasing power is a reliable measure. This goes beyond mere compensation. It includes the ability and authority to dispense corporate cash to third parties, including expensive restaurants. The less hampered such power is by limits, committees, or intervening layers, the higher in the hierarchy an executive is. Though difficult to track down reliably, the frequency one’s advice is sought, especially on matters not directly related to one’s functions, demonstrates importance in the organization. The bigger the number
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of executives seeking inputs, the higher the regard for a person’s place. This presumes the advice is followed, even acknowledged. Knowing developments before they are widely circulated is an offshoot of being in more meetings or consulted more often. Foreknowledge of corporate moves allows some preparation time, if only to put a spin on the inevitable (Yes, I had already told them of my retirement plans. And I’m happy they finally agreed to let me go). Being ahead of the information curve can be beneficial. But it is sometimes called insider trading. Attire is a misleading indicator. Those who wear suits, or even suspenders, do not necessarily belong to other like-attired movers and shakers. They only want to look like them. But many others notice that the neckties are not quite right. Tribal rites hardly differ from one company to another. Some are just more literal. Their hierarchies are easy to figure out from titles, office spaces, and parking bay. Those that require more analysis tend to have a high absorption rate of new executives and frequent redefinition of functions and authorities. This in itself devalues the regular indices. Corporate change is much like lightning. You see the flash before hearing the thunder… and getting the memo that the bolt is meant for you. Antonio R. Samson is the President & CEO of OMD, the Most Awarded Media Agency in Asia Pacific. Excerpt reprinted with permission from “Power Plays: Notes from the Corporate Bench”, Copyright 2006. For copies of the book, email dgdavid@omd.com.ph.
o
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Who’s Up
CARTOONS: JEM
or Down AIM_v2_comp13.indd 13
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ILLUSTRATIONS: JASON MOSS
Deciphering Life’s Uncertainty—
A Serendipity Walk H A R I S H
C H AW L A ,
M BA
2 0 0 6
Deluged with case studies, MBA students are taught plenty about quantitative values. Their prevalent obsessions involve raking in six-figure salaries and high-ranking positions. However, more and more schools are offering courses that deal with spirituality, the development of the right brain, and intuitiveness in decision-making, subjects alien to left-brained managers. Editor’s Note: At Columbia University Business School, Srikumar Rao teaches “Creativity and Personal Mastery”. At the HEC Montreal Business School, Dr. Thierry Pauchant, chair in ethical management covers the spiritual dimension in his ethics courses to develop the individuals’ deepest aspirations at work and freedom of beliefs. At the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, Joseph Holt teaches “Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace” and 14
challenges students to go beyond the paycheck and prestige and to ask whether a potential employer is spiritually and morally sound. At AIM, the elective Self-Mastery, Arts and Spirituality (SMARTS) has gained a following among students whose evaluation of the course include superlative phrases and comments such as “an excellent learning experience”, “a very uplifting class”, “a must for every MBA student” and “this is the subject that makes us human.
Despite the institute’s objective to produce the best talents, in the end we are still human beings and not robots. I think those who went through SMARTS will be the better leaders.” The course objectives as outlined by Professor Cecile B. Manikan who teaches the elective, include training managers to lead from higher ground through wholebrain development—by supplementing the left-brain rational and analytical skills with
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briefcase the right brain capability of creative imagination, intuitive judgment, aesthetic abilities and spiritual intelligence. Lectures include meditation, telepathy, the arts, a study of the behavioral and natural sciences, and the lives of some of the world’s great spiritual pathfinders and transformational leaders. The AIMLeader takes a peek at the magic of the serendipity walk, as professed by MBA 2006 student, Harish Chawla, MBA 2006, where questions, issues and anxieties are resolved by the unconscious in a Eureka moment of truth.
I
AM A STUDENT OF SCIENCE, WHERE every act has or is expected to have a compelling explanation. We were taught to think logically, not creatively. We were told that the answer is in the details, thus we need to pursue the analysis until the solution surfaces. Experimentation is the process adopted, where our results have to derive from our observations, without exception! Logical and categorical thinking was ingrained within our kind, as the source of all answers and solution to all problems. While an apparent skill that I had nurtured, this had also become a limitation, as it offered a prejudiced, a biased and a limited view of the world. But it was obvious that science was unable to provide insights regarding all of life’s mysteries. The study of philosophy and social sciences lends to thinking differently, attempting to answer the broader questions of life. This is when I acknowledged that I have to broaden my horizons, to consider challenging the prevalent ambiguities in a distinct and creative manner. The obvious indication is to look elsewhere beyond the realm of logic and sciences, that the answers probably reside elsewhere. With this mindset, though initially it appeared peculiar and amusing, looking to the world for answers was a fascinating exercise. I had prepared my rather active and anxious mind and myself to forgo all notions of logic and fear, and venture onto this experimental journey—the serendipity walk! It was a significant decision for me to leave the comforts of the Western World, and journey to the Philippines in search of an MBA education. My friends found me ‘crazy’ to say the least, that while the world attempts to pursue business education in the West, I am venturing in the opposite. I had my reasons, but moreover, I had the option of returning if the Asian experience was less than satisfactory. Thus, do I want to explore my future in the
dusty yet developing cities of India or return to the comfortable, healthy and prosperous life of the West. As I see it, both India and the US offer its set of advantages and disadvantages, and a logical weighing of the pros & cons has not offered a ready solution. This, I opined, would be an appropriate question to pose to the world—Where should I pursue my career after this MBA degree— US or India? With this thought transfixed, I pursued my serendipitous walk through Greenbelt and Glorietta malls on a Saturday evening, when the mall is bustling with activity. While I was conscious of my question, I did not want to actively
“...I acknowledged that I have to broaden my horizons... The obvious indication is to look elsewhere beyond the realm of logic and sciences, that the answers probably reside elsewhere. think of it, else my logical mind would concoct a response. If the surroundings were expected to speak to me, then the answer should dawn upon me, without a controlled effort on my part. It is challenging and painful, to put my mind to rest, and allow an external force to dictate my thoughts. Nevertheless, I attempted. I walked around the mall, through shops and exhibits, observing people and activities. I would look at the surroundings differently,
as if they were trying to converse with me. Certain images amused the mind, while connecting to the lingering question. But there was no apparent response. Many a time, I would find a pleasing site that would remind me of something and offer a solution to the question, but it was difficult for me to distinguish whether it is a subconscious response from my left-brain, or an actual celestial moment of truth. Nevertheless, my intuitive self was not willing to accept the response, and the journey continued. I had allocated three hours, to meander around the malls, discerning for a response. I visited various parts of the mall, had dinner, bought a few items, while sustaining minimal consciousness of the sought after objective. The apparent intent was to involve myself in regular activities of mall-goers, without disregarding the implicit purpose of my visit. Engaging in different activities would provide new perspectives and ideas, with the anticipation that lightning would strike home. After a long evening, disappointed, I did not observe an intense insight from the world around. I had been less than successful in the intuition, meditation and dream interpretation exercises conducted earlier, those that tickle the right brain. Realizing that the creative part of my brain had been dormant for sometime, I had rationalized that practice in the mentioned activities would enable better performance. It was a painful realization though, that my creative self remains underdeveloped, though the potential is vivid. I resigned to providence, and proceeded back to AIM after a long day of SMARTS >>
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briefcase solutions will be found. Thus, presumptions of from classical musicians and old movies. A activities. As I passed through Greenbelt, I highly experienced and trained couple was sing- the gains/losses at this state are premature, and approached the orchestra performance in the open yard of Greenbelt. A great fan of classical ing beautifully, accompanying the band and the should not be the basis of my decision. Undoubtedly, my heart weeps to return to conductor effectively. The MC announced the music and opera, though quite exhausted, name of the orchestra as MMCO—Metro Manila India, despite the challenges faced. This exercise I decided to sit down, relax and enjoy the strengthened my spirit, indicating that my Community Orchestra. That was the impetus harmonious music. implicit self, my body and the surrounding world that connected with the subconscious and the As I had resigned to cherish the moment, are all aligned, preparing to transport me to lingering question. The singers appeared profesappreciating the musicians and artists, it India after graduation. sionals, and were also excellent entertainers. dawned upon me, the Eureka moment. The I had not expected much success from this uncertainty of returning to India was primarily Nevertheless they were participating in this free due to my fear and uncertainty that I would not program with a community orchestra. They were exercise, but believed in its powers and was quite doing this because of the love of the profession, of willing to experiment. To my surprise, nature be able to enjoy the Western comforts I have did talk to me, and offered its advice in resolving the art, and possibly for the community and the observed and have become accustomed to. my prevalent Monetary means, concerns. This better opportuniprocess will be ties, an inderemembered, pendent lifestyle and repeated and a developed in challenging economy had times, when contributed to my no apparent well-being. My solution is familiarity with satisfactory, and the US is stronger, assistance is rewhere I surely quired from the have challenging powers to be. job opportuniMy ties awaiting analytical mind my graduation. attempts to Many interests make sense of that I developed this remarkable can be better purprocess. The sued in that part question was of the world. Inemergent in the dia, on the other subconscious, hand, is an alien “I had not expected much success from this exercise, and each stimcountry, where uli attempted the extent of the but believed in its powers and was quite willing to experiment. to connect to opportunities are To my surprise, nature did talk to me, and offered its advice..” the lingering yet unknown, people. They overcame and surpassed their inhi- concern. The brain discarded the ones that did whether in the corporate world or the social environs. Though I have family there, fear of limit- bitions to pursue what they loved in life—which not appear satisfactory, while processed others that attempted to provide potential satisfactory extends beyond monetary satisfaction. If one ing my independence and getting embroiled in responses. Finally, an event, a stimuli led to a finds and incessantly pursues their passion, new social drama adds to the uncertainty of returnshivering effect, an indication that the mind and ing to India. These are issues that had disturbed doors open as old ones close. This is the implicit body have unconsciously hit upon a thought that message I received from the orchestra and the the stability of my intellect, challenging me to has excited the internal system. Yes! This must artists, this was the world responding to my fear discern an answer where logical thinking fails. be nature’s revelation. What makes this decision ever more challenging and uncertainty. This process was helpful in encouraging a As I construed, this was a clear indication is the associated high opportunity cost—I would new way of thinking and connecting with nature that I should make a decision without perturbhave to give up my permanent residency to the and the world. The solution that dawned upon ing about the short-term gains or losses, but US, and the potential of becoming a US citizen, purely on the basis of what I desire. Yes, obviously me is quite satisfactory, and I hope to garner which can be construed as a free pass to a the strength to follow what appears to be in my prosperous future, in exchange for the unknown there will be emotional and sentimental losses best interest. Nevertheless, the logical/analytical observed. But when my heart will be in place prospects in India. Yes, the decision is risky and aspects will continuously look for validation, in where it belongs, there will be less regret and demanding, which will potentially change the effect to minimize uncertainty and volatility. more effort to make the best of the opportunity. alignment of my stars. Ahh, the battle continues! As I will face crisis and adversity, innovative The orchestra was playing melodious tunes 16
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insights
B E Y O N Dt heBO T TOML I N E
When my class entered AIM in 1971, many of us had just come fresh from the streets and the barricades that were the hallmark of a period of anti-war demonstrations and sympathy for a whole spectrum of liberation struggles. >>
The Corporate J O S E
M A .
J .
F E R N A N D E Z ,
True, the average revolutionary soon outgrows most of his more extreme outlook in life, but a choice few have not forgotten what it means to have broken bread with the weak and the downtrodden. This, hopefully, carries on to one’s stint in the otherwise secular business world, where the pursuit of profits and personal gain often buries any lingering altruism in anyone. One of the initial admonitions of the Almighty to our first parents is this instruction from the Bible: “Fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air and all living creatures.” (Gen 1:28) It may be inferred that God gave man the right to occupy the earth, work the land, and enjoy the fruits of his labor, while making good use of the animals and all material goods as a means for survival and the conservation of life. Thus, the concept of Wealth and the accumulation of said Wealth is a necessary progression of this early economic activity. Unfortunately, the process of accumulating Wealth often finds dire poverty existing beside great riches. Perhaps, without going into a distributive mode—as our more extreme and radical friends are wont to do—there should be a better way to allow Wealth to filter down more evenly to those classified as Have Nots. One cannot simply go to office and look forward to making a few million bucks and 18
M BA
1 9 73
then totally ignore the squalor of urban poor communities. That job is not one for government alone because each and everyone of us has to answer for the good we have failed to do in our respective lifetimes. Looking Beyond the Bottom Line
The wise Oriental sage Lao-Tzse has this to say: “The wise man does not lay up trea-sure. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own.” Lao-Tzse expounds further: “Great wealth implies great loss.” Am I, therefore, aiming a progressive canon (as opposed to cannon) at those who have managed to do quite well for them and for their corporations? Certainly not! But it would be quite revolutionary if top executives looked beyond the bottom line (as the title of this column suggests) and considered whether their contribution to society is measurable only in terms of quarterly earnings or financial and technical innovations. Surely, top executives can look beyond the bottom line and consider what, in the end, all that labor and employment of capital will really result in. Surely, many top executives should listen and emulate some of our elders like the famous architect of German unification, Otto von Bismark, who once said: “A really great man is
known by three signs: generosity in the design, humanity in the execution, and moderation in success.” Dominique Bouhours hits the nail on the head as she observes that “Money is a good servant, but a poor master.” Walking the Talk
Every time I get my hands on an annual report, I check out the company’s philosophy and how they go about their business. In short, it is a search for the Soul of the Business, its core beliefs—the animating spirit that gives life to the business. Sadly, one finds a whole set of platitudes and hot air. It is rare to find a corporation that not only Talks the Talk, but also Walks the Talk and Walks the Walk. It is the rare company that takes a long hard look at all its publics (itself, owners, customers, co-workers, suppliers, government, community, and environment) and is able to come up with a business and products that consider all those publics in its decisions. Failing to observe Moral principles based on Natural Law (see our previous article on The Natural Law and Business
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in The Asian Manager June 2005 issue), a high sense of fair play and plain common sense, results in situations that often lead to breakdowns in relations with one or more of a company’s publics, creating dysfunction and chaos. Do we wonder why, despite the current
Consider, therefore, one corporate Maverick, Ricardo Semler of SEMCO Brazil, whose unorthodox ways and spectacular results emanate from a regime of constant change. After suffering from a severe breakdown charged to stress, Semler decided that he could do with a less hands-on style that has gradually evolved into one of the most democratic and successful business models of all time. To call it a model
Semler and SEMCO threw away the rulebook, don’t have organizational charts, and don’t waste time with long-drawn meetings or lengthy memos. In a word, they are the very antithesis of what average businesses have evolved into. The above-mentioned guiding principles result in a constantly evolving and self-correcting process. Unfortunately, SEMCO’s model does not allow for such niceties
Change JEM
defies its very essence, because the business refuses to stick to any one mode or manner. Consider further, some of Semler’s and SEMCO’s guiding principles:
stricter monitoring of corporate governance, so many companies still don’t resist the temptation to juggle books, undertake short-cuts, or hesitate to devastate the environment? The obsession with profits and what makes up the bottom line often leads to a shortsighted and ill-fated view of the conduct of business. The chase for more wealth and material goods reminds us of what the philosopher Aldous Huxley referred when he observed that “Armaments, Universal Debt, and Planned Obsolescence—those are the pillars of Western Democracy.” Certainly not the most awe-inspiring of banners to rally around! The most stirring indictment comes from that great ascetic, Mahatma Gandhi, when he noted that “Increase of material comforts, it may be generally laid down, does not in any way whatsoever conduce Moral Growth.” Maverick!
Most companies refuse to even consider changing the way they do business, using the old adage: IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT!
• Employees, acting as partners and associates, make all their own decisions. • They (employees) evaluate their managers every six months. • They’re even encouraged to start their own companies. • Potential managers are interviewed by the people who will be working for them (with the power of acceptance or rejection). • All have access to company books. • No first-class and second-class citizens. • Managers set their own salaries and bonuses. • No formality: A minimum of meetings, approvals and memos (which end up immediately in the wastebasket).
as Retirement Pay, Housing Loans, other benefits, and time for truly altruistic endeavors. They may tackle those issues one day, but are too busy with current work backlogs. Their way of doing business has allowed them, however, to penetrate even the most hardened of poor urban communities. Creating wealth and jobs where there were none before. Obviously, SEMCO Walks the Talk, and is constantly evolving based on internal and external challenges and felt needs. Through it all, a more visibly relaxed Semler says that he can’t remember when he last had to make a major decision. He spends most of his time on sabbaticals, thinking, reading, and spreading the gospel of SEMCO to a wide array of wizened executives that populate the top 500 companies in most major economies.
