AIM Leader 3rd Quarter 2012

The Alumni Magazine of the Asian Inst itute of Management THIRD QUARTER Vol. 6 Issue 3

AIM’s 9th President

Dr. SteveDeKrey

LEADING LEADERS

Triple A:AIM Recognizes Outstanding Alumni

Alumni Leaders Unite to Bring AIM Back to Greatness

Homecoming:Ready AIM Fire— Post Script

T H I R D Q U A R T E R V O L U M E 6 I S S U E 3

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FEATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zuellig Center’s STIKE Kapihan Series

INSIGHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Women Making a Difference in a World of ConflictDynasties in Democracies: The Political Side of Inequality

COVER STORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AIM’s 9th President, Dr. Steve DeKrey: Leading Leaders

GIVING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alumni Leaders Unite to Bring AIM Back to GreatnessMBM 1980 Hands Over P300K to AIM

SPECIAL FEATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Post Script: Ready AIM Fire

SPOTLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ravi Prasad, MBM 1988: Leading with PassionMilon Bikash Paul, MM 1988: Fire MakerMa. Alexandra P. Romualdez, MDM 1994: Defining Moments, Daring to Make a DifferenceJose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda, MBM 1990: Winning Strategies, Winning AlbayShih-Choib Fu, MBM 1989: On the Fast Lane to Triple A

SHOWCASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Golf: Ready, AIM, Fore!Art: Michael CacnioBookshelf: Asia Incredible The Rajasthan Microfinance Report 2011 One Man Selling ChangeTravel: The Legend of Loh-e-Dandi

CLASS NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: JOVEL LORENZO

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54The AIM Alumni Leadership Magazine

(AIM Leader) is a quarterly publication of the Asian Institute of Management

with editorial office at the Alumni Relations Office, Asian Institute of Management,

123 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City, 1260 Philippines Telephone No.: 892.4011 locals 331, 540 and 533 Telefax: 893.7410 | Email: [email protected]

Copyright 2012, AIM Alumni Leadership Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner,

in whole or in print, in English or other languages, without written permission is prohibited.

ISSN 1908-1081

EDITORIAL TEAM

Greg AtienzaEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Susan Africa-ManikanASSOCIATE EDITOR

Sherbet Katigbak-ManaliliMANAGING EDITOR

Haji Zulkifly BaharomSENIOR OVERSEAS CORRESPONDENT

Karen CabuyaoEDITORIAL STAFF

Maritess Aniago-Espiritu Bea delos Reyes

Jennifer JalandoniAnnaliza Alegre

Amy NeronaJun Javellana

ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICE STAFF

Katrina AdonayShaikh Muhammed Ali

Mariska Andreana BarrettoRowena Palmiery-Bayoneta

Meghann LeeMark Lim

Isagani Eliezer ManikanRonald Mendoza

Rose Cheryl OrbigoKrizia Eleni Patrocinio

Burns PuzonGel TamayoCONTRIBUTORS

Chili DogsDESIGN, ART DIRECTION & ILLUSTRATION

Jovel LorenzoAmy NeronaPHOTOGRAPHERS

Lexmedia DigitalPRINTING

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. Steven DeKreyPRESIDENT OF THE INSTITUTE

Dr. Ricardo LimDEAN OF THE INSTITUTE

Mahendra Pratap Singh CHAIRMAN,

FEDERATION OF AIM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, INC.

Eduardo SisonCHAIRMAN,

AIM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION – PHILIPPINE CHAPTER

Marvee Celi-BonoanEXECUTIVE MANAGING DIRECTOR,

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION

THE AIM BOARD IS HONORED TO ANNOUNCE THE APPOINTMENT of Dr. Steven J. DeKrey, Senior Associate Dean of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Business School, as the 9th President of AIM effective August 2012. The appointment is a result of an extensive world-wide search conducted by the AIM Board.

Over the past 16 years in Asia and at HKUST, Dr. DeKrey provided HKUST outstanding leadership. With his far-reaching vision, he helped lead the ascent of HKUST and its master’s programs from a small, unknown institute with essentially a local student population to one of international prominence and, increasingly, a broad-based international

student body, attaining consistently high recognition for the world-class standards established. As a result, Dr. DeKrey and his colleagues achieved for HKUST’s full-time MBA program a

solid ranking among the world’s top ten, and consecutively for the past three years. Dr. DeKrey was also the Founding Director of the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA Program which he drove to new heights into No. 1 world ranking for three years in a row in The Financial Times.

The AIM Board looks forward to the leadership of Dr. DeKrey that will bring to AIM the same vigor and breakthrough work programs envisioned with his appointment. The AIM Board believes that there is a perfect fit between AIM’s mission, the Board’s vision, and Dr. DeKrey’s professional ideals on the future directions of the Institution.

As such, the AIM Board, hand in hand with the Institute’s new President, intends to frame the trajectory of a renewed and energized drive in furtherance of AIM’s preeminent management education role in Asia.

When AIM was founded in the 1960s, it established a tradition of linkages with mainstream, international institutions such as the Harvard Business School (HBS). As brought about by the founding linkage with HBS, Stephen H. Fuller and James W. Culliton, who were Professors of HBS, became Presidents of AIM. Dr. DeKey’s appointment follows these prestigious and highly-regarded precedents. The business community, together with the faculty, the student body and other AIM stakeholders, poured into AIM its unwavering support, thereby providing a lasting legacy and distinctive thought leadership that benefited, through AIM, the Philippines, and Asia as a whole.

Thus, forty-four years hence, the business leaders have likewise coalesced to support the new strategic program of the AIM Board and the new AIM President with the establishment of an AIM Presidential Chair.

The AIM Board calls on the AIM community, especially the alumni, to work together and support the Institute’s new strategic program and the new President, Dr. DeKrey, that will bring AIM to “the next level,” amidst the expanded and more intensive competition in the region.

It is with great hope that the AIM Board looks forward to attaining a resurgent position of prominence for AIM in the region as it approaches its 45 years of service to Asia and the world.

C H A I R M A N ’ S M E S S A G E

CHAIRMAN, ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

Napoleon L. Nazareno

Leader

The AIM Board calls on the AIM community, especially the alumni, to work together and support the Institute’s new strategic program and the new President, Dr. DeKrey, that will bring AIM to “the next level,” amidst the expanded and more intensive competition in the region.

WE ARE PRIvIlEgED AND honored to feature in our cover story the 9th President of the Asian Institute of Manage-ment, Dr. Steven DeKrey. Dr. DeKrey has had more than 30 years experience with the aca-deme and is widely recognized for his outstanding leadership in steering the MBA programs

at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) to international eminence.

His leadership and compelling vision at HKUST helped propel the full-time MBA program to be rated highly by The Financial Times rankings. The HKUST EMBA program ranked number one in the world the last three times while the full-time MBA ranked top ten in the world for three years and counting. With his leadership, the AIM community of alumni, faculty, and students, as well as the business community looks forward to a resurgence of prominence for AIM in the region.

We are also pleased to feature the outstanding alumni leaders who have been chosen to receive the most prestig-ious alumni recognition in the school during Homecoming Week—the AIM Alumni Achievement Award or the Triple A. After a rigorous process of screening and selection, five exceptional graduates were chosen out of 19 nominees to receive the Triple A. We are honored to feature the leadership stories of Shih-Choib Fu, MBM 1989 (Taiwan) and Milon Bikash Paul, MM 1988 (Bangladesh), awardees for 2010-2011; Ravi Prasad, MBM 1988 (India), Joey Sarte Salceda, MBM 1990 and Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez, MDM 1994 (Philippines), awardees for 2011-2012.

AIM is also grateful to the alumni who were rec-ognized for their generosity in sharing their invaluable resources with AIM. The Alumni leadership Fund Award was given to the following alumni for their support for the Alumni Fund for scholarships, the student loan fund, and research and development: Mr. Malvan Hwang, MBM 1974 for his donation of PHP 1,388,430 for the AIM Alumni Fund for Scholarship; Chiboum Corporation represented by Mr. gabriel Paredes, MBM 1972 for his donation of PHP 1,381,000.00 for the full scholarship of Kristeen Joi lantican for her MBA this year; the Triple A Club, represented by Mr. Jesli lapus, MBM 1973, Triple A Club President and Art Macapagal, MBM 1971, for their donation to the Alumni Fund for Scholarships for two current MBA students; MBM 1990 represented by Mr. Alex Sembrano, Homecoming 2010 Chairman, Ms. Eris Arce for their class donation of PHP 550,000 to revive the AIM Student loan Fund; Mr. Renny Yeo Ah Kiang, MM 1981 for his donation of USD 10,000 and Mr. Joe Yiu Cho Tam, MM

1980, Chairman of the AIM Alumni Association in Hong Kong for his donation of PHP 1,000,000, both for the Prof. gaby Mendoza scholarship fund; lito Yabut, MBM 1979, President of A.l. Yabut Management and Development Corporation for his donation of PHP 106,000 to the AIM Alumni leadership Fund for Scholarships and Ms. Jocelyn Maloles—Keehn, MBM 1985 for her donation of more than PHP100,000 for the Alumni Fund for Research and Development, and Scholarships.