Do we wonder why, despite the current stricter monitoring of corporate governance, so many companies still don’t resist the temptation to juggle books, undertake short-cuts, or hesitate to devastate the environment? • Shop-floor workers set up their own schedules and productivity targets. • Managers take turns as Chief Executive. • “The truly modern company avoids an obsession with technology and puts quality of life first.”
If only business big and small would dare to consider the option for taking on the challenges of today’s fast-moving environment by adopting the two constants: Change, and a Corporate Soul grounded on Moral Principles.
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insights
Off to
Manila for Studies D R .
P. N .
S I N G H ,
M M
1 9 75
AIM Alumni Achievement Award (Triple A). Dr. Singh shares three chapters of his autobiography, “From Bullock-Cart to MercedesBenz, The Story of a Bihari Boy”. The first of the series, Chapter 5, “Off to Manila for Studies” is published in this issue. Yearning for Learning
Editor’s Note: Dr. P.N. Singh, MM 1975, is currently Chairman of Grid Consultants Pvt. Ltd. (www.grid-india.com) based in Mumbai. He started his career with Indian Oil Corporation in 1963. In 1981, he moved to Voltas Ltd. to head its HRD department. Later, he headed Group HRD set-ups in Aditya Birla Group and Mehta Group. After an 11-year stint at the Indian Oil Corporation, he proceeded to the Asian Institute of Management for his MBA, where he was awarded the Andres K. Roxas Scholarship. He was later awarded a Citation for Academic Excellence by the Institute. Founder President of the Forum of Asian Managers, Former Chairman of the Federation of Asian Institute of Management Alumni Associations (FAIM), Past President of Bombay Management Associations, and Indian Society for Training and Development, Dr. Singh is actively associated with the professional management movement in India. In March 2002, he was awarded the 20
This decision unsettled some settled lives. My father had left his P & T Department’s temporary job. He was busy in constructing our new house made of brick and cement in our village. My mother had only one god. And that was my father. For the period of my stay abroad my mother moved to Gauhati. A relative moved to my village to cook for my father, who was proud that his son was going abroad for higher studies. I still continue to be the only person from my village, who was able to go abroad for higher studies. When I finally left for Manila in 1974, I had tears in my eyes. I was leaving my motherland. I am amazed at the younger boys and girls who are prepared to leave both their mother and motherland just to earn a few dollars more to live in a mortgaged house. Fortunately for me, none in my family even thought of settling abroad. It is unfortunate that those who are needed here decide not to hear the call of their Mother! Manila was a shock. I was a village boy. My values were rooted in a Bihar village. Here I found my professor dancing with his female students. How could this be? How could a teacher dance with a disciple holding her body
close to his? Fortunately for my wife and me, I had not learnt dancing. Otherwise, I would have also made hay while the sun shone! Toughening through MBA Course
The schedule at the institute was very tough. We had three cases and around 100 pages of written material that had to be read and understood to be effective in the classroom for good rank. The institute believed in the case method based on the Harvard Business School Model. I read all cases and papers word by word. It kept me awake till 1 AM on most days. On some days it was even 3 AM. The course gave me knowledge of business and its strategies. It improved my communication skills. It gave me logical thinking. I admired Manu Hira, my classmate and roommate. He learnt by reading the first and last paragraph of each case and write-up. He slept and snored while we struggled with our cases. The decision to go to Manila was a tough one. But, I made it. My wife organized transfer of some money to me. That was not enough for a good meal in the institute’s cafeteria. Some eggs and toast was my staple diet. A few bottles of San Miguel Beer were added on Sundays to be in high spirits. I returned to India pale but confident to make a name for myself in the corporate sector. Walkabout
I will never forget AIM. Walkabout changed my life. Many years later, I wrote an article which has been reproduced on the next page.
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At AIM, we were advised to choose our
THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE
own walkabout project and complete it in One unique course in my MBA program at the Asian Institute of Management was called the “Walkabout”. Not that I liked it. But, it certainly did me immense good. It gave me a parallel career after my MBA. The course gave me so much confidence that I never had to speak what the employers liked to hear, and I never felt dependent on them.
Some of them
liked my candor. Others did not.
three weeks. While Filipinos, Malaysians and Taiwanese in the class had no problems in choosing projects for their walkabout, I certainly had. Partly because of lack of entrepreneurship in me and partly because of my being in a foreign country for the first time. I could not think of a project which fulfilled AIM’s rather rigid criteria for choosing the walkabout project. The criteria stipulated that the project should
What is Walkabout? Professor Maurice Gibbons of Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, has written an interesting article “Walkabout: Searching for the Right Passage from Childhood and School”. The theme of the
have adventure, creativity, practical skills and logical enquiry. A report on any subject, however brilliantly written, was not acceptable as a walkabout project.
unable to find food or protection from the
Some of my classmates organized shows or bagged some export orders for products like cigars. After considerable deliberation, I chose my walkabout, which, I must confess, did not meet all criteria. I told the Institute
blazing heat and with no hope of finding
that my walkabout was to write two articles
their way back, they seem certain to die.
on management and get them published in some
At last they are found and cared for by a
magazine in the Philippines. I knew it was a
young aborigine, a native Australian boy on
poor choice. But I wrote these two articles
his walkabout, a six-month long endurance
and got them published in the Philippines.
test during which, he must survive alone
They paid me P1000, a princely sum in those
in the wilderness and return to his tribe
days. My professors reluctantly allowed me
an adult or die in the attempt. In contrast
to pass in the subject.
article came from an Australian film “Walk About.” In the film, two children escape into a desert, when their father, driven mad by failure in business, attempts to kill them. Within an hour they are exhausted, alone, and helpless. Dressed in private school uniforms,
to the city children, he moves through the forbidden wilderness as if it was part of
This test gave me new confidence. I had
his village. He survives not only with his
earlier written only for my company’s house
skill but with grace and pride as well. He
journal. On returning home, I made writing a
not only endures, he merges with the land
serious hobby. Over a period of time, it became
and he enjoys himself. When they arrive
some sort of a parallel career. It brought me
at the edge of civilization, the aborigine
some fame and some money. From articles, I
offers, in a ritual dance, to share his
moved to writing books.
life with the white girl and boy he has befriended, but they finally leave him and
Walkabout should be introduced in all
return home. The closing scene shows them
management institutes so that they can survive
dreaming of their adventure.
in the new millennium. A I M A LU MN I L E A D E R SH I P MAGA Z I N E A p r i l to J une 20 0 6
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insights
The Filipino Migrant Workers in Korea A L F O N S O
L .
D E L GA D O ,
5 9 T H
M D P
2 0 0 1
ILLUSTRATION: CECIL SUNDIANG
E
very Sunday, at Hyehwa-dong in Seoul, enterprising Filipinos haul in Philippine products on their small blue trucks that line up like rolling stores along Daehang-no (university street) near the Hyehwa Rotary. This is the area where Filipinos working in Seoul and nearby cities in South Korea gather after the Sunday Mass to shop, meet with their pinoy organizations and savor missed cuisine from home. These rolling stores sell a range of Philippine products from 555 sardines to Mang Tomas, to Ludy’s peanut butter, to Eskinol, to Green Cross rubbing alcohol! Their Filipino menu includes adobo, pancit bihon, longganiza, chicharon and, would you believe, balut! And if you think that’s all, they also sell fresh produce like sitaw, ampalaya, mongo
22
beans and tilapia! Aside from the edibles, there are also some ‘audibles’—cds and vcds from the Philippines. According to the Korean immigration bureau, as of September 30, 2005, there were almost 36,000 Filipinos in South Korea, 47% of which represents non-professionals and industrial workers; the rest represents
a memorandum of understanding signed with the Philippine government on April 23, 2004, has made available 18,000 Korean jobs to Filipinos annually. Requirements for these jobs include a minimum proficiency of Hangul, the Korean language, and an age limit of 40 years. While the jobs are mainly for construction and factory work, some are not usually with big Korean companies. Some factories are actually small-scale and may not even provide a safe working environment for their workers. In 2003, about 2,200 migrant workers from the Philippines and other Asian countries were hospitalized due to industrial accidents and chemical poisoning. In Korea, there are certain jobs which young and able-bodied Koreans stay away from. These jobs are labeled as ‘DDD’ - difficult, dirty and dangerous. The locals’ disdain for ’DDD’ jobs, and of course, the progressive industrialization of the Korean economy cause manpower shortage, forcing the Korean government to open its job market to migrant workers from neighboring Asian countries. These jobs, albeit difficult, dirty or dangerous, follow a minimum pay scale of KRW3,100 an hour (about US$3) or US$700 a month. But even with this pay scale, the Filipino migrant workers in Korea still manage to send money home and contribute to the total remittances of the Filipino overseas workers all over the world which were expected to reach US$10.3 billion for the year 2005 alone. These remittances are accommodated in Seoul at Hyehwa-dong and at Namdaemun in central Seoul, where a branch and an off-site desk of a Philippine bank in Korea are open even on Sundays. And while these migrant workers are happy to arrive in Korea with guaranteed jobs, some of them end up being exploited. Complaints about delayed and unpaid salaries, physical abuse by employers, disregard for the workers’ working environment and wrong job assignments upon jobsite arrival
In Korea, there are certain jobs which young and able-bodied Koreans stay away from. These jobs are labeled as ‘DDD’—difficult, dirty and dangerous. short-term visitors, trainees, scholars, spouses of Korean nationals, dependents and a small number of professionals. The number of these industrial workers is increasing because the South Korean government, through
are common. And while the labor department at the Philippine embassy in Korea is helpful in sorting out these labor complaints, there are shelters maintained by fellow pinoys Continued on page 24 >>
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insights
When you go there
take a jacket S H A I K H
M U H A M M E D
A L I ,
M BA
1 9 9 5
Even before the concept of a Pakistani delegation of Higher Education Commission (HEC) to visit China was conceptualized, a voice came to my mind: “When you go there, take a jacket.” I started to wonder what in the world that meant. Serendipitously, I was asked by the Executive Director, HEC to visit China along with the Advisor (HRD) and Project Director (Overseas Scholarship Program) in November 2004 to negotiate with Chinese universities. I thought about what I would do in China- of course, scale the Great Wall, eat rice with chopsticks, sip noodle soup. But these ideas were to fly out the window since there was so much more to do in the land of the rising dragon. I got off to an almost bad start when I learned that I could not get my Karachi passport renewed in time to travel with my two other colleagues. I could see the plan
fizzling out until a wise man advised me to get my identity card converted to reflect that I am a local resident of Islamabad instead of Karachi. Indeed that worked. I finally got to board the PIA flight and off I went to China four days later after my colleagues had already left. On the plane, I would wonder who would pick me up at the airport, though I had called the Counselor of Technical Affairs at the Pakistani Embassy, Mr. Syed Ali Tallae. And if not, I imagined all the rough things I would experience since all the Chinese I knew would start and end at “Ni hau”. Once the plane landed and I was at the
STOCK.XCHNG
airport, all my fears were laid to rest. Mr. Tallae was there - a very humble, polite, and hospitable person who took me first to the Pakistan embassy to relax and change, since I had landed in Beijing very early in the morning. In the next nine days, I was to visit twelve universities: from Harbin Institute of Technology up north, to Zhejiang University down south. Everything in between was a nightmare since I and the other two gentlemen that I was to travel with would attend meetings all day long and fly off to another city at night. And before I forget the jacket part, it was Continued on next page >>
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insights >> “The Filipino Migrant” continued from page 22
which provide support for those who seek new employment or who simply want to go home. It is not easy to work and live away from home, away from family, away from the people you love. These Filipino migrant workers in Korea, just like all other migrant workers in the other countries, only want to earn a living to provide for their families back home. And as they provide the manpower and skills to keep the economies in which they work in running, the migrant workers welcome all the respect and support they can get from the host country as well as from theirs. And if lacking, the only respect and support they may get may be from their fellow migrant worker. Alfonso L. Delgado is a member of the 59th MDP 2001. He is a manager of the US IPO team at Samil PricewaterhouseCoopers in Seoul, South Korea.
>> “When you go there” continued from previous page
extremely cold in Harbin- 20 degrees Celsius when we landed there. We almost froze to death! This was when I was reminded of the voice that came to me about taking the jacket when I would go to China. Indeed, I thanked my stars for taking along all the winter clothing I used way back in 1989 in Colorado, where I went to school for my Bachelors in Engineering. The luggage I carried to beat the harsh cold winters in Harbin proved to be a nightmare since we were always on the move practically every night. But I must confess that visiting China was one of the most amazing experiences in my life, especially when I hardly knew anything about their culture, their values, their perspective towards lifeleast of all, their language. I went China trotting from Beijing to Nanjing, from Nanjing to Harbin, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Shanghai and back to Beijing in just nine days. Except for Shanghai where we caught the weekend, we would travel practically every night. Nanjing was more of an agricultural city with clean roads and amazingly long highways. We did not get to travel much in Guangzhou and Zhejiang, since we had long marathon meetings at the universities. I was relieved that the temperature in Zhejiang was 24
more like Islamabad at that time of the year. We landed in Harbin at about 10:00 p.m. and I was to encounter the harshest winters I have ever experienced since 15 years ago when I had graduated from Colorado, USA. Harbin was a sleepy town with Gothic architecture, clean streets and very hospitable people who mostly had Russian looks. Later, I was to learn that Harbin was called the “Moscow of the East” since it was at a close proximity to Russia which was about 400+ kilometers away. During the Russian revolution in 1918, when the Orthodox Christians were persecuted, they fled to Harbin and made their abode there. They built the beautiful Sofia Church in Harbin and intermingled with the society. The Sofia Church has now been converted to a museum which houses rare pictures from the times of the Russian persecution. And then we found ourselves in Shanghai, the old business capital and port city with its impressive gothic style buildings facing the sea front. The sky scrapers were as good as Manhattan, New York, except that there was no Battery Park, and not too many souls at the pier could speak English. The mood of the city was somber compared to the fast life in Beijing- at least, that was my observation. There was this market in Shanghai where they have preserved and maintained old pagodas. Here, foreigners could visit and shoot pictures, see old archaic Chinese architecture, shop for curios, souvenirs, silk, and Chinese herbal tea. Bargaining was the order of the day. You could get pearls from the South China Sea practically for zilch as compared to what you would have to pay in Beijing or at the duty free shops at the airport. If you were not good at bargaining, they could actually slaughter you down there, and you would not even be aware that you have just dug your grave. After landing in Beijing, we could feel the air of the Capital containing the essence of bureaucracy, fast life, economics and power. Everybody in the street seemed to be in a rush to get to his destination. People did not bother much as to where we were from, and what we wanted in life. They indeed went about doing their daily business. There were these amazing road networks, highways and ring roads. Even Pakistanis who have lived there for a year or so could not figure out as to which highway goes where, except for their workplaces, the embassy and the airport. Meeting the President of the Peking University (the number one university in China)
was more of an experience in itself. We were made to sit in an extremely large room where there were sofa sets and chairs dispersed at twenty meters each (or maybe more). Once the meeting started between our head of delegation and theirs, we could hardly follow as to what was being said. Not that it was in Chinese and translated later, but due to the proximity of the seating arrangement. But we later found out that it was in this room and on these chairs that President Nixon, William Jefferson Clinton, Robert Mugabe, Nelson Mandela, Gorbachev and Jacques Chirac sat and met their Chinese counterparts while visiting this university. Even before I traveled to China, my brother-in-law who happens to be a pilot had already warned me about the food problems that a Pakistani would experience there. Thus, I was made to carry about 5-8 kilos of canned food, crackers, cookies and nuts of all kinds. I even carried ‘Joshanda’, a herbal medicine for the sore throat, and Indonesian noodles which can be eaten out of the cup after adding hot water. The two gentlemen accompanying me would ridicule me day and night for carrying that “load of ammunition”. Until one day, the Project Director got sick and needed that ‘Joshanda’. My ammunition also proved to be a blessing when we landed at Harbin airport at 11:00 p.m. with freezing temperatures, and got to our hotel only to find out that the restaurant had closed ages ago. So that is how these two gentlemen came to appreciate my far sightedness. And indeed, I did learn a lot while traveling in the eight countries which I had been to in the last 23 years of my escapades, China being my ninth conquered country! As they say, all good things must come to an end and our days had to close in the land of the rising dragon. We were made to say goodbye to the wonderful yet mysterious people of China, with the hope that we may come to this amazing country once again. It would be worthwhile to mention that the relationship which we had developed with the China Scholarship Council (CSC) in the last one year would strengthen after this visit, and we were also offered direct discounts by certain universities which would lead to the new MOU that we would sign with the Chinese government in April 2005. This would enable us to send some 1,000 HEC funded scholars to Chinese universities. ‘Til then, Zai Jian!