We have also established recognition for alumni “leaders of Influence” for graduates who have enabled the infusion of a significant amount to AIM. We express our immense gratitude to Jesli lapus, MBM 1973 whose influ-ence enabled the establishment of the AIM-Dr. Andrew l. Tan Center for Tourism, which aims to promote sustain-able tourism in the Philippines; to Deb Mazumdar, MM 2002, responsible for helping establish the Basant and Sarala Birla Professorial Chair on Asian Family Corpora-tions through a US$2 million grant from Optimax Manage-ment Services Pte. ltd.; and to Ramon de vera, MBM 1973 for his creative influence in helping establish the BPI-AIM Student loan Facility to enable more Filipino students to populate the caserooms of AIM degree programs.

There is a palpable resurgence of alumni engage-ment and participa-tion, encouraged by AIM’s recognition of the influence of the prestigious AIM alumni network in Institute leadership.

With nine out of fifteen seats in AIM’s highest governance, the AIM Board of Trustees, the alumni are now led by our indefatigable and dedicated alumnus Chairman, Napoleon Nazareno, MBM 1973. With his vision to lead the alumni as the driving force of AIM, our Chairman and our dedicated alumni leaders have established the AIM Alumni leader-ship Foundation as a vehicle to raise PHP 300,000,000 in five years to propel AIM’s international rankings. It is our hope, and we invite all of your to participate in this worthwhile endeavor to maintain the name and prestige of our school. Now is the time to give back!

We hope that you will find this issue enjoyable and enlightening.

god bless!

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AIM ALUMNI LEADERSHIP MAGAZINEEXECUTIVE MANAGING DIRECTOR, ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICESECRETARY GENERAL, FEDERATION OF AIM ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS, INC.

Greg Atienza

F R O M T H E E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F

There is a palpable resurgence of alumni engagement and participation, encouraged by AIM’s recognition of the influence of the prestigious AIM alumni network in Institute leadership.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the Alumni Association of AIM, Philippine Chapter were inducted into office last June 8, 2012, at the Soriano-velasco rooms of the AIM campus. AIM President Edilberto C. de Jesús introduced the keynote speaker and inducting officer, AIM Chairman, Napoleon L. Nazareno, MBM 1973.

Inducted into office were the following alumni, who will serve the Institute for the period of 2012-2013:

Enrico Emmanuel C. Ang-tuaco, MBM 1974; Gina V. Barte, PPDM 2004; Rowena Palmiery-Bayoneta, MBM 1992; Rogelio C. Damasco, TMP 1988; Ramon De Vera, MBM 1973 (President of the Council of Former Chairmen and Adviser of AAAIM); Cesar M. Espino, ME 2001; Francisco V. Gudani, MBM 1983; Samuel T. Jardin, MBM 1991 (Treasurer); Francisco E. Lapid, ME 2003; Arlene M. Maneja, MBA 2008; Sr. Consolata O. Manding, FSP, MDM 1994 (Secretary); Eustacio

B. Orobia, Jr., MBM 1971 (Ex-Officio); Jose Ma. T. Parroco, MM 1987; venie B. Rañosa, BMP 1981; Aloysius R. Santos, MBM 1971; Augusto Antonio C. Serafica, Jr., MBM 1991 (vice Chairman); Edu-ardo N. Sison, MBM 1973 (Chair-man) and Gregorio Atienza, MBM 1983 (AIM Representative).

In his keynote address, AIM Chairman Napoleon Nazareno thanked outgoing AIM President Edilberto C. de Jesús for his support for alumni, and remarked that “Under DJ’s watch, alumni involvement in the Board of Trustees of both AIM and SRF has become stronger than ever”. Nazareno also expressed his gratitude to the incoming and out-going members of the AAAIM and noted, “Your voluntary work, so crucial to the future of our school, is worthy of much praise.” Naza-reno also officially launched the online donation facility of the AIM Alumni leadership Foundation’s “Back to greatness” campaign, which aims to raise PHP 300 million in alumni donations for

the school in five years. “It is now time to take AIM to the next level and regain its original position as a premier management school in Asia. It is now time to bring AIM back to greatness,” he emphasized to the alumni present.

AAAIM acknowledged Security Bank for its partnership with the association and awarded a plaque of appreciation as well to MBM 1992, for staging the successful Homecoming “Ready, AIM, Fire” last February 24, 2012. Outgoing directors Gary A. Grey, MBM 1974, Josephine D. Gomez, MBM 1988, Ruperto S. Nicdao, MBM 1979, Augusto Antonio C. Serafica, Jr., MBM 1991, Sister Consolata O. Manding, MDM ’94, Jose Maria T. Parroco, MM 1987 and venie B. Rañosa, BMP 1981 were recognized for their service to the association.

In his speech as outgoing chairman, Eustacio B. Orobia, Jr. thanked the AIM community, the AAAIM Board and the Alum-ni Relations Office for supporting his term, and presented Nazareno

a token of appreciation- a 20”x 30” charcoal portrait rendered by Billy Belegaño, a security guard of the school. The Alumni Relations Office presented Orobia with a surprise audio-visual pres-entation, as well as a traditional gift in gratitude for his services for the alma mater.

In his speech as incoming Chairman, Ed Sison said the alumni association promises to lend support and extend assist-ance to the BPI-AIM Student loan Facility loan program. “The alumni association will also endeavor to help animate the AIM brand to restore its quality image through meaning-ful and relevant events that will showcase the sterling traits of its graduates. In addition, we will closely coordinate with the Admissions Office and the g.S.B. on how the institution can best achieve a happy balance on total enrollment, quality of incoming students, placement effective-ness and scholarship quota,” he said. Sison also invited alumni

AAAIM Board of Directors for 2012-2013 Inducted into Office

Front row from left: Greg Atienza, Ramon de Vera, Enrico Emmanuel C. Angtuaco, Rowena Palmiery-Bayoneta, Edilberto C. de Jesús, Arlene M. Maneja, Augusto Antonio C. Serafica, Jr., Samuel T. Jardin, and Sr. Consolata O. Manding. Back row from left: Jose Ma. T. Parroco, Rogelio C. Damasco, Francisco V. Gudani, Napoleon L. Nazareno, Eduardo N. Sison, Eustacio B. Orobia, Jr., Venie B. Rañosa, and Aloysius R. Santos.

66 I N S I G H T S C O V E R S T O R Y G I V I N G S P O T L I G H T S H O W C A S E C L A S S N O T E Snew s

From left: Mr. Jesli A. Lapus, Member of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Board of Trustees; Dr. Andrew L. Tan, Chairman of Alliance Global Group; Mr. Washington Z. SyCip, Chairman Emeritus of the AIM Board of Governors; Hon. Ramon R. Jimenez Jr., Secretary of the Department of Tourism; Mr. Francisco C. Canuto, President of Megaworld Foundation, Inc.; and Mr. Edilberto C. de Jesús, President of AIM.

THE ASIAN INSTITUTE OF Management (AIM) launched the AIM-Dr. Andrew l. Tan Center for Tourism last Febru-ary 2012. The establishment of the center was facilitated by Mr. Jesli lapus, MBM 1973, member of the AIM Board of Trustees. Philippine Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. delivered the inaugural address before an audience that included members of the business community and the diplomatic corps.

“The AIM-Dr. Andrew l. Tan Center for Tourism reflects the Institute’s commitment to public-private partnerships and nation-building,” stated AIM Dean Dr. Ricardo A. lim. “It rep-resents AIM’s confidence in our country’s tourism potential.”

Dean lim also noted that tourism arrivals in the Philip-pines are expected to grow by 18% in 2012, and jobs in the tourism sector represent 9.5% of overall employment in the country. He expressed belief in the significant role that the research center will play in the development of the tourism sec-tor in the Philippines.

AIM President Edilberto C. de Jesús said that the research center “seeks to promote the competitiveness and sustainable development of Philippine tour-ism, which is in line with AIM’s vision of developing capable leaders for emerging markets.”

“The AIM-Dr. Andrew l. Tan Center for Tourism will conduct research with academic rigor and real-world relevance,” shared Mr. de Jesús. “It will also convene stakeholders from the private and public sectors for conferences and forums, as well as design executive education programs for both the public and private sectors.”