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programfeature
MBA
Executive
Objectives:
• To effect strategic change • To enhance the business and competitiveness of companies by developing general managers who can effectively lead business units • To develop in participants a general management perspective that is Asian, entrepreneurial, social and developmental in outlook, and excellent skills in analysis, decision-making, implementation, and leadership, both at the strategic and operating management levels Content:
JOVEL LORENZO
EMBA requires a special partnership between the organization and the faculty of AIM given their broad business experience and consulting • Four-year undergraduate degree or equivalent interests, the faculty to understand the specific strategic challenges facing the organization • Six years full time work experience, with through consultation. This unique partner3 years at a Supervisory or Managerial level ship seeks to effect the needed change in the • Proficiency in oral and written English organization through the development of its Overview: managers. A more important, longer-term benThe Executive MBA is designed to help make efit of the EMBA is the change that comes from corporate change happen. It answers the need within the organization, with the transformaof organizations to make strategic changes quickly in times of turbulence, uncertainty and tion of its own managers into strategic change agents. Through their Strategic Management intense competition. It validates that strategic Projects (SMP), these managers are required to change is best achieved from within, guided apply class learnings to his/her organization’s by top management and executed by the company’s own managers empowered by a pro- strategic concerns, thereby creating immediate business improvements and gram geared to produce Contact us: excell@aim.edu strategic benefits measurresults. As a corporate Telefax: (632) 892-3340, 892-3260 able in monetary terms. change program, the Duration: 18 months Participants: Middle and Senior Executives Qualifications:
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Part I: Building Managerial and Business Competence Module I: Understanding the Environment, Industry and Competition • Global, Regional & Country Economics • Industry Analysis • Building Global Competitiveness • Development Management Module II: Managing the Business and Its Resources • Marketing • Production and Operations • Finance • Managing Costs and Profits • Human Resource Management • Information Technology Part II: Managing Strategically and Leading 21st Century Organizations Module III: Formulating Competitive Strategy and Business Policy • Strategic Direction • Formulating Competitive Strategy • The Value Chain • Cross Functional Management • Global Strategies • Business Ethics/Social Responsibility Module IV: Implementing Strategy: Leadership and Organizational Transformation • Management Control Systems • Corporate Culture • Leadership • Organizational Structure and Capacity Building • Managing Organizational Change • Cross Cultural Management • Creating Learning Organizations Program Project: Strategic Management Project (Integration and Results) Additional Requirements:
GMAT or AIM Admission Test, and Completed Forms (Personal Data Sheet, Recommendation Forms - both from nominee’s immediate supervisor and the head of HRD or top management, and Sponsoring Organization Agreement)
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N O T E S
F R O M
From Med-Rep to Director for Marketing: SA N O F I -AV E N T I S ’ E X EC TA L K S ABOUT HIS RISE TO THE TOP
W
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to help enhance his skills in the work place but it was likewise in place when he finally enrolled in the EMBA program. This was very important for him because he was able to count on his boss to take over the things he would leave behind whenever he had to be in school to attend classes. He similarly experienced the company’s support in the trust that they accorded him. He felt affirmed that he did not have to sign a contract when the company decided to put him through the EMBA. “I made sure that since they spent on me, I had to be responsible for what they were giving me. There was no contract, I had only their trust to make good at.”
HOEVER COINED THE PHRASE, “WORKING ONE’S WAY TO THE TOP” must have Carlito “Caloy” Realuyo in mind. Straight out of college in 1985, he joined Sanofi as one of its Professional Services Representatives - a Med-Rep in more common parlance. Marriage, four kids, three mergers, 18 months of intensive schooling, several promoI wouldn’t tions up his belt and twenty-one years later, Caloy is now one of the have been where head honchos who has led Sanofi-Aventis onwards into the future. Never one to take for granted the opportunity to learn more, I am now or it Caloy has consistently applied this mindset in his years with Sawould have taken nofi. From the lowest level position in sales to Division Director for me longer to Marketing, Caloy, self-motivated that he is, has accumulated gems of learning that has translated to promotions that started off his get here if I did move to the top. “It is one’s personal drive and not competition not take the that dictates the pace of the achievement of one’s set objectives.”
Passion to learn Ever on the look out for opportunities to learn, the EMBA program was for him like a playground to a child. His passion for the pursuit of knowledge was met through the materials given to them in the course of the program. Theories and concepts were presented to the class by capable professors who were very knowledgeable in their fields. The variety of industries and functions represented in the class provided a host of networking opportunities. He cited the CAN group in particular as very important and helpful to his learning process. “We were organized as a company; there was somebody in marketing, manufacturing, etc. It was a very EMBA. advantageous set-up because of the variety of our composition; we Balance and support were able to get different points of view about an issue. We learned Recognizing that his rise to the top was not his doing alone, he gives credit not just because we were reading but also because we were discussing the issue to his wife whom he says has always been supportive and participative throughand were able to go in-depth, dissect it and help one another” out. This was especially crucial during the time when he was taking the Executive He was able to concretely put into practice the concepts and theories he Master in Business Administration (EMBA) at the Asian Institute of Management learned in the one week of classes to the three weeks where he had to be back at (AIM) where he had to be away for one-week periods every month. Balancing his work. “It would have been such a waste if I didn’t put to use the things I learned in many responsibilities became easier because he could trust his wife to help him the three weeks I had back at work! At some level, I think we were also “forced” out on the home front. to use what we learned because some of the professors would ask about how we The full support of his boss was also an advantage for him. Not only was it applied it to our real-time work experiences.” forthcoming during the time when he was still looking at programs at the AIM >> continued on page 53
JEWELMER DIRECTOR LEARNS ABOUT WORKING IN THE PHILIPPINES
P
IERRE FALLOURD, TQM AND ASSISTANT MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR Jewelmer, could have insisted that his knowledge and western expertise were enough to equip him to work in the Philippines. But like any executive worth his salt, he recognized that to gain better mileage, he needed to tailor-fit what he knew to the environment he found himself in.
Perfect for the Situation With the support of management, Pierre availed of the opportunity for further studies. Despite juggling responsibilities at work with the demands of the program, he acknowledged that the time and effort put into it was well worth it. To him, “the AIM-EMBA offered an excellent advantage because of good professors who provided sound theory grounded on practice. While presenting a global perspective on business, they helped me understand the local and regional culture.” He made special mention of the case study format where different industries and situations were tackled.” Fifty percent of the cases used in class were Asian in setting. It helped me a great deal in understanding the environment of doing business in the region and the people I was dealing with. Extremely stimulating, the EMBA program was perfect for my situation.”
Adjusting to the Filipino setting Visible Leadership is Crucial Pierre has traveled in and out of the country for the past While Pierre believes that the AIM-EMBA has helped him beseven years. He was finally asked to settle in the Philippines with presenting a come a better manager and leader. “I have learned how to the objective of ‘applying his knowledge and experience in Europe into the Asian setting.’ global perspective convey my ideas to different people and to deal with different attitudes and behaviors.” His interaction with managers from The decision to work and settle here however was not an easy on business, different industries coupled with exposure to different cases one to make for Pierre. He knew he had to adjust and synergize they helped me in the program, allowed him to apply the theories in different his personal capabilities with the way things are done locally. Used to the European way of conveying ideas in a straightunderstand the situations, understanding the context around which certain business decisions need to be made and communicated. forward (sometimes blunt) manner, for example, Pierre had local and regional Pierre likewise learned that in the Philippine setting, visto learn (rather painfully) how to talk indirectly to get his mesible leadership is crucial. Though actual strategies may difculture. sage through. “People react differently here. In order to confer, he observed that it is a big thing for Filipinos to see their vince others, you have to do it in a not so direct way. You canleaders actively managing and being in the thick of things. “Here, leavnot simply say, ‘You’re wrong,’ no matter how nicely and politely you put it.” ing people to do their own thing could be seen as lack of leadership. In It was on the road to assimilating the local culture that Pierre came across Europe, you just tell people once, and they do their own thing. Here you the Executive Master in Business Administration program of the Asian Instihave to work alongside your people and closely implement projects.” tute of Management (AIM). President of Jewelmer International, Manuel Con>> continued on page 53 juangco who was himself a Triple A awardee of AIM, highly recommended it. A I M A LU MN I L E A D E R SH I P MAGA Z I N E A p r i l to J une 20 0 6
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alumni
THE AIM ALUMNI HAVE PROVEN THEIR TRACK RECORD IN THE BUSINESS WORLD WITH NUMEROUS SUCCESSES ACROSS ALL SECTORS. IT MAY URGE ONE TO THINK THAT THE AIM ALUMNI ARE JUST ALL ABOUT SERIOUSNESS AND WORK. OUT TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT HOWEVER, DURING THIS YEAR’S ALUMNI ACTIVITIES, THEY HAVE PROVEN THAT THEY ARE JUST AS POWERFUL A FORCE AT PLAY AS IN THE SERIOUS CONFINES OF THE BOARDROOM.
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nii
T E E N A
SA N T I AG O
AT PLAY
The 4th AIM President’s Cup
Through all of this year’s past alumni activities, perhaps none drives this point home more, than the recent 4th AIM President’s Cup. The past three AIM President’s Cups were held locally, and even then, a lot of preparation and hard work went into these events so everyone could have fun. This year however, with the present AIM Alumni AssociationPhilippine Chapter team at the helm, the AIM President’s Cup was given a truly Asian feel as it found its way to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Given that it was the first time for the alumni golf tournament to be brought abroad, and considering the amount of people
that needed to be transported, making sure everything would go smoothly almost daunted the organizers into thinking this was going to be an organizational nightmare. Thanks to the spirit of cooperation and the richly diverse AIM Alumni network however, the last AIM President’s Cup was a complete success. Ms. Coratec Jimenez, MDM’02, President, International Movement for Development Managers, headed the President’s Cup event and she recalls the early preparations and eventual execution done for this occasion. Teena Santiago (TS): What were the special preparations needed for this trip? Coratec Jimenez (CJ): Alex (Tanwang-
co, AAAIM Chairman), Greg (Atienza, AIM Alumni Relations Director), and myself went to an ocular inspection trip to KL in January for two days. We did this to walk through the itinerary and make sure we could anticipate anything that may be problematic in the program. We took Air Asia in Clark then stayed at Concorde Hotel to check on their amenities. We also had to visit the rest of the trip’s program, which included the Petroleum Club at the Petronas and the Templar Golf Course. During our preliminary trip, we also had lengthy discussions with the tour agency and Kelab Malaysia. Our trip was capped with a dinner at the Old Smokehouse hosted by Ben Arrifin. >>
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TS: That doesn’t sound like hard work… CJ: Oh it was but the on-site preparation by Kelab Malaysia was remarkably done through the leadership of FAIM Chairman Datuk Annas. He was able to mobilize the members and be part of this momentous activity among alumni. The participants of the trip were also a big factor that made the project successful. There was a tremendous outpouring of coopera-
TS: What do you recall was the biggest challenge of the trip? CJ: Detailed planning of the itinerary had to be well thought of. It had to be truly hassle-free. We had to do this because everyone was a VIP— from AIM President Roberto de Ocampo, the faculty, the alumni, friends and families of the alumni. The total of 86 Filipino participants were all pampered. Check-in of luggage and golf bags were
“MY FIRST REALIZATION WAS THAT THE ALUMNI NETWORK IS VERY WIDE AND RICH. THERE IS ENORMOUS POTENTIAL THAT HAS YET TO BE TAPPED IN THIS NETWORK. JUST THINK—MOST OF OUR GRADUATES HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO BIG BUSINESSMEN, LEADERS, AND INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE WITH ACCESS TO NUMEROUS RESOURCES. IT’S JUST A MATTER OF TAPPING THEM.” tion that happened among the alumni. The participatory approach worked. Each one who got involved gave his or her best effort. The objective was very clear—the activity had to be successful and everyone made it possible. The alumni and faculty enjoyed each other’s company reminiscing their good old days at AIM. Nobody complained. Everyone just seized the moment and had a blast. TS: Was the trip’s program all fun? CJ: The itinerary was a combination of fun and seriousness. It was fun because we gave the participants a city tour, shopping time, a golf game, and food galore from various restaurants both in Clark and KL. There was a sense of seriousness however since we included an organized business-networking forum and we invited prominent people to speak in the conference. 30
already done at the AIM parking lot. Embarkation and disembarkation cards by then were already filled-up. The participants just had to sign the cards. All this efficiency got people to tease me that I should have just learned the signature of each one so I could sign for everyone! TS: How did you make it all work? CJ: The biggest challenge for me was how to make everyone be part of the preparation without making them feel that it was being imposed. Being an MDM graduate and dealing with a lot of MBA graduates, I used the participatory approach. I also can’t take all the credit because I wouldn’t have been able to execute and implement everything by myself. Each of those involved had a say in the preparation. It was a collective effort to make sure the participants were happy. It was also very important that each one
knew his or her role—from finance and marketing, to taking care of details like city tours, buses, restaurants, airports, guides, documentations, identification cards, t-shirts, and kits. Proper tasking while making sure the role being given to the person involved has the fit and match was very important. TS: What important realization can you glean from this activity? CJ: My first realization was that the alumni network is very wide and rich. There is enormous potential that has yet to be tapped in this network. Just think—most of our graduates have been transformed into big businessmen, leaders, and influential people with access to numerous resources. It’s just a matter of tapping them. I was amazed at how each alumnus who was either the Chairman or owner of the airline, hotel, golf course, restaurant, or whatever else establishment we needed for the trip, were willing to speak to me personally to help with the arrangements. This was an important factor in the success of the trip to KL. Each one of these alumni big-wigs were more than willing to help keep the prices affordable without sacrificing service. Because of the success of this 4th AIM President’s Cup, I am already networking with the alumni to prepare for the Bali trip in 2007. The Grand 2006 Alumni Homecoming
After all the excitement from the course to the courts, this year’s alumni activities were capped by even more fun and games which culminated at the Grand Homecoming Party
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last March 3. A desert of pavement and sparse buildings were broken by a tropical oasis right in the heart of Fort Bonifacio that was witness to a night of laughter, fun, reminiscing and hope. Everyone was treated to a visual delight as they entered the foyer of the tent with ushers at the door offering leis, while everyone at the reception area were clad in their white tops and red sarongs. The real treat however lay upon entering the main hall. At the entrance was a beautifully rustic bridge above a body of water that led to a sea of tables covered in bright yellows, greens and orange. All around the area were attractively colored lanterns that added to the festive mood. The stage was a tropical forest with palm fronds providing a backdrop for the Acoustic Jive band that played the classic beats that different generations of alumni could groove to. Even the two video walls on each side of the stage were ingeniously bordered with banig-like material to cap off the tropical mood. The tables were constantly filled with finger foods, which were absentmindedly consumed as the alumni lost themselves in conversation with their fellow alumni. The sides of the hall held that night’s sumptuous buffet dinner as well as a concessionaire of every type of beverage one might feel like imbibing. Everyone was encouraged to come in their tropical-inspired outfit to truly enjoy the night’s laid back, chill out appeal suitable for a long night of reminiscing and bonding among old friends and classmates. The venue’s coolness was tested however when a group of dancers paraded from the entrance
to the stage, swaying and gyrating to the Tahitian beat, turning the mood sultry. Things heated up further and the fun climbed up a notch as the Tahitian dancers descended off stage to dance with gentlemen they grabbed off from the tables. This however was only the beginning. Mitch Valdes, a prominent figure in the entertainment scene twenty years ago, and a classic icon to this day, came on stage that night to share her brand of comedy and wit interspersed with her vocal styling in a mini concert within the show’s program. Later into the evening, everyone was treated to a BMW – Planet Sports fashion show with none other than AIM’s own alumni parading and sashaying up and down stage like veterans of the catwalk. Throughout the evening, several prizes and gift packs were given away courtesy of the companies headed by some of the alumni with a Panasonic plasma TV screen as the grand prize.
true leadership is in service as they pledged a donation for the much-needed renovation of the campus’ dorm lobby. Forged in the spirit of fun, the AIM campus will experience yet another brilliant transformation that will be enjoyed by its students, thanks to the legacy of top notch alumni who continue to make and leave their mark, inside and out of the exceptional walls of the Asian Institute of Management. Although the alumni activities were fun and enjoyed by all involved, lengthy preparations and detailed coordination were invested in each event to make for smooth execution. Each activity was designed as a vehicle where priceless memories are remembered and new ones formed, creating a seeming timelessness where the AIM alumni can relax, chat, bond and renew ties with classmates and old friends. These past alumni activities prove that the AIM alumni shine not only at work
“THESE ACTIVITIES ARE A VENUE FOR THEM TO LET THEIR HAIR DOWN… WHATEVER IS LEFT OF IT THAT IS,” MR. TANWANGCO JOKINGLY ADDS. The party’s theme was AIM 2 Lead: Leadership Revolution and quite aptly, the lead host class was MBA 1986. The night was a wonderful trip down memory lane with the alumni from the host class reminiscing about how uncertain times were twenty years ago and despite that, they rose to the occasion and successfully took up the role of leaders. Two decades later, they once again show that
but also at play. As AAAIM Chairman, Alex Tanwangco says, “These alumni activities make the participants younger because they’re allowed to behave like kids again. This is something that they definitely can’t do in a formal business setting. “These activities are a venue for them to let their hair down… Whatever is left of it that is,” Mr. Tanwangco jokingly adds.