The Center intends to address current issues, such as the effectiveness of MICE (meetings, incentives, confer-ences and events), the use of technology to enhance tourism promotions, airline policies on Philippine tourism, as well as longer-term concerns, includ-ing the future of community-based tourism and the impact of climate change on tourism development.

Dr. Andrew Tan, Chair-man of Alliance global group, expressed hope that tourism will make a positive impact not just to the national economy but to individual Filipino families as well. However, he emphasized that much more needs to be done. “More infrastructure facili-ties such as seaports, world-class airports, and better roads need to be built, so tourists will enjoy convenient access throughout the country,” noted Dr. Tan. “The private sector must work in tandem with local government units to identify and harness the

potential of local tourist spots.”“The environmental impact

of resorts, the carbon footprint of tourists, and the availability and continued training of hu-man resources are issues that must also be addressed,” added Dr. Tan. He further said that the Center will explore these con-cerns through the integration of knowledge and experience of experts and practitioners across various disciplines.

Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr. presented a video on the Department of Tourism’s successful “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign. The Sec-retary noted that competitive-ness is a value that seems to have been forgotten in the Philippines’ journey toward greatness.

The Department has begun to implement a more focused, competitive strategy that aims to catapult the Philippines on a global scale, having the ability to present its offerings anywhere in the world. “Is our pricing more fun? Is our infra-structure going to be more fun? Are the value extensions that we will eventually offer more fun? Are we more fun?” asked Secre-tary Jimenez. “We have levels of excellence to maintain, hence the institution that we are very happily ushering in today—an academic institution that will support excellence where it counts the most.”

AIM-DR. ANDREW L. TAN CENTER FOR TOURISM LAUNCHED

to play an active role in bringing AIM back to greatness by supporting the AIM Alumni leadership Foundation’s cam-paign to raise much needed funds for scholarships, faculty interna-tionalization and for the improve-ment of our facilities in time for AIM’s 50th Anniversary.

The event was graced by former AAAIM chairmen, Gabby Paredes, MBM 1972, Felipe Diego, MBM 1973, Ramon de Vera, MBM 1973, Teodoro Villanueva, MBM 1973, Philip Juico, MBM 1973, Alex Tanwangco, MBM 1973, Jose Ma. Emmanuel Fernandez, MBM 1973, Ramoncito Abad, MBM 1973, Roland U. Young, MBM 1974, Berna Lomotan, MBM 1974, Guillermo Parayno, MBM 1977, Herminio B. Coloma, Jr., MBM 1978, Eduardo L. Bañaga, MBM 1979, Ofelia Odilao-Bisnar, MBM 1988, Rene Martinez, MM 1996, first alumnus president of AIM, Francis Estrada, MBM 1973, AIM Dean Ricardo Lim, and Associate Dean for WSgSB Prof. Jun Borromeo.

A I M L e a d e r M a g a z i n e | T H I R D Q U A R T E R 2 0 1 2

8

THE AlUMNI Association of AIM (AAAIM) Cebu Chapter, led by its Chairman Mr.

virgilio “Nonoy”Espeleta, MBM 1991, and sponsored by PlDT Alpha Enterprise, hosted a luncheon at Choi City Seafood Restaurant in Cebu City last July 19, 2012 and was attended by more than 40 alumni. It was the first time that AIM Chairman Mr. Napoleon “Polly” Nazareno, MBM 1973, was able to grace a networking lunch with his fellow Cebuano alumni.

At the event, Nonoy Espeleta shared what the Cebu Chapter developed before during its height of activity, which was bringing AIM to Cebu by conducting relevant short courses and marketing of

AAAIM Cebu Chapter Revitalized with “Dream Big, AIM High” Leadership Talk

the renewal of AIM’s AACSB accreditation to the appointment of a new President. Slowly, the Institute is getting back on the map, but the Chairman urged that with alumni support this can be further accelerated.

AAAIM Philippines Chairman Mr. Eduardo N. Sison, MBM 1973, together with Ms. Ofelia Odilao-Bisnar, MBM 1988, introduced to their Cebu counterparts the AIM Alumni leadership Foundation, Inc. (AAlFI) to which Ms. Bisnar is President, as another vehicle where the alumni could pledge their support.

Interest from the alumni was apparent with inquiries on future renovation plans for the school, requests to be updated with batch mates, and suggestions on projects that the chapter could undertake in partnership with AIM. The AIM Alumni Association Cebu Chapter has committed to meet again to further discuss chapter development plans.

After the networking luncheon, the attendees were invited to join the “Dream Big, AIM High” event held at the University of San Carlos (USC) Talamban Campus, College of Architecture and Fine Arts (CAFA) Theater. This event was organized by AAAIM in partnership with USC, where the three speakers Mr. Napoleon Nazareno, Mr. virgilio Espeleta and Ms. Ofelia Odilao-Bisnar acquired their Bachelor’s degree.

Mr. Espeleta, President and Founder of FAMCOR Franchise Management & Executive Development Corporation, began the session by revealing his humble beginnings and how his ambitions and aspirations pushed him to seek higher education in AIM. In almost every step of the way to his success, there have been obstacles to surmount. And he shared to the more than 700 in attendance what role his AIM education played to overcome those hurdles. Now he is on his way to achieving his deeper purpose of building his legacy.

Ms. Ofel Bisnar took a differ-

AIM programs through road shows. He also brought to light that the greatest challenge of being an alumni volunteer is maintaining alumni interest. To keep this passion alive, he updated his fellow alumni on the current status of their alma mater and, moving forward, how they, not only as a chapter,

but also as individuals can contribute to raising AIM back to greatness.

guest of honor Polly Nazareno also gave word on how the alumni are now at the helm of the Institute and the improvements that have been made since the alumni became the driving force of AIM, from

Espeleta

Students f lock Mr. Nazareno at the University of San Carlos, Cebu

Bisnar Serafica

by Jennifer B. Jalandoni



ent route of affecting inspira-tion by listing leaders who have inspired her in return. The recently-appointed President of Makati Medical Center College even cited her fellow alumni and co-speakers Mr. Espeleta and Mr. Nazareno as some of the leaders who she takes her cues from. She posed questions that would guide the students and guests in planning their career. But the key, she said, is to main-tain a healthy balance between work and play, and always keep-ing their families at the center of their success.

Much to everyone’s surprise, Mr. Napoleon Nazareno revealed that when he was studying in USC, he wasn’t an outstanding student. Who would say now that the President and CEO of the Philippines’ largest telecommunications companies PlDT and Smart is not outstanding? Mr. Nazareno

delivered an age-appropriate speech, not only because the audience is composed mainly of students but also because he talked about how to become a leader in this fast-changing digital age. He said that in this knowledge-driven economy, a leader has to be an excellent listener. And that a revitalized AIM can provide the thought leadership needed to compete in this fast-changing world.

After the talks, there was an open forum for guests to know more about their outstanding alumni. Mr. Augusto Antonio “Tito” C. Serafica Jr., MBM 1991, Treasurer of the AIM Alumni leadership Foundation, Inc. (AAlFI) presented the BPI student loan fund afterwards. This sealed the deal for those who aspire to become the next Napoleon Nazareno that an AIM education is within their reach.

A A AIM Cebu Chapter gathering at Choi City Seafood Restaurant

Cebu alumni with Mr. Napoloen Nazareno (3rd from left) and A A AIM Cebu Chapter Chairman Mr. Virgilio Espeleta (5th from left)

DR. ROBERTO F. DE OCAMPO, FORMER FINANCE SECRETARY of the Philippines, former AIM president, and now a member of the AIM Board of Trustees and concurrently the executive director of the AIM gov. Jose B. Fernandez Jr. Center for Banking and Finance, among others, has been appointed as Honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Her Majesty’s Ambassador Stephen lillie formally conveyed the award and citation from the Queen in ceremonies held last May 18.

Dr. de Ocampo was recognized, first, for his outstanding work in promoting Philippine-UK relations over his years of public service and, more recently, in his capacity as chairman of the British Alumni Association, which acknowledged him as having transformed the group into a proactive promoter of raising the consciousness of Filipinos about British education opportunities, thereby helping to increase the number of Filipino students in UK schools.

Second, he initiated the Philippine-UK Friendship Week, which has become the highest-profile annual activity for fostering Philippine-UK relations.

Third, he established the charity Foundation for Disadvantaged Children within the association, funded by proceeds from activities during the Friendship Week. The most prominent of these events has been the concerts of the london-based boys’ choir, libera, over the past three years. The funds raised have supported health outreach missions, textbook donations, and playgrounds for disadvantaged children in lowest-income communities.