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cover story
Déjà Vu THE FRENCH TERM LITERally means “already seen”; it’s when you feel an overwhelming sense of familiarity with something that seems to have happened before. Some psychoanalysts say that déjà vu is nothing but wish fulfi llment—a wish to repeat a past experience, but this time with a more satisfactory outcome. Touché! When MBA 1986 started planning for the 2006 homecoming theme, it was only natural to hanker back to the idealistic experience of EDSA One, considered by many the one, true people power revolution in which a passionate desire for freedom ousted an overstaying dictator without shedding any blood! After all, Gringo Honasan, MBA ’81 (the young military hero of Edsa I who by the way is still nowhere to be found possibly because there is a P5 Million bounty on his head) had come with the other RAM boys to talk to our batch at AIM a few days post-Edsa about their experience. Fidel Ramos, Marcos military stalwart turned EDSA hero, was our keynote speaker at graduation,
humbly praising the power of a people who said “enough is enough!” Who would have thought he would become the next Philippine Presi-
“Who would have thought that the events leading towards homecoming night, March 3, 2006, would have paralleled the events of the distant past? ...only a few hours before the program held at the NBC Tent at the Fort (a former military camp), the infamous Presidential Decree 1017 was finally withdrawn.” 32
dent after Cory Aquino? Moreover, who would have thought that the events leading towards homecoming night, March 3, 2006, would have paralleled the events of the distant past? That in fact, only a few hours before the program held at the NBC Tent at the Fort (a former military camp), the infamous Presidential Decree 1017 putting the nation in a “state of emergency”, was finally withdrawn without further explanation?
But in the Philippine context, a party is a party! And although the preceding political events had scared away our foreign batchmates from joining our golf, badminton, and homecoming night activities, our more ‘seasoned’ balikbayan classmates from Asia and North America flew in to join the fun. Golf, a sine qua non of homecoming events, was held at the Ayala Greenfields Estate Golf and Leisure Club in Calamba City,
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The People Power Batches of AIM Celebrate 20 Years Later J E N N Y
D E
L O S
R E Y E S
&
J O J I
R E C T O ,
M BA
1 9 8 6
CARL VICENTE
Laguna on March 3, 2006. The players found the course challenging and at the same time exhilarating because of the scenic view of Laguna de Bay. At the end of the day, MBA ‘86 won the team contest. A first in the annals of AIM homecoming events was the holding of a badminton tournament. Originally scheduled for February 25, 2006 at the Manila Polo Club, in Makati City, it was postponed to March 5, 2006, mimicking the political uncertainties of 1986.
In the end, the event turned out to be very successful with the participants taking home not only exciting giveaways but also pleasant memories of meeting other alumni. The host batch MBA ‘86 made sure that its homecoming night would be the new standard in terms of production value. The venue, NBC Tent, was transformed into a tropical paradise complete with trees, lagoons, and generous helpings of sumptu-
ous food. The main entertainer Mitch Valdes brought us back to the mid-80s with her superb wit and humor while popular band Acoustic Jive kept us on our toes. Of course the homecoming night
would not have been as grand without the backing of its many sponsors. The sheer number of corporations (at least 30) that participated was phenomenal and even brought erstwhile competitors like Globe and Smart side by side as the batch raised funds for the AIM Dorm Lobby Renovation. At the end of our celebration, as we looked around at our classmates, most of whom had morphed into ‘wiser and healthier’ versions of their youthful selves, we realized that hope for the future of our country lay not so much in the hands of political leaders who would come and go, but in the hands of ‘ordinary’ people such as us—decision-makers in our own homes, communities, and businesses, who not only possess excellent leadership skills acquired at AIM, but more importantly all own a generous and sincere heart honed through 20 years of working and living in the Philippines. This is the true legacy of AIM and EDSA One and it is a legacy that will continue to live on in the lives of our AIM graduates.
“At the end of our celebration... we realized that hope for the future of our country lay not so much in the hands of political leaders who would come and go, but in the hands of ‘ordinary’ people such as us—decision-makers in our own homes, communities, and businesses...”
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AIMAAC Organizing Committee: Maria Sanchez, MBA ’99 Alex Ramos, BMP ’89 Hasan Akhtar, MM ’99 Marilen Patricio, MBA ’86 Amiel dela Cruz, MBA ’78 John Lai, MBA ’80 Rajiv Gulati, MBA ’83
: Chairperson : Vice Chairperson : Secretary : Treasurer : Business Manager : Operations : Membership
); 3rd row: A ’77), Wilson Tan, (MBA ’77 ); 4th row: Luis Mendieta (MB ’97), Fr. Ben Ebcas (PDM ’93), Bobby ’83 A (MB so Velo n Joh k: 5th row from bac Ram Srinivasan (MM Raymund ), Clarence Lau (MBA ’77), ), Hasan Akhtar (MM ’99), Edwin Mangahas (MBA ’83 row: William Cruz (MBA ’75 ted: Manolo Arnaldo (MBA ’76), 2nd ); ’85 A (MB ra Rive go dela Cruz (MBA ’78), Bin (MBA ’80); Front row sea ilidad (MBM ’99), John Lai Dolina (MM ’90), Ellery Vag Gulati (MBA ’83), Carlo Asuncion v ) Raul Tuazon (MBA ’85), Raji chez-Januszczak (MBA ’99 (MBA ’98); standing Ria San
Bobby dela Cruz, MBA ’78 (standing) listening to the comment of Luis Mendieta, MBA ’77 during the February planning session. There were lots of coffee and donuts sponsored by Manolo Arnaldo, MBA ’76
AIM Alumni in British Columbia met for the first time at the White Spot restaurant. Seated, L-R: Amelia Arteficio-de Vera (MBA ’72), Desiree Boteros (MM ’98), and Ricky Urera (MM ’98). Standing, L-R: Glenn Dy (MM ’99) and Herme de Vera (MBA ’70)
ALUMNI CHAPTERS
Canada Beijing, ROC Korea Pakistan
Nepal Shanghai, ROC Bangladesh Taiwan India Hong Kong, ROC Vietnam Philippines Thailand Malaysia
West Coast, USA
East Coast, USA
Singapore
Indonesia
First Christmas get-together of the AIM Alumni Association Canada (AIMAAC). Front row L-R seated: Ed Castellanes, MBA ’74. Susan Yao-Arkilander, MBA ’85, Ria Sanchez-Januszczak, MBA ’99, Marilen Ambrosio-Patricio, MBA ’86 and Alex Ramos, BMP ’89. 2nd row L-R: John Lai, MBA ’80, Raymund Dolina, MM ’90, Bobby dela Cruz, MBA ’78, Nelson Cruz, MBA ’92, Tim Garde MBA ’74, Roger Laset, MBA ’79, Manolo Arnaldo, MBA ’76, and Philip Javier, MBA ’81. 3rd row L-R: Hasan Akhtar, MM ’99, William Cruz, MBA ’76, Ramkumar Srinivasan, MM ’97, and Rajiv Gulati, MBA ’83 STOCK PHOTOS FROM STOCK.XCHNG
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alumni associations AIM Alumni Association Canada (AIMAAC)
Coming in From the Cold with his wife Amelia Arteficio-de Vera MBA ’72 collaborated with Desiree Boteros MM ’98 to set an initial meeting for AIM alumni in the province of BC. Mr. Gabby Franco MBA ’77 was selected as the representative for AB and Chibu Uson MBA ’82 for MB. What has AIMAAC accomplished and what opportunities lay ahead? We have attracted a growing number of members and we are actively seeking ways to grow memU SZC Z A K , M BA ‘ 9 9 bership further. One exciting opportunity is to identify Canadian students who participatA very important aspect is the incorporation of AIMAAC. A non-profit organization can ed in the exchange program with AIM. This be incorporated in two ways in Canada, either helps expand our network with individuals who have even deeper local roots and conon the federal or provincial level. The group nections. We continue to make contact with decided to pursue the latter course in considother Asian-Canadian organizations with a eration of lower fees and fewer requirements. goal of discovering possible synergies and A major component in the incorporation areas of cooperation. One such organization process is the group’s objectives. The objecis the North American Association of Asian tives and by-laws are patterned after existing Professionals. We have participated in one of by-laws from other alumni associations. their Business Mixers and we look forward to These were sent to the members by email future collaboration in projects such as their and then presented at a planning session for mentorship program. deliberation. A Canadian executive search firm familInitially, email was a good way to comiar with AIM is currently posting positions municate with the growing number of memthrough the AIMAAC website (a feature only bers but it was not the most effective. What available to registered members). We are also was required was a more efficient vehicle for talking with other recruiters and hope to AIM Alumni to provide and access informaprovide more options of career advancement tion about the group and to find out about for our members. past, present and future events: the AIMAAC We have been in contact with the AACSB website. The start of the year was devoted to designing the website and developing content. to promote AIM’s existing accreditation in Canada. Besides accrediting AIM, the AACSB To build credibility, we enlisted the support is the main accrediting body for leading of AIM president Roberto de Ocampo and Mr. Cedric Ritchie, the former Chairman and CEO Canadian business schools such as Queen’s University and the University of Toronto. of the Bank of Nova Scotia (and a member of At present, we are also exploring possible AIM’s board of governors). partnerships with other AIM Alumni AssociaWhile coordinating with alumni from tions in North America and potentially other Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, I Alumni Groups from Asian Business Schools. was also communicating with alumni from The purpose of these relationships could be the provinces of Quebec (“QC”), British Columbia (“BC”), Alberta (“AB”) and Manitoba anything from networking to lobbying efforts in the recognition of foreign credentials. (“MB”). It helped to have a flat rate long To the AIM alumni who love to travel, distance plan! The participation of alumni why don’t you consider coming in from the from these provinces was crucial to forming cold as well—we’d love to a truly Canadian association. Visit us: www.aimaac.com see you! Mr. Herme de Vera MBA ’70
In espionage, the term “Coming in from the Cold” refers to when an undercover agent in a foreign territory comes out of hiding. After so many years in Canada, it was time for AIM Alumni to come in from the cold. This is the story of how we did it. R I A
SA N C H E Z- JA N
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he AIM Alumni portal was the starting point, providing the names of a few alumni here in Canada. In early November of 2005, an email was sent out stating the intention to form an AIM alumni association in Canada. The response was encouraging yet attendance at our first meeting later in November was only seven people. Unfazed, our group of seven committed ourselves to organizing the association. It was decided that the group will be known as AIM Alumni Association Canada or “AIMAAC” for short. The next step was to seek out more alumni. Fortunately, Alex Ramos BMP ’89 had developed a more extensive contact list from an earlier attempt to form a similar group. I was able to use this to generate an accurate and up to date directory of known AIM alumni in Canada. A significant amount of time was spent calling on each person, updating their contact information and communicating our desire to start an association. The general reaction was positive but there were instances of skepticism such as “What’s in it for you?” to “We are just kidding ourselves…” The following month, a get-together was planned to keep the interest going. Each alumnus was personally invited to a Christmas get-together and despite a blizzard the day before, the turn-out was great. Jovial banter, reminisces, new found friendships plus good food were the high points of the evening.
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alumni associations
AAAIM Chapter Development Moving Ahead
(left to right): Rhia Ramirez, Ofelia Bisnar, Armi Cortes, Alex Tanwangco, Greg Atienza and Coratec Jimenez
What started out as a dream is now a moving reality! AAAIM alumni chapters in Pampanga, Baguio and Cagayan de Oro have recently been revitalized. This is in addition to Cebu, Davao, General Santos, Bacolod, Iloilo, Bohol and Bulacan that have been earlier organized. Inspired by its mission, to build a harmonious AIM community through integration with other stakeholders and responsive leadership, the officers of the AAAIM Philippine Chapter headed by Alex Tanwangco, MBA’73, championed the cause of chapter development. The Chapter Development Committee headed by outgoing board director and president of the International Movement of Development Managers, Corazon “Coratec” Jimenez, MDM’02, convened a “Cebu Convergence 36
Initiative” last August 2005 to rally the support of chapter convenors from Pampanga, Baguio, Bulacan, Cebu, Bacolod, Bohol and Cagayan de Oro. The affair was also graced by the AIM Alumni Relations Office’s executive managing director, Greg Atienza, MBA’83, and Institutional Marketing EMD, Armi Cortes, MBA’96. The Pampanga chapter headed by Frankie Villanueva, MBA’85, has conducted a number of activities: fellowships, golf tournaments, seminars on the following topics like “The Joy of Writing”, marketing, economic forecasting, privatization of power, competing in the global village, and participation in the Kelab AIM Malaysia business conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, among others. For its part, the Baguio Chapter headed by Henry Tenedero, MDM’03, has conducted a multisectoral focused group discussion using Appreciative Inquiry, golf fellowships, participated in the January 2006 conference on Leadership Styles Across Cultures, and has given talks to various publics including police officials on Servant Leadership, PMAP members, and civil service workers on the character city program of government. The Cagayan De Oro Chapter headed
by Tony Acupan, MM’91, organized an AIM Leadership Forum, which was attended by 150 paying attendees, with speakers from AIM (Prof. Titong Gavino), Xavier University (Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ) and Citibank (Mr. Eugene Acevedo, MBA’87). The forum was sponsored by Petron, Smart, Panasonic and Citibank plus several other local companies. Incoming AAAIM board director and new chapter development committee head Henry Tenedero intends to pursue what has been started. He is currently gathering the database of alumni leaders from Davao, Bacolod, Iloilo, General Santos, and other provinces in Northern Luzon and Southern Tagalog. The AIM Leadership Forum series will be conducted in these provinces. It is hoped that through the conduct of the AIM Leadership Forum series across the country, the different stakeholders will have the chance to experience the AIM “brand of education” cascaded even up to the grassroots level. In the process, AAAIM creates values focusing on connectivity with fellow alumni for lifetime friendship, and develops team spirit through shared experiences for lifelong learning. It’s living up to its tag line—Leadership. Live It!
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showcase
T EC H N OL O GY
3G IS HERE
3G has been unleashed and it’s causing a revolution in the wireless world. As more and more 3G ads proliferate, it’s definitely becoming everyone’s must-have these days. But what exactly is 3G? J E I
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3G
or third-generation technology is used in the context of mobile phones. Analog cellular phones were the first generation. Digital phones marked the second generation (2G). The services associated with 3G provide the ability to transfer voice and non-voice data such as exchanging e-mails, instant messaging and downloading information. Japan first introduced this technology in 2005. It is expected that the transition from 2G to 3G would be largely completed in Japan this year. Majority of the countries in Asia follow afterwards such as China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. 3G cellular services offer great promise for mobile users. That is, if it catches on. According to Manoj Menon, partner and managing director of Frost & Sullivan Southeast Asia, it would take “some time” before companies start to embrace 3G services. He noted that this is due to several factors, such as the small number of 3G devices and enterprise applications available in the market, and issues over device security and management. In the consumer level part, the main reason is that 3G phones are expensive. There also appears to be something of a chicken and egg situation: Without subscriber numbers, carriers are reluctant to create infrastructure. This limits the availability of services according to the piece. In the Philippines, Smart Communications Inc. launched the first HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access ) technology ready network. When Smart 3G was launched on February 14, 2006, 3G services such as video-streaming, video calls, high-speed internet browsing and downloading of special 3G content were offered on a free-trial basis. According to Napoleon L. Nazareno (MBA’73), President and CEO of Smart, Smart offers genuine nationwide 3G coverage with 800 cellsites covering 119 key cities and municipalities. They have made the service very affordable to encourage usage. They have also made their 3G network HSDPA-ready to pave the way for continuous improvement in the service.