Dr. de Ocampo, who had attended a postgraduate program in Development Administration at the london School of Economics, said in his acceptance speech, “It is my pledge to always represent the OBE in my personal conduct with the honor, dignity, and proper decorum it embodies, and to regard it as an incomparable energizing impetus for me to do my best in my lifetime to continually promote Philippine-UK friendship and cooperation.”

Being appointed to the OBE is a rare honor, particularly to non-British nationals. Dr. de Ocampo is only the third Filipino to receive the award. The recognition came at an auspicious time, as the year 2012 marks the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen, the london Olympics, and the 250th Anniversary of the first British presence in the Philippines.

Dr. de Ocampo Named Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

Dr. de Ocampo (left) receives the award from Her Majesty’s Ambassador Stephen Lillie

9

THE ASIAN INSTITUTE of Management (AIM) recently held a signing ceremony to for-mally introduce the Basant and Sarala Birla Professorial Chair on Asian Family Corporations.

The establishment of the Pro-fessorial Chair was made possible through a US$2 million grant from Optimax Management Serv-ices Pte. ltd, a global consulting firm based in Singapore and represented by its director, Deb Mazumdar, an alumnus of AIM.

Named in honor of Basant and Sarala Birla, the youngest son and daughter-in-law of g.D. Birla, founder of the BK Birla group of India, the Professorial Chair is expected to contribute toward improving efficiencies among family-owned corporations through the conduct of manage-ment research that is applicable in the Asian context. To date, family corporations comprise about 50% of all listed companies in 10 major Asian markets.

The Birla group is one of the foremost and enduring business

houses in India. Across India, “the Birla” is often used as a colloquial term to signify lasting prosperity. Basant Birla is a well-known philanthropist and entrepreneur. His union with Sarala shaped the dynamics of the BK Birla group. Mrs. Sarala Birla has done pioneering work on girl education in India with far-reaching benefits for local communities. The foundation they laid, based on strong Asian family values, enabled future generations to bring the Birla legacy to greater heights. Basant and Sarala raised three chil-dren, to whom they passed the Birla family values of honesty, dependability, and hard work. Today the BK Birla group is a US$12 billion behemoth with structured diversification.

“This donation is excep-tional in its generosity and vision,” remarked AIM chair-man Napoleon l. Nazareno. The establishment of the Basant and Sarala Birla Professorial Chair on Asian Family Corporations

provides a platform for renewing AIM’s linkages with the Harvard Business School (HBS), one of its co-founding institutions, and comparable academic institutions to produce research materials and develop programs and electives on family corporations. The family corporation has been a major theme in the research program of the Harvard Business School. In the ASEAN region, AIM pioneered in research that traced the emergence of business families and looked into the challenges of growth. Through the Chair, AIM will spearhead collaborative research on the topic through its partnerships with other educa-tional institutions in Asia, Europe, and the United States.

“Since 1976, AIM has produced cases, notes, books, and papers on more than 60 Asian firms. These materials have enhanced the content and experience of AIM programs,” noted AIM dean Dr. Ricardo A. lim, who shared potential topics for research under the Birla Chair. These topics include social entrepreneurship, succession, collaboration, financing and investment, and supply chain management in the context of family corporations operating in Asia’s emerging markets.

“The Basant and Sarala Birla Professional Chair on Asian Family Corporations comes at a critical moment in AIM’s journey,” noted Dr. lim. “Asia is fast becoming—at least coun-tries like the Philippines and vietnam—the source of critical human resources and all the at-tendant problems with managing such human resources.” He added that family-owned corporations, which also have a vast and symbi-

US$2 Million Grant to Help Improve Efficiencies of Family-Owned Businesses in Emerging Markets throughout Asia

AIM Establishes Professorial Chair on Asian Family Corporations through AIM Alumnus Assistance

otic network throughout Asia, would drive the dynamism and growth of emerging markets.

Meanwhile, Deb Mazumdar, director of Optimax Management Services, stated that the grant would deliver practical knowl-edge that would allow family cor-porations to address their needs and face the challenges that lie ahead. “Part of the purpose of the chair is to find solutions for the practical problems that a family business faces during their years of growth,” stated Mr. Mazumdar. “The primary focus is on the ap-plication of knowledge for family-managed corporations across Asia and all over the world.”