Top Five 3G Phones Sony Ericsson W900i Making its way to the number one spot on the list is the Sony Ericsson’s W900i, complete with speedy 3G, a superb high-resolution display; and a snap-happy 2 megapixel camera with autofocus. Its browser is unfortunately rather average and battery life is naturally modest for such a fully featured handset. It has an outstanding music player and Bluetooth connectivity for either streaming audio in stereo or providing high-speed internet access for a laptop.
Nokia N70 Reliable and speedy 3G connectivity, a first-rate browser and Bluetooth for enabling high-speed internet access for laptop users, Nokia’s N70 follows hot on the heels of the W900i. With 2 megapixel camera which shoots high-quality stills as well as video further enhances a positive impression, a stereo FM radio, USB 2.0 for data transfers and the ability to install native third party applications.
Nokia 6680 Nokia’s 6680 remains a solid choice despite not being among the most recent 3G phones to see the light of day. Subtract the stereo FM radio and exchange the 2 Megapixel camera for one of the 1.3 Megapixel variety, and the 6680 presents a cheaper yet almost equally capable alternative to the newer and arguably better-looking N70. A business user will also appreciate its solid document viewing capabilities.
LG U880 Despite being smaller and sleeker than its competitors, LG’s U880 manages to offer up a good range of features including video calling, still picture shooting and video recording courtesy of its 1.3 megapixel swivel camera. Basic functions perform a crisp and bright display, and although we’ve seen better browsers, we’re pleased to see the inclusion of Bluetooth which lets laptop users get online, no wires attached.
Sony Ericsson K608i This small candy bar sports above-par battery life and excellent connectivity courtesy of speedy downloads and Bluetooth, while performance in other departments is fully adequate. Our only major niggle with this handset is its poor keypad, but at the same time we also have to admit we favor the inclusion of a stereo FM radio.
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Sources: SMART Communications, 3Gportal .com, Wikipedia, ITBusinessEdge, Emarketer, ZDNetAsia http://phone. mobile9.com/img/sony-ericsson-w900i-7.jpg http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/na/archive/00212/nokia_n70_212737c. jpg http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook/images/nokia_6680.jpg http://www.thaimobilecenter.com/images/ products/lg_u880_b.jpg http://telefonino.leonardo.it/news/images/13051_02.jpg
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B O O K S HEL F
P R O F. B A G A D I O N L A U N C H E S S E C O N D B O O K
Dr. Benjamin Bagadion Jr. of the AIM Center for Development Management (CDM) has successfully added to the intellectual capital of the Institute upon the launch of his second book, Windward: Steering Community-Driven Projects for Environmental Protection, A Casebook of Asian Praxis.
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HE LAUNCH WAS ATTENDED AT THE Filipinas Heritage Library in Makati City on March 23, 2006 by more than 100 of Prof. Bagadion’s family, friends, colleagues, and students. The day was particularly special for the professor as it was also the birthday of his late father, a pioneer in the participatory approach in Philippine communities. The unusual title Windward originates from Prof. Bagadion’s passion for sailing. “I like sailing because you use wind power,” explains the professor, who is also a diver and nature lover. The book is the fruit of the professor’s long years of doing action research. “I go to an area to help lay the foundation for sustainable development,” he explained. “I specialize in environmental and social development… I want people to use the book to help save mankind and save the earth.” In the foreword by Prof. Nihal Amerasinghe, former director-general of ADB, he considers the book “a significant contribution to the literature on project management with a development-practitioner orientation. The emphasis of the book is on environmental protection, which draws heavily on the deep knowledge of the author, who has served as a distinguished public official, an academic, and a community organizer for three decades.” The book uses the case method, which has been successfully used by business and management schools like AIM to train managers. “CDM has also adopted this approach in its programs and has built a resource 38
of teaching cases in development management,” wrote Prof. Bagadion in his introduction to the book. “I have actively taken part in the center’s efforts to develop cases about community-based projects for environmental protection. The cases in this book represent selections from this resource. I have used most of them a number of times in Indonesia, Malaysia, in the Philippines, and in my classes, and my experience shows that they have been effective pedagogical tools. “Although the superiority of the participatory approach has come to be accepted as conventional wisdom, the question of what makes it work and where lies the difference between those participatory projects which have failed and which have thrived have remained largely unclarified,” wrote Prof. Bagadion. “Lacking this knowledge, development practitioners–especially the managers–are in a quandary when faced with critical situations, lost in the waters which are, however, not uncharted territory as many before them have sailed these routes. Putting together this book is akin to putting together the routes that have been tested by me and others into a comprehensive navigational guide to guide those who are now, or in the future venturing into this territory. Indeed, my paramount aim in this project is to have a book that is useful to practitioners as they set sail. “In the seas of environmental turbulence, many issues may take the development
manager off course. However, with a steady hand and a firm reference point, the development manager can steer a community-based project to success. This book describes a method and perspective on how to steer one’s little boat to safety in a sea of big, turbulent waves. Moreover, it is an articulation of the value of community projects in the wake of sporadic criticism that community projects are insignificant and hardly worth the attention and resources they require.” Fr. Ed Martinez, associate dean of CDM, formally welcomed guests to the book launch. Corazon Jimenez (MDM 2002), president of the International Movement of Development Managers, prepared a special and hilarious video entitled “Sailing Windward”, which featured Prof. Bagadion. Delivering their reviews of the book were Facundo “Ding” Roco, a childhood friend of Prof. Bagadion who is the managing director of Shell Philippines Exploration, and Fr. Arthur Dingle, OP, MDM 2006 and vice rector for academic affairs of Aquinas University, Legazpi City. The capable host was Henry Tenedero of MDM 2003. Publication of the book was made possible through the support of the UN Development Programme. To order the book, please contact Pearl Chan of CDM at (632) 8924011 ext 388 or email dchan@aim.edu. Proceeds from the sale of the book during the launch would be donated to the Bagadion Elementary School in Camarines Sur province.
“This book... is an articulation of the value of community projects in the wake of sporadic criticism that community projects are insignificant and hardly worth the attention and resources they require.”
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PRESIDENT’S CUP TEES OFF IN KL
AIM President Roberto de Ocampo, for the third time in President’s Cup history, proved his knack on the course as he topped the scoreboard with a score of 37. >> However, like previous years, he had to waive his claim over the trophy. Angel Severino Raul Ilagan, Jr., ME 2002, succeeded as this year’s President’s Cup champion. Organized by the Alumni Association of AIM—Philippine Chapter and the Kelab AIM Malaysia, 56 AIM alumni and friends from Malaysia and the Philippines teed off on February 18, 2006 at the Perangsang Templer Golf Club, the 18-hole international class golf course acknowledged as one of the most challenging in Malaysia. Sponsors of the 4th annual AIM President’s Cup Golf Tournament were Petron Corporation, Smart Communications, and Callaway Golf.
Angel Severino Raul Ilagan,Jr.
Over-all Champion Raul Ilagan Class A Champion Roberto de Ocampo Class A Runner-up Raul Ilagan Class B Champion Hj. Aminuddin Hj. Ishak Class B Runner-up Felipe Diego Class C Champion Lt. Col. Zakaria Abu Class C Runner-up Joel Ferrer
(Left to right) Emil Reyes, Vicente Lim, Andres Cornejo, Analisa Yu and Cris Carreon
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showcase
T R AV E L
STUPA- FIED IN NEPAL : TIME TIPTOES ON THE ROOFTOP OF THE WORLD
An adventure in Nepal–home to the world’s highest peaks, including Sagamartha (Mount Everest to the western world)–has been described as the closest one can get to find his personal Shangri-la. A N G E L A
B L A R D O N Y
U R E TA ,
I
arrived in Nepal in June, just before the monsoon season. Darkness was about to set in when I checked in at the Himalaya Hotel in Kathmandu. It had rained that afternoon and the sky turned to gray almost by a single wave of the Buddha’s great hand (he was born in Nepal, by the way, a scion of the aristocratic
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one only needed to whisper--and his prayers would immediately reach the ears of God. Even time tiptoes through Nepal. Every passing minute seemed to linger for a while, like the rising and falling of the breath during meditation. And why not? With so much beauty around, even Father Time had the
been eating well–-signifying a degree of prosperity in a very poor country. But the Nepali, no matter how disfavored, have their pride and self-respect intact. Even in the most tourist-infested areas, hawkers do not normally pester you unceasingly. Naturally, many will attempt to sell you items two or three times the actual price but, of course, as in any marketplace, no one can sell you anything without your consent. If you are generous–or gullible–enough, you and your rupees will soon be parted. Begging is frowned upon and discouraged even by the locals themselves. Except for the saddhus (itinerant ascetics), hardly anyone will bother you for loose change. In any case, coins are virtually non-existent in day-today transactions. Almost every purchase is rounded off to the next rupee and singles won’t really get you anything, anywhere.
STOCK.XCHNG
Amidst the ranges of the Himalaya, one only needed to whisper— and his prayers would immediately reach the ears of God. Sakya tribe in ancient Lumbini some 500 years B.C.). At that time of the year, there were not as much tourists as trekking became dangerous when the rains commenced. For a first time visitor who was not out to ski or climb, it was just as well, as most goods and services were offered at lower rates. And if you are seeking spiritual enlightenment, arriving during the low season became twice as auspicious. The next five days were spent soaking in the day-to-day life of Nepal. One of the first things I observed was the quiet civility–it was rude for the Nepali to shout or raise their voices. Like in most Asian cultures, they are polite and gracious. Calm abiding was no great effort to achieve. After all, when you lived at the rooftop of the world, there was no need to holler. Amidst the ranges of the Himalaya, 40
right to relax and take in the sights! With my ever-reliable guide, Sanjib, I walked through the streets, temples and marketplaces of Kathmandu absorbing every bit of information I could wring from his tireless storytelling. His first tips were purely practical. First, nothing in the market is truly antique, only smoked. Second, never believe in anyone who passes off an item as made of yak bone because “I’ve lived in Nepal all my 39 years and I’ve never seen a yak!” Third, always browse around and check for quality over price–-anything you get dirt-cheap was almost sure to be worthless. In one of our incursions downtown, Sanjib commented that it was a compliment among the Nepali to be told a person has gained weight, as it was a sign he or she had
A most valuable lesson I learned from my guide was in shopping for thangkas, sacred Buddhist wall hangings intended for meditation but prized for their decorative artwork as well. In the shopping mecca of Thamel, thangkas of all sizes and craftsmanship were displayed in the stores that lined its busy streets. According to Sanjib, the tradition of thangkamaking began when Tibetan Buddhists started trading with neighboring kingdoms. Making the journey by foot, it became too tedious for these devout people to carry their metal images of the Buddha across the mountains. So, the monks devised a more portable and travel-friendly way of traveling with their family icons–sacred paintings that eventually became showcases of Buddhist art over the centuries. When I expressed my desire to bring
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home some thangkas, Sanjib brought me to the Boudha Thangka Center in Boudhanath. The master artist, a Tibetan, belonged to the Tamang clan and was a fi fth generation thangka painter. He started learning from his father at age ten, and was now an accomplished teacher himself. Acquiring the skill was so complicated, it took six years just to become a good enough apprentice. Thangkas were neither printed nor massproduced. Not even the so-called “imitations” were imprinted; they were merely “quickies” of inferior quality. All had to be drawn
Its fine lines and infinitesimal details were mostly outlined in gold paint and best appreciated under a magnifying glass. Literally. The execution of colors was of such exceptional skill; small wonder a Danish tourist bought it for US$1,200 dollars!! Worth every penny to a connoisseur of exquisite art. Even the cheaper versions took considerable effort to create. Thangkas are painted on cotton cloth, stiffened with horse glue and smoothened out with a piece of stone. The paints are all extracted from various ores (like gold), rocks, tree barks, leaves and other natural sources of dyes. No self-respecting thangka artist would use commercial
tures–giant reliquaries of holy artifacts–dominated the horizon for stretches on end. Religion was a way of life in Nepal, where day-to-day existence continued to be heavily influenced by the practices of Hinduism and Buddhism. The nuances of these two traditions were apparent in practically everything and everyone, revealing the deep spirituality of its people. Ranking a close third in importance, according to Sanjib, was a newer doctrine called “Tourism”, which he explained was the lifeblood of Nepal. On my last day, I woke up early to catch the Magic Mountain Flight, an hour-long air escapade that was supposed to bring you
Religion was a way of life in Nepal. The nuances (of Hinduism and Buddhism) were apparent in practically everything and everyone... Ranking a close third in importance, according to Sanjib, was a newer doctrine called “Tourism”. WWW.DRALA .CA
or synthetic paint. That would be a grave insult to this sacred art. To this day, serious thangka makers followed the methods STOCK.XCHNG handed down by their forebears in this ancient tradition. and colored by hand, the mastery of which I chose three designs of mid-range price, thereby pegged the price of the finished work. closed my eyes, brought out my credit card The master artist himself only completes and had it swiped. No regrets. three thangkas a year, since it takes him no The mountain ranges were visible in less than four months to finish an 11” x 14” most of downtown Kathmandu, its landscape piece. To give us a better idea of his work, he punctuated with its own summits. The pointed brought out a Green Tara work by one of his peaks of temples and stupas rose serenely over students, pegged at US$45 dollars. We gasped a backdrop of merchants and sightseers. “It’s as he unrolled it, for in our inexperienced not unusual for tourists to be ‘stupa-fied’ in eyes, it was an impressive work of art. Nepal,” quipped Sanjib the Glib. That was But when he brought out his own version stating the obvious, as the dome-shaped strucof the same design, we almost keeled over.
as close as you can get to Mount Everest and other majestic peaks without actually climbing. Alas, the monsoon finally caught up with me. The clouds hung low that morning and the excursion was cancelled. Otherwise, it would have been a visual and spiritual delight! But look at the bright side… It gave me good reason to return. From “A Pilgrim’s Diary: Passages and Inner Landscapes” by Angela Blardony Ureta. The book is available at all branches of Mag:Net and Mag:Net Plus, Popular Bookstore, Filipinas Heritage Library, the Ayala Museum, the CCP gift shop, Bound, Greens Vegetarian Restaurant, Bliss Café in Baguio and via web shopping at Divisoria.Com. For inquiries, please send an email to treehousecreatives@yahoo.com
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G O U R ME T
KO R E AN FO O D FE S T: A RECIPE FOR NURTURING TIES
The onslaught of the so-called Korean Wave in the Philippines has heightened a sense of familiarity between communities in the Philippines and in South Korea, bred mostly by a common love for pop culture staples such as films and soap operas. R I Z A T . O L C H O N D R A LEVI LACANDULA
LEVI LACANDULA
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Relations between the two would be even closer and beyond the realm of entertainment, however, if Masters in Management graduate Eric Lee had his way. The Seoul native has come up with a recipe for just such a development: intercultural activities highlighting food, traditions, and the youth. Lee, in opening the Korean Food Fest last month at the AIM campus, said that the Philippines had become the second home to as much as 100,000 South Koreans. Apart from touring the country for a few days, more South Koreans are choosing to permanently reside in the Philippines. They are mostly businesspeople, students of English, and missionaries. Indeed, there are a growing number of Korean restaurants, groceries and other business establishments in Manila, Cebu, and other parts of the Philippines. Likewise, more and more Filipinos are migrating to South Korea to work, usually as English teachers. The one-day event was the culmination of his final thesis in Masters in Management, a program for senior executives or junior executives aiming to perform at the next level. The first ingredient in Lee’s recipe comprised the audience. They consisted mostly of AIM students and other stakeholders who could spread the word on kimchi in particular and on South Korean culture in general, fostering more intercultural exchanges. The next had to do with content, highlighted by taekwondo dances adapted to modern music and a kimchi-making workshop involving updated recipes for the traditional South Korean dish. The final touch came in the presenters: native Korean speakers from kimchi makers to religious figures and exchange students, all united by a love of kimchi. The exchange students affiliated with the International Youth Fellowship (IYF) literally kicked things off with taekwondo dances and Continued on page 52 >>
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awardees on spotlight Three exceptional alumni of the Asian Institute of Management were awarded the prestigious Alumni Achievement Award (Triple A) on March 3, 2006 in recognition of their perseverance, dedication and triumph in their chosen fields of profession. Perpetuo de Claro (MBA’73), Edgardo Limon (MBA’74), and Dato’ Syed Ahmad Idid Syed Abdullah (Advanced Bank Management Program ’83), recently joined a respected roster
of Triple A recipients for the past 31 years. The Alumni Achievement Award is conferred by the Federation of AIM Alumni Associations (FAIM) to individuals who have exhibited indubitable distinction in various fields of professional, entrepreneurial, or developmental endeavor since 1975. Excellence and capability related to the exercise of one’s career are the basic decisive factors for the Triple A. Effective leadership and contribution to help improve the lives of poor people are also significant criteria. - BEA SANTOS
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spotlight THE IDEA OF FIGHTING FOR THE TRUTH IN COURTS MAY HAVE sounded Greek to a 12-year-old Malaysian boy but Dato Syed Ahmad Idid, now an experienced lawyer, customs officer and respected arbitrator, stuck with his dream and achieved even more. He called himself a “rolling stone,” a perpetual student who is always willing to learn the ropes of various industries. “I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer since I was 12. I grew up in a family of government officials and nobody thought about business. But I became a lawyer and I worked in a public bank,” he said in an interview at the Alumni Achievement Awarding (Triple A) ceremony at the Asian Institute of Management. While most people craft a niche in a chosen industry through experience and long work tenure, Dato’ Syed worked in a number of industries to get exposed to different working conditions and perspectives. He started as a customs officer at the Royal Customs and Excise Department in Malaysia after graduating with a Major in History. After six years, he pursued his long-time dream and entered law school at 30. “It was not easy. I had no “I want to be scholarship so I had to wait unremembered as a judge til I was 30 to get a law degree. I sold my wife’s jewelry to study who dispensed justice, in London,” he said. To support who handed down himself, Dato’ Syed worked at a equitable decisions... department store in London and I hope I have been sold flight tickets to Malaysia. He returned to Malaysia ethical in all my dealings with people, my friends with a Barrister-at-Law degree London’s Inn’s of Courts and those I don’t know.” from and worked as director of the legal division of Public Bank Berhad for seven years. “That’s where I saw that a lot of people are rich. I learned about business and money.” He also took up the Advanced Bank Management Program at AIM Manila and completed a general management course at Sundridge Center, United Kingdom. In 1990, he received an offer from the government to become a high court judge. He has served the State of Sabah as well as Kuala Lumpur. He also taught management at the Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California and University of North Malaysia. “I keep on moving after a certain period of time. It’s like the seven-year itch. I think it’s good to get into different industries to have a variety of experiences.” “They have a saying that a rolling stone doesn’t get much moss but I think I got enough.” Leader and Writer
“Dato’ Syed proved to be a motivator of managers in the public bank group as well as an innovator in human resource and industrial relations practice,” Goh Chok Tong, a former colleague at the bank, said in his recommendations. Goh said his former boss contributed to the development and growth of the managerial profession by setting up new systems including an operations manual. Dato’ Syed’s versatility is also exhibited by his passion for writing. Alongside his duties as high court judge, he had written a number of books on law and management. These books include “Challenges of Youth in the Seventies”; “Law of Domestic Enquiry and Dismissals”; WO RDS
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“Advanced Bank Management”; and “Art of Negotiations.” Goh said multinational companies Malaysian Airline Systems and Sime Darby Bhd, among other firms, had consulted Dato’ Syed in connection with their human resource streamlining programs. In 2004, Dato Syed was appointed Director of Regional Center for Arbitration Kuala Lumpur where his colleagues cited his leadership as a force that turned the center into a leading institution in the region. “My job as an arbitrator was enjoyable. I liked meeting people, inviting students and representing Malaysia in various international meetings and fora on arbitration.” In arbitration, Dato’ Syed handled commercial cases, sale of oil and petroleum, building contracts, among other company disputes. Dato’ Syed was also involved in establishing the Malaysian Maritime Arbitration System and capabilities. “As an icon in the legal and arbitration circle, he is always committed in the development of young professionals. Institut Kelautan Malaysia and its members have benefited tremendously from his guidance and cooperation in the development of maritime arbitrators and lawyers in Malaysia,” a colleague at the Maritime Institute of Malaysia said. Triple A Award
Dato’ Syed sees the Triple A Award as an opportunity to improve his craft and share his knowledge through international conferences. “My attitude towards work and service must improve. Now there’s pressure to produce better and more, work harder and move with AIM,” he said. Dato’ Syed dropped by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Center for a meeting in March. He also swung by India and Austria to deliver a paper on arbitration. He is also scheduled to attend arbitration seminars in France and Canada. Apart from meetings abroad, Dato’ Syed is busy administering the arbitration center. “Now I handle operations and see that it functions well, make people aware of the benefits of arbitration.” He said the center is hosting an international conference in Kuala Lumpur on “30 years of United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Arbitration Ruling” in November where arbitrators from the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe and Australia are expected to attend. One of his proposed projects is to set up an AIM in Malysia. More Dreams
Dato’ Syed, 68, said he dreams of purchasing a property near a river or the sea to spend time with his wife, and writing a new book on arbitration when he retires. He also considers as his greatest achievement his tenure as high court judge where he put down judgments that were respected and seldom appealed. “I want to be remembered as a judge who dispensed justice, who handed down equitable decisions...as someone who investigated cases, prosecuted with proper evidence. I hope I have been ethical in all my dealings with people, my friends and those I don’t know.” Dato’ Syed said he was most delighted by people addressing him Sifu, or teacher in Chinese. “I’m glad they see me as a role model. Now I’m happy that my work is appreciated at the center because we’re doing something for Asia, not just for our country,” he said.
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Dato’ Syed Ahmad Idid
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Perpetuo “Boy” de Claro
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Reaching Destinations
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spotlight
O
N MARCH 3, A MINUTE AND 50 SECONDS INTO HIS acceptance speech as a Triple A awardee of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), Perpetuo “Boy” de Claro did the unexpected. Announcing that he still had 10 seconds left in his two-minute speech, he decided right then and there to pledge a million pesos to the alumni’s scholarship fund. Not surprisingly, this brought the house down. When asked why he did it, the president and general manager of Wyeth Philippines (MBA 1973) had a simple answer: “It was a knee-jerk reaction, but I was moved by the events that evening. As AIM alumni, we need to have a heart for this institution. I believe AIM has a lot to contribute to the country. It was my little way of helping the institution, of giving back.” It’s easy to see why Mr. de Claro was chosen as one of three winners of the Alumni Achievement Award for 2006. Recognized as one of the country’s best marketing executives today, he led three multinational companies to their golden ages—Colgate-Palmolive Philippines from 1976 to 1982, Johnson & Johnson Philippines from 1989 to 1998, and Wyeth Philippines from 2001 up to the present. He is also a model of corporate social responsibility. Along with other members of Couples for Christ, he initiated a pilot project for the poor in Bagong Silang, which eventually led to the church group’s Gawad Kalinga mission. Mr. de Claro also led some friends in forming Operation Big Brother, which continues to provide quality education to deserving public high school students. Teaming up with La Salle Greenhills, the program now covers six schools and has 500 scholars. On March 22, I spoke with Mr. de Claro in his spacious Makati office and asked about the miniature boat models displayed there. “I actually get seasick,” he laughed, adding that the appeal for him comes from what a boat or ship represents: working with a team to reach a far-off destination amidst the changing conditions of the sea. Congratulations for winning AIM’s Alumni Achievement Award. What are your thoughts after this win?
Winning the Triple A elicits several emotions simultaneously. Of course, you feel proud of this affirmation, especially of those major activities by which you decide to define your life and persona. Then there’s the pride of being recognized by an institution you respect and love. You also feel humbled by the fact that your accomplishments are mostly done with the help and guidance of many others. Finally, you recall, in appreciation and gratitude, the love and encouragement of your loved ones who continue to inspire you to be the best you can be. What qualities and achievements of yours do you suppose made AIM choose you as an awardee? I’d like to believe that our work in providing the best of our poor students with the best high school education was a tipping point. I believe other considerations helped, like always seeking and eliciting excellence and passion in people and organizations, and not settling for good but going for the dream, always going for number one. I also go for results and performance. In the end, we’re measured not only by how we have moved organizations and people, but also by how these have resulted in excellent business performance. How did you start out in this field?
In terms of our work in education, I truly believe it’s a great levWORDS
BY
BERNICE
ROLDAN
eler. We can’t waste a great mind. Providing our talented but poor students with the best possible education, if done on a more comprehensive and widespread basis, will be instrumental in lifting our country from the morass it is in. It might take a couple of generations, but we have to start now. In terms of my career, what started me off was a determination in my college life that I can be among the best, and that to be so, I must boldly dream and strive hard to be the best. That has been my orientation in my work life: to strive for number one for our company, our brands, and our people. My father often said you should be number one in a Roman village rather than number two in Rome.
My father often said you should be number one in a Roman village rather than number two in Rome.
You’re known for your commitment to corporate social responsibility. What is the role of the business sector in uplifting the lives of their fellow Filipinos in need? I believe that people, not only the business sector, have the obligation to be as good as they can be; to help others, be as good as they can be; and to create a world within your ambit of influence to be the best it can be—whether it’s your family, friends, or company. I don’t dabble too much in political affairs for there is little, if any, I can do there. But I try to be the best father, husband, Wyeth president, best whatever I can be. I try to positively affect what’s within my ambit of influence. What makes a good business manager?
I passionately believe that a good business manager must fully and acutely realize that people are the most important assets of any organization. They—with the efficient and productive use of all company resources and assets—are responsible for creating and enhancing a company’s health and wealth. This realization, that people are the best resources, has profound implications. We have to nurture and reward this resource, as well as train and develop it. We have to make sure this resource is happy where he or she is, and that they’re not costs to lop off at the first sign of a crunch. Also, the training and development funds for them are not the second item to get rid off at the first sign of a crunch. I would rather cut down on marketing. Finally, as we all do, they like to be treated well—not spoiled, not tortured. What principles do you live by that you think have contributed to your success? My first and foremost principle is to always live and act on the basis of principles. Doing so will ensure that you are not whimsical or arbitrary. The second is the golden rule, how you serve others well, like your family, friends, and company. The third is to enjoy what you’re doing and to make sure that it’s worthwhile. And finally, my fourth principle is not losing track of the big picture. You have to first imagine that big picture, and then craft the way you would create it.
PHOTOGRAPH
BY
LEVI
LACANDULA
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spotlight
E
VERY FILIPINO WHO HAS EVER SENT A TEXT message should raise his mobile phone in salute to this man—Edgardo “Ed” Limon. Ed Limon (MBA ’74) is the founder and president of the Intex Group, the leading services and solutions provider in the Philippine telecommunications industry. Mr. Limon is the person responsible for introducing Nokia to the country. He has created strong partnerships with PLDT/Smart and Globe/Innove, the top two telecommunication companies in the country. Despite being instrumental in the Philippine technological revolution, Mr. Limon remains down to earth, sharing openly his humble beginnings and punctuating stories with light, spontaneous laughter. He looks younger than his age, but the patina of wisdom is there, left by an arduous but fulfilling journey. A Business Administration graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, he made bold decisions before entering AIM. “I got married in June 1972, and I resigned from Citibank, where I was a manager,” he enumerates. His parents and his wife Sylvia supported his study. “I was their scholar. That’s why I was a serious student.” Upon obtaining his MBA, he got 50 job offers, but he chose the lowest-paying one—Prof. Gabino Mendoza’s invitation to teach at AIM. He taught banking and finance and became marketing director. The half-day schedule gave him freedom to manage his time. In 1976, he and Sylvia, a former teacher at International School, embarked on their first venture, Child Learning Center in Makati. Its initial comeon—free bus ride. The driver—no less than AIM professor Ed Limon. Early every morning, he would fetch the pupils. “After dropping them off, I’d proceed to AIM,” he relates with humor. “Once their classes were over, I had to drive them back to their houses. After one year, the school grew and I had to hire a driver. With my wife and two older children, I’d give away flyers in the neighborhood. We even got chased by dogs! But it was fun… The school became successful. It has expanded to grade school and high school (called Marymount School).”
“We are servants and leaders; that is our culture. A few years back, we had no driver here, but we had to deliver a very important system to a client. I delivered the equipment myself. It’s managing by example—servant leadership.” His entrepreneurial fervor was stirred further in 1980, when his friend—an MM graduate and son of Indonesia’s richest man—sought his help in actualizing his thesis, that of setting up a banking network in Southeast Asia. Mr. Limon left AIM to establish the Hong Kongbased Summa Bank, where he became vice president for marketing. But it folded up after four years due to the Asian financial crisis. Undaunted, the self-confessed “frustrated engineer” trod down a path that captured his interest the most—he opened the computer company Intex in 1985 and hired three of his former staff. He imported Apple computers and distributed 3M diskettes. “To make sure they worked, we would disassemble and reassemble them. So I would have cuts in my hands,” he recounts. On his own, Mr. Limon studied IT and managed the company’s WO RDS
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marketing. “I had to be realistic. My accountant was not even an accountant!” he exclaims. Once he had to sell his only property—a house and lot in a posh village—because he needed money for the payroll. But the sacrifices paid off. In its first year, Intex was already making profit. After clinching its first international partnership —with an American company whose product connects PC to mainframe —Intex provided data communication services in 1988-92 to numerous banks and introduced modems to the Philippine market. Then, in 1988, Mr. Limon attended a large trade show in Geneva where he first saw the then-unknown Nokia and accepted its offer to be the exclusive Philippine partner. Intex initially imported modems and provided marketing and administrative services. “Nokia modems were huge and expensive,” describes Mr. Limon. “Sadly, they were not working, and I had a lot of stock… We were losing money. I told my staff, ‘I believe in Nokia. Somehow, somewhere, they will reinvent themselves.’” Nokia did reinvent itself when it focused on telecoms. It started to rise, and along with it was Intex. In 1993, they set up the first optical network of Smart in Metro Manila, making the Philippines a global top five client of Nokia that year. Intex introduced Nokia’s GSM to Smart and Globe, giving birth to a strong cellular phone industry. In 1996, Intex built PLDT-Diginet, one of the world’s largest digital data networks. It also installed and commissioned the first and largest DSL network in the country for PLDT. Nonetheless, Nokia wanted more from Mr. Limon’s team—to install and maintain cell sites. “So we also became a construction company!” he laughs. Intex trained retired PLDT engineers and transformed them into subcontractor entrepreneurs who help build and maintain cell sites. Its engineers also repair PLDT lines. “Intex has created a track record of innovative solutions, quality service, and reliability,” affirms Napoleon Nazareno (MBA ’73), president and CEO of Smart. To date, Intex has installed and commissioned over 80% of the switches and more than 60% of all cell sites in the country. It has created around 700 jobs through 24 trained sub-contractors. Intex itself has more than 300 employees. “Until now we’re building cell sites. Sun is expanding; they’re also our client. With 3G, we have to upgrade all our cell sites by changing the antenna,” adds Mr. Limon. But Intex’s biggest shareholder has done more than develop communication infrastructure; he also pioneered in value-added services by founding in 1999 Wireless Services Asia (WSA), the first mobile content provider. WSA is the trailblazer in cell phone icons, ring tones, screensavers, and Java games not only in the Philippines but also in Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and even Finland. On top of all the cutting-edge products he has made popular, Mr. Limon has another surprise up his sleeve—New Generation Network (NGN), the network “brain” that blends fi xed line telephone, data, and mobile networks into one converged network using Internet Protocol. Intex is replacing all the brains or switches of PLDT and Smart. NGN is less costly to maintain, so subscribers will enjoy lower costs, higher connectivity speeds, and quality bundled services. By enabling PLDT to offer cable on demand and TV on the Internet, Intex will once more transform the Filipino lifestyle. With its vision to be the top solutions provider in ICT, Intex plans to go regional and be ISO 9001 certified. With these in mind, its
P HOTOGRAP H
Continued on page 52 >> BY
NOR MAN
GOR ECHO
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Ed Limon
Solutions, Service, Servant Leadership A I M A LU MN I L E A D E R SH I P MAGA Z I N E A p r i l to J une 20 0 6
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T H E
A I M
A L U M N I
L E A D E R S H I P
F U N D
Let your light shine before others. LEADERSHIP IS A GIFT BESTOWED ON AIM ALUMNI. THEIR LIGHT shines before others to enable, to transform, to empower and to inspire toward a better tomorrow. Their torch of leadership must be kept ablaze to be passed on from this generation to the next, to ensure a future radiant not only with hope for a better world but with the means to attain it. Many remarkable transformations have unfolded in your school, the Asian Institute of Management that call upon the further exercise of alumni leadership. The most significant of these is that AIM alumni are now members of the eminent policy making body, the AIM Board of Trustees. You, our alumni, are now a major stakeholder of AIM. Your leadership response is essential in impelling AIM forward to the forefront of management education in a highly competitive region. AIM invites you, our alumni, to help ensure that the flame of leadership keeps burning. Only with your support can AIM maintain its position as the leader in Asian management education.
Keep the Flame Burning! Make a difference in the lives of our future leaders. Make a gift to the AIM Alumni Leadership Fund. Alumni Fund for Scholarships Whether you wish your contribution to go to a degree or a non-degree scholarship fund, your donation will support AIM’s vision of increasing the quality of our student body. Your generous support will be an important reserve for attracting exceptional students with limited resources. Alumni Fund for Learning Space Learning Space is what we call the AIM infrastructure. This includes all rooms where continuous learning is done—the case rooms, library, dormitory, and the AIM building in general. Contributions to this fund will go to the imminent maintenance requirements of your school. Currently, these include major renovations for the dormitory and the purchase of new chairs for the case rooms. Donations in kind to help in the upgrading of equipment and other facilities are also most welcome.
faculty exchange. The fund will ensure AIM’s growth into the future through the continuous development of an international, academically qualified, practitioner-oriented AIM Faculty. Alumni Fund for Research and Development Supporting this fund will allow AIM to develop research and write cases on Asian business and development management systems. Options are open to specific causes, depending on a graduate’s or a batch’s particular topic or school of interest.
Alumni Fund for Faculty Development This special fund is focused specifically on the development of the Faculty, whether for increasing the number of Doctorate degree holders, upgrading the skills of the faculty, or supporting 50
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Perpetuo de Claro P 1,000,000 to the Alumni Fund for Scholarships Greg and Mekit Atienza P 12,000 Annual Pledge Dato’ Syed Ahmad Idid RM 3,615 to the Alumni Fund for Scholarships
Your gift is important to us. Your participation in the AIM Leadership Fund Campaign makes a statement about how you value your degree. Your gift counts—whatever the amount. AIM is grateful to all graduates who support the AIM Leadership Fund. As a token of gratitude, AIM has dedicated a wall at the J.V. Ongpin Quadrangle (Zen Garden) where Leadership Fund Plaques in honor of alumni donors are installed permanently. The AIM Leadership Award will also be given during the Annual Alumni Homecoming upon reaching specific landmarks in the following categories:
Blue Light
Green Light
Orange Light
Yellow Light
Red Light
(more than P 1,000,000)
(P 500,000 to P 1,000,000)
(P 100,000 to P 249,999)
(P 250,000 to P 499,999)
(P 50,000 to P 99,999)
The Flame is a revered symbol of humanity. Light. Hope. Passion. Life. The Flame represents what the AIM Alumni stand for: Leadership. Like a burning flame, leadership illuminates through vision and direction. Leadership provides a guiding light during darker moments, inspiring hope and motivating action. Ultimately, leadership, like a flame, tempers and transforms.
#
YES, I want to invest in the future of our leaders I wish to support the AIM Alumni Leadership Fund.
Please have someone contact me for my donation at:
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P 1,000 (approximately US$ 20) P 2,500 (approximately US$ 50) P 5,000 (approximately US$ 100)
Name
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AIM Program
Year Graduated
P 25,000 (approximately US$ 500) P
US$
This year, I choose to designate my gift to: The Alumni Fund for Scholarships
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The Alumni Fund for Learning Space The Alumni Fund for Faculty Development
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Please fax to Alumni Relations Office (632) 893.7410 or email aimalumni@aim.edu
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>> “Korean Food Fest” continued from page 42
went on to assist the workshop participants in making the dish of the day. Filipinos, Koreans, and even those from other countries all chopped and mixed and tasted their very own kimchi. The preparations involved vegetables most often used in making kimchi, such a Chinese cabbage, radish, garlic, red pepper, spring onion, rice paste, salt, and sugar. The workshop teacher from the Gung Jun Kimchi Company said that there are many kimchi variants. The Kimchi Field Museum in Seoul has documented 187 varieties of kimchi, known historically or currently. The workshop featured 14 variants, starting with the baechu (Chinese cabbage) kimchi. First, the cabbages were cleaned, halved and soaked in salted water. After which, the participants chopped radishes, carrots, and green onions into 5cm strips. Garlic and ginger were chopped finely in lieu of grating. The soaked cabbages were later drained and allowed to dry a bit. The vegetables were gathered in a wide bowl and mixed with the garlic and ginger, rice
>> “Ed Limon” continued from page 48
founder is humbly aware of the changes needed. “Before 2004, our board didn’t meet regularly. In 2004, I decided with top management that the only way for us to grow is to really professionalize the company, formalize the board, hire independent directors, and hire all the support staff. You know, we were able to expand without any formal HR or IT department!” he confesses, laughing. “We decided to be an international, multi-billion-peso company, so we created the formal board with 11 directors.” The board’s six independent directors are experts in IT, governance, finance, organization, and marketing. “We’re very strong at instilling professionalism and corporate governance. The family owns this company, but I want to make our staff part owners. I started doing that this year by giving shares of stock… We will do it on a selective basis to employees who have performed.” In his view, however, a company must do more than give back to employees. “Successful businesses must give back to the community,” he states. For this reason, Intex has a scholarship program that has produced engineers without requiring them to serve Intex. Mr. Limon himself assists seminarians. In 2005, he and Intex donated one million pesos to the AIM Alumni Fund for Scholarship as part of the company’s 20th anniversary celebration. “Scholarship has been my personal advocacy. I believe education is the key to economic development. My own father was a scholar of a relative. Without the generous people who helped him, where would I be?” he reasons. “AIM has given me so 52
paste, and red chili powder. One tip: the youngest yellow leaves inside the cabbage were dipped in the red spicy mixture and eaten—it tasted as if a whole seaside spice garden was concentrated in one bite. Each participant then smothered the inside of the cabbage leaves with the spiced vegetables and placed the mixture in a sealable plastic case. In South Korea, the vegetables are placed in a clay pot, covered with leaves and some salt, then set aside with a heavy stone placed on top to compress the contents. The clay pot prevents the kimchi from spoiling because it allows air circulation. Without the benefit of clay pots and ground in which to bury them, the participants were told to keep the kimchi refrigerated. A speaker from the IYF related how health publications have described kimchi as one of the world’s healthiest foods. It is rich in vitamins, aids digestion, and may even prevent cancer. In East Asia, the low number of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) cases in the Korean Peninsula is sometimes attributed to kimchi’s health properties, although no definitive link between kimchi
consumption and SARS resistance has ever been scientifically established. Some sectors have even linked kimchi to a possible cure for birds affected by avian influenza but there is currently no evidence of its effects on humans. Its healing properties are attributed to the ingredients, which are mainly vegetables such as cabbage, onions and garlic. Kimchi also has active and beneficial bacterial cultures. Lactobacilli are mainly responsible for the fermentation of kimchi. Small wonder that the dish has a higher lactic acid content in the final product than yoghurt. Lastly, kimchi contains liberal quantities of hot pepper, which has been suggested to have health benefits as well. Even for its taste alone, however, kimchi lovers would have the dish any day. Indeed, it was the love for kimchi itself and the friendships created by working together that erased racial and cultural boundaries during the workshop. Lee’s dream is that his recipe for intercultural exchanges would spur the participants to organize and lead similar activities in turn. It is a dream so earnest and so viable, one can almost taste it.
much; I somehow have to return it.” When AIM co-chairman Washington SyCip expressed his appreciation, Mr. Limon replied, “Sir, I just helped ignite the light.” Mr. Limon has been keeping the light ablaze through civic engagements as well. As Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines president in 2003, he directed three flagship projects: promotion of SMEs, strengthening of local government units, and advocacy of good governance. He created an environment committee and, with AIM professor Federico Macaranas, was the first to promote the servant leadership concept. He is a very active Rotarian, having been Rotary Club president in 1998-99 and chairman of the organization of past Rotary presidents in 2004-05. He linked entrepreneurs with Land Bank for loans and with other agencies for opportunity identification. His term was full of achievements, such that he was named Most Outstanding Club President and his club received 12 awards. For all his accomplishments, Mr. Limon’s peers from AIM bestowed on him the Alumni Achievement Award (Triple A) in March 2006, plus the unexpected appointment of scholarship committee chairman. Despite this added role, he is unfazed. “I believe in hard work,” he declares. “When my younger brother and I were in high school, our dad, a fish pen owner, set up a poultry farm for us to manage… When it grew to 10,000 hens, he fired all the boys who were helping keep the farm.. So there was nobody else to do it except my brother and me. My dad did it to push us to work.” Two boys and 10,000 hens. Until college, young
Ed would routinely feed hens, clean cages, slaughter chickens, and deliver eggs and meat to restaurants. At Ateneo, he even worked part-time as a Philam insurance salesman and made it to their millionaires club. “I bought my first car in college, my own Mercedes Benz,” he narrates with pride. “I used my money to pay for my schooling. Hard work is nothing to us.” Mr. Limon’s personal values sustain to this day at Intex, which is proud of its culture of integrity, excellence, creativity, and entrepreneurship. If the net income target is reached, all share in the windfall. To sustain its high standard for its engineers, Intex will open a telecoms training college. “If we need to meet a deadline, we don’t mind removing our barong to finish the project with our technicians and engineers,” he notes. “We are servants and leaders; that is our culture. A few years back, we had no driver here, but we had to deliver a very important system to a client. I delivered the equipment myself. It’s really managing by example—servant leadership.” His challenge is passing on the reins: only one son out of four children is with Intex. “This company will continue to be run by professionals. It’s only when my children deserve to be in it, to be promoted, that they can be part of it vis-à-vis the other managers. We’re sending a lot of people overseas for training. We have a big budget for training and R&D. We need to invest in our future.” But with Mr. Limon at the helm, Intex’s future can only be as sunshine-bright as that of the telecoms industry. As his friend Mr. Nazareno put it: “Only an effective leader can achieve what Intex has done” for the Filipino people, and soon, the rest of Asia.
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>> “Sanofi-Aventis Exec” continued from page 27
Believing that one shouldn’t be limited only to things that one knows, Caloy saw that openness to new things was very important. “When you join the program (EMBA), it’s not what you already know that you want to develop. Of course, you want to enhance it further but you also should want to learn from the rest. That should be your objective. You go there to widen your horizon.” Good thing for Caloy, all the things he learned did not just have to stay on paper. The Strategic Management Project (SMP) component of the EMBA was a vehicle for him to integrate what he has learned to come up with a real-life business improvement within his organization. Caloy’s SMP involved the development of product extensions for their brand, Lactacyd. During that time, they were faced with a new player that spent a lot of money to get their product out and recognized in the market. Caloy’s project was to do product development so that they could further drive the growth of the brand and meet the competition. The results have been very good for the company, such that not only have they diversified, but they have widened market share as well. To date, the company continues to develop and discover products that are relevant to what the market wants. Caloy has always been a believer of the individual who
makes the most of what is given to him. But he nevertheless acknowledged the people and opportunities that were given him that has made possible his rise to success. “I wouldn’t have been where I am now or it would have taken me longer to get here if I did not take the EMBA. Or maybe I would be here, but I would not have been able to sustain it.” He has kept touch with his former classmates in the EMBA program and notes that most of them have likewise done well in their respective fields. Having done what he has, one would expect Caloy to take it easy and rest on his laurels. But, the perennial learner that he is, taking it easy seems far from his plans. Aside from his director position in the Sanofi-Aventis, Manila office, he shuttles in and out of Thailand and Malaysia to help mentor them in developing their personal health care line. From a manager, to a visionary—Caloy, with his passion for learning took with him not just a view of what’s in front of him but a panoramic vision of what lies ahead. >>” Jewelmer Director” continued from page 27
Pierre’s opportunity to test and actually practice this style of leadership came when he implemented his Strategic Management Project or SMP—a unique feature of the Executive MBA Program which required participants to implement a breakthrough business improve-
ment within the organization. Pierre’s SMP involved reinforcing internal synergies to tap a new niche market. The goal of his SMP was to invest time and resources into understanding this market, improving the quality of Jewelmer’s pearls through better designs, and developing more products that catered to this market. For him, the SMP was a realistic endeavor for the reason that it required a tripartite agreement between the company, school and the student. And because it was executed within the duration of the EMBA, close monitoring allowed for the results to be visible. The regular meetings conducted to ensure the effective implementation of the SMP became a venue for Pierre to convey ideas and enlist the team members’ support and participation in the project. The close interaction with his team members allowed him to put into practice the things he learned about better communication and working within the local culture. Where quantifiable results and financial success should have been enough, Pierre went beyond that and came to an appreciation of success becoming more significant when relationships are given importance as well. “There is more to business than just a successful transaction, the quality of the relationships with coworkers/ client/ employees are actually more important than strictly the financial aspects.”
ALUMNI S.E.R.V.E. Lifelong Opportunities for AIM Alumni to Stay Connected The Asian Institute of Management provides a wealth of resources to you, our graduates, to enhance the continued impact of your education even after graduation. With a network that consists of more than 30,000 alumni from five continents and 70 countries, the Institute envisions a vibrant community life and relationship between the Institute and its alumni. To help build and strengthen the AIM-Alumni relationship, AIM Alumni Relations services the Institute’s graduates through S.E.R.V.E.:
Services and benefits Executive education Recognition Ventures Events
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AIM ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICE Tel.: (632) 892.4011 locals 541, 533, 540, 331, 340 or 359 Fax: (632) 893.7410 E-mail: aimalumni@aim.edu Website: www.aimalumni.org
ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICE ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
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classnotes M BA Gil Lacson, MBA 1983 is now the Relationship Manager for Women’s World Banking with company address at 8 West 40th St., New York, NY 10018 USA.
Marilen Patricio, MBA 1986 writes: “Warm regards from Canada! Spring has finally arrived and it always brings joy and excitement in our family. Our twin boys Matthew and Anthony, age 5 and our daughter Monica, age 12 look forward to outdoor games and picnics in the park. My husband Abe and I are blessed to have such wonderful children. They’re life’s greatest reward.”
Stephanie Merida, MBA 1996 is now the Asia Franchise Director – Vaccines for Merck Sharp & Dohme (Asia) Limited with company address at 26/F Caroline Ctr., Lee Gardens 2, 28 Yun Ping Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Stevie Martinez, MBA 2000 is now the Account Group Manager of DDB Philippines Ad Verbum PR, with company address at 24/F Chatham House, Rufino cor. Valero St., Salcedo Village Makati City. Stevie writes: “Sending you my daughter Bianca’s picture at 8 months. This is my favorite picture of her, though she’s already 1 year and 3 months now and already seriously hyperactive! She was the baby in the Neozep oral drops commercial that was aired from July to December 2005.”
Satish Bairy, MBA 2005 is now the Business Development Manager of HCL Technologies, Melbourne, Australia. Charles Robert “Roby” B. Davis, MBA 1988 is now the Country Manager of United Pharma (Vietnam), Inc. with company address at 61A Cao Thang St., Dist. 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Roby visited the Alumni Relations Office last February 2, 2006, to say hello to his classmate, Ofelia-Odilao Bisnar, EMD for SSAR and to Greg Atienza, EMD for ARO. Ajeet Verma, MBA 1991 is the Director and Head of Investment Banking of ASK Raymond James and Associates Private Limited with company address at 254 D, Bandbox House, Dr. AB Road, Worli, Mumbai 400025 India. Ajeet writes: “My significant learning at AIM was that there are no rights and wrongs in business situations but there are only different shades of grey. The rigors of the schedule has not only made me tough but has also helped me to achieve higher goals. My favorite professor was Romulo Neri, who never tolerated nonsense. Once I was able to match his thoughts on a presentation on a working capital case. The other professor whom I liked was Ned Roberto, who helped me to see the finer details while executing a strategy. And of course, Santos from Citibank who was quite a tough task master.” 54
MM Dr. Pashupati Nath Singh, MM 1975 is Chairman of Grid Consultants Pvt Ltd with company address at 502-505, Sai Chambers, Santacruz (E), Mumbai-400 055, India. His message to his classmates and professors: “Don’t preach about social responsibility. Take some affirmative action, however small that may be.” Haji Zulkifly “Zul” Baharom, MM ‘89/ SHRMP ’95 is now a Director/Senior Consultant for SMR HR Technologies Sdn. Bhd. with company address at Unit No.503A, 2nd. Floor Block 2300, Century Square I, 63000 Cyberjaya, Malaysia. Jack Niu, MM 1998 chairman of AIM Alumni Association, Beijing, participated in the AIM alumni activities during the Homecoming week last March, as well as to attend the annual FAIM conference. He took time to visit his batchmates of MM ‘98.
Front row, first from right: Chairman John Yang, MM ‘94; second row, second from right: Michael Hsu, MM ‘91; second row, sixth from right: Deputy Chairman Ching-Kuo Hsiao, MM ‘90. AIM Alumni Association of Taiwan, ROC held an alumni dinner meeting in Taipei on March 24, 2006 where 20 alumni attended. Iene Muliati, MM 2004 is now a Director in PT Temerity Inovasi International, with company address at Wisma 46 Kota BNI, 43RD Floor, JL. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 1, Jakarta 10220, Indonesia. Iene writes: “I will be conducting a research study on ‘Intrapreneurship’. I would be happy to be in touch with AIM alumni or anyone who owns or works for Asian corporations/enterprises in Asian countries (any industry and company scale), who are willing to participate and have their corporations/enterprises included in this study, and or who could share some related-information, knowledge, or data on their (Asian) countries that might be essential to this study. For further information, please feel free to email me: ienemuliati@msn.com.” ON PROFESSOR GABY by Iene Muliati, MM 2004 My time in AIM was just like a searching journey to me, times when I felt like I was being sent down and then forced to start life again from ground zero. I experienced a constant struggle between leaving the course and going back to the working world during the course. I guess that moment was really the peak of losing my professional pride. However I tried to survive and combat my own constant boredom in classes that did not interest me throughout the days. I guess finally I should have agreed with what most MM professors said: that the AIM moment was a time for a ‘paradigm shift’ and committing mistakes. Well, I guess I did learn both. My all time favorite AIM professor is Prof. Gaby Mendoza. Unfortunately, Prof. Mendoza did not come often to the class. I always waited for him to come to the class and ask his favorite choice of questions like “really?”, “do you think so?”, “but why?”, and “huh” in a
very critical and challenging tone. And then he would leave the class and the case just exactly like when he entered the class: there was neither an opening nor ending. Each casewas left unconcluded and unclosed. Prof. Mendoza always challenged every idea/opinion which indirectly forced us in the class, especially me, to be more critical, to be able to see each case deeply to understand each problem, and to prepare logical and no-nonsense reasoning to back up our own opinions. Prof. Mendoza never failed to make me silently question my own perspectives on the problem, and intuitively think about what other people would think and put myself in other peoples’ shoes. Really, to me, Prof. Mendoza’s classes were just like mind-game classes which reminded me about the game theory I learnt during my undergraduate studies a long time ago. But, if we think about it, that is exactly happens in this real world, is it not? The unclosed case method that Prof. Mendoza often adopted opened my eyes that there was no one fixed answer to each problem. Each problem has many solutions, depending upon which angle we see the problem, provided we assume that the problem is defined as a problem. For some people, a problem is regarded as a challenge. Personally I always thought that if I could survive Prof. Mendoza’s class or his critical questions then I would be fine. So now when I am doing my job and facing problems at work, I always replay those favorite words in my mind, starting with ‘really’ then ‘but why’ then ‘do you think so?’ then ‘huh’. Well, to me, Prof. Mendoza is the strategic professor, ‘mind-game’ expert. Thank you, Sir for your inspiration. Hareish Gur, MM 2005 writes: “Hi Everybody! I’m now heading the Marketing function of Newgen Software Technologies, which is one of the top 10 software product companies in India. Earlier in my 15-year career, I have worked in various capacities such as R&D, product development, etc. My company Newgen offers software solutions in the space called BPM (Business Process Management) and DM (Document Management) for
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classnotes industry verticals of Banking, Insurance, BPO (including Shared Service Centers), Teleco, Manufacturing (including Account Payables processes) and Government. We have an installation base of more than 600 customers spanning over 20 countries (including the Philippines and others in APEC). “The MM program that I attended only last year has really opened my eyes to the world of business - thanks to the class and insights of the likes of Prof Vic Lim and other genius faculty (no exaggeration!). I look forward to developing a rich network with the AIM MM community across the world. And I am sure each one of us would be keenly interested in taking this cause forward. Long live AIM MM Alumni Network!”
MDP Muhammad Arshad, MDP 1985 is now an Instructor (Management Sciences and Mass Communication) at The University of The Punjab, New Campus, Lahore, Pakistan. Arshad writes: “Every moment of my stay at AIM was highly thought provoking and enjoyable. When I returned to my country, I was promoted to Chairman of the State Cement Corporation of Pakistan. Immediately after my retirement in 2002, I joined the prestigious University of The Punjab and started teaching at Master Level. In 2005, I was evaluated as an excellent teacher in Management Sciences and was quite fortunate to have been given the following distinctions in the course of my career: Chairman, Pakistan Public
Please send your latest Class Notes and photos to the AIM Alumni Leadership Magazine at aimleader@gmail.com. Should you need to contact our alumni, please contact the Alumni Relations Office at aimalumni@aim.edu. Relations Society (PPRS), President’s Award Winner for the Best PR Man in the Country (APNS) 1993.” BMP Manolito Mendez, BMP 1999 is the Production Group Manager of Lapanday Foods Corporation with company address at Maryknoll Drive, Sasa, Davao City, Philippines, 8000.
MSC Sanjeev Govil, 12th MSC 2001 is Head-Rural Marketing of Reliance Infocomm, with company address at RELIANCE INFOCOMM, Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City, Thane Belapur Road, Koparkhairane, Navimumbai – 400709, India.
My company today, though small, is respected for the quality of services it provides and the value it stands for.
LEADERS OF TOMORROW Dr. Pashupati Nath Singh, MM 1975 WHEN I LOOK BACK TO MY LIFE OF 30 YEARS AFTER RETURNING FROM AIM, I FEEL THAT it had made a great impact on me and whatever little success I was able to achieve was because of my AIM training. I will narrate my story based on these three points. Hard Work Hard work in reading cases and the materials given to us at AIM kept me awake till 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. everyday. This created a habit of putting in hard work which continued even after my return. This hard work allowed me to occupy top positions as the head of HR of three large groups, one after the other. My only asset was hard work and the knowledge acquired at AIM. I had no contacts and nobody to support my candidature for higher positions. I kept on rising in the hierarchy and at one stage I was the highest paid HR professional in the country. I propose to work till the last day. There is so much to do and so little time. Walkabout Walkabout was an innovative course for me. It was also a difficult project for us from India. While my classmates from ASEAN countries were able to clear the walkabout easily, I had to write two management articles, get them published in some Philippine management magazine which made my professor reluctantly passed me in the walkabout. On my return to India I wrote an article on my walkabout which got me an award from the Indian Society for Training and Development. That made me some sort of a writer. I have written over 550 articles and 19 books including my latest book which is an autobiography with the title “From Bullock-Cart to Mercedes-Benz: The Story of a Bihari Boy”. The autobiography includes a chapter on AIM and a story on my good old friend Mon Farolan, one of the best gentlemen I have met in my life. Vic Limlingan was my favourite professor at AIM. Today, a division of my company makes good profit on my books. Walkabout along with several cases of successful entrepreneurs also made me look to an entrepreneurial career at a very difficult phase in my corporate career. Not only did I make a success of my entrepreneurial career, but I also persuaded many others to take up entrepreneurial roles.
Social Responsibility In 1997, Dr. P.N. Singh Foundation was established with my Provident Fund of Rs.10 lakhs (US$ 25,000) as its corpus. It launched a unique, “Leaders of Tomorrow” Project under which a one-year leadership course is conducted for slum children studying in suburban schools in Mumbai. Today the project is running in 15 schools. The project exposes selected IX standard students from the underprivileged sections of our society to this specially designed program so that they could eventually occupy leadership positions in different professions. These children have low self-esteem because of the socio-economic background they come from. The idea is to enhance their self-esteem and inculcate right social values. It concentrates on public speaking and communication. Other subjects included in the syllabus are goal setting, time management, memory development, creativity, etc. which they would not learn in a crowded classroom or from textbooks. It is the extra-curricular world that will finally shape a child’s mental make-up. This process will lead a child to hold his head high in the society. This training equips them with attitudes and skills, which will help them cope with challenges and move them towards success in their lives. So far over 3000 students have gone through the program. This training is absolutely free for students. Ours is a humble effort of empowerment of the poor through leadership development. What we do is best summed up in the following words: We give hope to those who do not see any hope. We give self-worth to those who consider themselves worthless. We give voice to those who cannot speak, we make their shaking legs steady when they stand up to speak. We give them right values so that India becomes great. We give them Love and Affection because they are our Leaders of Tomorrow, on whom depends the destiny of our nation. This project has given me two awards recently. In May 2005, the Indian Chapter of AIM Alumni Association gave me an Alumni Achievement Award for Social Responsibility in the FAIM Conference held in Mumbai . On 17th November 2005, I received an International Award on HR & Sustainable Development in Cairo, Egypt for our Leaders of Tomorrow Project. The International Federation of Training & Development Organizations (IFTDO), an apex body of 500,000 HR professionals all over the world, has instituted the award. My basic philosophy is to do something for the place you are born in and the place where you work. The Leaders of Tomorrow Project is being run in Mumbai, where I have worked for the last 30 years. My place of birth is a village in Bihar, the most backward state in India. There, two schools for girls are run by the Shri Bishwanath Singh Memorial Educational and Welfare Trust established by me to perpetuate the memory of my late father, who was really tough when times were rough. Leaving behind a wife and three small children in my company’s quarters to take up a Masters in Management course at AIM was an extremely difficult decision but it was worth the effort. The returns on the small investment I made in the form of fees, etc. have been immeasurable. A I M A LU MN I L E A D E R SH I P MAGA Z I N E A p r i l to J une 20 0 6
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classnotes KEEP THE AIM FLAG FLYING Haji Zulkifly “Zul” Baharom, MM ‘89/SHRMP ’95 I am who I am today because of this great and wonderful graduate school. Like most of my classmates in MM ‘89 and SHRMP ‘95, I have fond memories of AIM. We will always cherish these memories. Until today, we share a strong bond with each other, as well as with the professors and other international alumni. In business as in battle, the one best prepared wins; the second best loses. AIM underscores how business leaders can capitalize on the case method’s proven principles. Three of the most important lessons that I had learned at AIM are essential to every successful business: creating an effective team, realizing that no hill is too tough to climb, and then having the dedication and courage to climb it. The MM program at AIM provided me with great insight into these leadership learnings and other fundamental human values that work! The major features that distinguish AIM from the other ordinary graduate business schools are “what they teach” and “how they teach”. AIM taught me to be on time for my assignments and to have everything I need with me when I get there. This has been invaluable in my 25 years with PETRONAS (state-owned National Oil and Gas Company) and MAS (Malaysia Airlines). I never realized how much the MM teachings and training in the case method, and the outlook on world views had influenced me to reinvent my personality… to become the person I’ve always wanted to be! AIM has a role in shaping my management practice as well as in raising my professional competence. AIM has not only given my career development a boost, but also made genuine contributions to my involvement in NGOs activities. I was the President of the Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management (MIHRM) for three terms (1998–2003). To plough back the professional advantages acquired from AIM, I have consistently served the alumni and our alma mater by taking up an elected position as a Director of Kelab AIM Malaysia since 1990. achievers in M D M
FA M CO R In this June 22, 2005 photo, Edison Gatioan, FAMCOR 10 participant meets the 911 hero, former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani before proceeding to the Million Dollar Round Table Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Edison Gatioan was send by his company, Nippon Life Philippines to attend this prestigious meeting of top
Min Ranabhat, 16 MDM writes: “It was a dream come true to be a student of the Master in Development Management (MDM) batch 16th of the Asian Institute of Management. Being a self-financed student from Nepal, an education at a prestigious international institute was beyond my financial capacity. My dream has been fulfilled for many supporting hands were behind my AIM education: the AIM scholarship committee who awarded me a partial scholarship, Prof. Edel Guiza who provided me this opportunity, and Ms. Coratec Jimenez president of IMDM, who supported me as an IMDM granted student. “My life in Manila has been an experience of a lifetime. It was nice to experience a different form of education and culture. What most impressed me was how my host family treated me as a part of their family. “I will always remember my trip to
O B I T UA RY
Mr. Lee Pai Lin, MM ‘93, Head of Maintenance & Development, Malaysia Palm Oil Board, passed away on January 7, 2006. Mr. Liaw Ah-Boo, MBA ‘72, FAIM Triple A Awardee and past president (1982-83) and Life Member of Kelab AIM Malaysia, passed away at 60 after a heart attack on January 16, 2006. Mustapha Shapri Hj. Abdul Latif, SMBI-KL 1986
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My Definition of Leadership AIM provides an insightful perspective into business leadership principles. Many of these time-tested leadership techniques in the business world are also relevant and adaptable for non-profit organizations like AIM Alumni Clubs, Community Associations, PTAs etc. Timeless leadership is always about character, and it is always about integrity for the present and new generation. We do not need leaders who run businesses or non-profit corporations into the ground in search of personal gain. We do not need celebrities to lead our companies. We do not need more laws. We need new leadership. We need genuine values driven leaders, people of the highest integrity, committed to building enduring organizations. We need leaders who have a deep sense of purpose and true to their core values. We need leaders who have the courage to build their companies to meet the needs of all their stakeholders, and who recognize the importance of their service to society and the country. To my Classmates and Professors Let us work hard to keep the good name and image of AIM. We may no longer be studying there but we should try to visit our alma mater from time to time to keep in touch with our former professors. Some have already left or retired, but those who remain still do their best to educate the current batch of students in AIM. These professors embrace a culture of excellence – they are proud to be teachers and take pride in their careers. Let us work hard together to restore AIM to its former glory that is relevant in the success of individuals and corporations. In an increasingly globalized economy, organizations are becoming more complex and business more competitive. The demands on the skills of Asian managers are changing. It has become essential to re-examine the entire structure, content, purpose and pattern of management education! the Philippines – the fond memories I have of both the people and the experiences are still fresh in my mind. I have been lucky to be in touch with many of the students from our program in the Philippines. The experience has really opened my eyes to the beauty of Philippine culture through my Filipino family, the classes, the art, the dance, the poetry, the religion, the cuisine, and the shopping districts. Manila is one of the best places in the world to complete a program like the MDM. The weather, the people, and all the cultural offerings of this city make it one of my favorite places now. The trip has also given me much clarity about my being Nepalese and that is a gift I am eternally grateful for. “Finally, because of these relevant education, knowledge and experiences, last 5th June 2005, DANIDA hired me as a consultant, as a “financial expert” in the Technical Review of School Education (TRSE) in Nepal. These days I am contributing my expertise for this mission. Thank you to all who have made this possible. “ Gina Lomotan, MDM 1997 writes: “Congratulations on the E-Newsletter! This is such a welcome update from the Alumni Relations Office – I am thankful that this is now operational. Have just formed my own consulting firm called the Organization for Strategic Leadership or OrgStrat which offers professional services in the areas of servant leadership, project and program management, community outreach programs, teambuilding, strategic planning and management, emotional intelligence and youth camps. We had a soft cocktail
launch last October 8, 2005. Thanks to the MDM training at AIM, we are now in a position to offer this kind of professional services.” Pradip Maharjan, MDM 1999 is now the Marketing Team Leader for BDS-MaPS Project with company address at Bakhundole, Lalitpur, Nepal. Prdip writes: “Hi my classmates! Please send me your remarkable progress and do keep in touch. To my dear professors, I need your blessings for my PhD studies in Sweden.” Ma “Allen” Bin, MDM 1999 is now the President of Suzhou Chinasia Management Consulting, Co. Ltd. Allen writes: “After AIM I was able to successfully conduct over 500 management trainings and lectures for businesses and organizations like Nokia, Philips, Sanyo, Mitsubish, Panasonic, Benq, Midea, TCL, and FAW. My books to be published in 2006 include: “From Assembly Lines to Management” (CWPHChina Workers’ Publishing House) and “Break Through Management Pitfalls” (CSPChina Suzhou Press).”
A I M A LU M NI LEA D ERS H IP MAGAZIN E April to J u n e 2006
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