For AIM president Edilberto C. de Jesús, the establishment of the Professorial Chair is an op-portunity for AIM to revisit a trail that it has pioneered. One of AIM’s first research topics concentrated on family corporations, and the school has produced several books on the topic. AIM has also offered one-week programs on managing family corporations in Manila, Singapore, and Dubai. He added that the research output is also expected to find publication in peer-reviewed journals such as the Harvard Business Review and the University of Michigan’s Jour-nal of Asian Business, with which AIM is starting a co-publishing arrangement.

Mr. de Jesús added that the establishment of the Professorial Chair is proof of significant alum-ni support. “This is a fresh sign of alumni confidence in the work of the Institute,” shared Mr. de Jesús. “It gives us the confidence that when we start something of significance and initiate new programs to respond to emerging regional challenges, we will be able to count on alumni support.”

With growth in many emerg-ing markets throughout Asia and the world being fuelled by family-owned corporations, AIM provides quality education and research that are responsive to the needs of these markets, including the intricacies of managing such family-owned corporations.

Optimax Management Services Pte. Ltd director and AIM alumnus Deb Mazumdar (secondfrom left) receives the AIM Board resolutions to accept and welcome the Professorial Chair from AIM chairman emeritus Washington Z. SyCip (third from left) at the launch of the Basant and Sarala Birla Professorial Chair on Asian Family Corporations at AIM. Also in the photo are (from left) AIM dean Dr. Ricardo A. Lim, AIM chairman Napoleon L. Nazareno, and AIM president Edilberto C. de Jesús.

I N S I G H T S C O V E R S T O R Y G I V I N G S P O T L I G H T S H O W C A S E C L A S S N O T E Snew s

DECEMBER 11, 2011 WAS one of the days that hardly anyone from Cohort 6 would ever forget. It was a wonderful way to validate all of our hard work. That day was a great paradox as none of us would have ever been prepared to what could come after.

December 11 was the em-bodiment of irony for AIM’s MBA Class of 2011 (better known as Cohort 6). It was a day that signified possibilities and oppor-tunities. Yet it was also the day that meant that the 16-month roller coaster ride with class-

mates and friends has finally ended. A mixed set of emotions was the order of the day.

Every MBA graduate places importance on the financial value of his/her graduation from a business school. The idea of earning a degree from the Asian Institute of Management was something that opened various doors. December 11 was ulti-mately the day when most of us in our batch were encouraged to gear towards those thoughts.

We were a very lucky batch. Aside from the great professors who empowered us to learn be-

yond what we were inclined to, our batch had the powerhouse of Program Director Maurino Bolante, Associate Dean Horacio Borromeo and the Institute Dean Ricardo lim to guide us along and constructively provide us with criticism that would later support us in our never-ending search for avenues that would better ourselves.

December 11 marked a beginning and ending for us. An end to the caseroom lessons we had to learn but a beginning of the true-to-life battles we have to overcome. An end to school and

team deadlines that tested our patience and wits but a begin-ning to meeting real expecta-tions that could later make or break us. An end to relationships that held the comforts of fa-miliarity but a beginning of real friendships that would further be tested by time and circumstance.

December 11 is one of the days that hardly anyone from Co-hort 6 would ever forget. It was a wonderful way to validate all of our hard work. That day was a great paradox as none of us would have ever been prepared to what could come after.

Celebrating Graduation Day with AIM MBA Class of 2011 by Ainul Mabaning, MBA 2011

A I M L e a d e r M a g a z i n e | T H I R D Q U A R T E R 2 0 1 2 11

THE ASIAN INSTITUTE OF Management (AIM) named five of its distinguished alumni to receive the Alumni Achievement Award, the

highest distinction that the institution be-stows upon its graduates. The awarding ceremonies were held at the institution’s Stephen Fuller Hall in Makati City.

The recipients of the Alumni Achievement Award are selected by the Alumni Association of AIM (AAAIM) and the Federation of AIM Alumni (FAIM). AIM President Edilberto C. de Jesus, AIM Dean Ricardo A. Lim, and FAIM Chairman Mahendra Pratap Singh presented the trophies to each of the awardees.

The recipients of the Alumni Achievement Award were: Shih-Choib Fu of Taiwan, a graduate of Master in Business Management, batch 1989; Milon Bikash Paul of Bangladesh, Master in Management, batch 1988; Ravi Prasad, Master in Business Management, batch 1988; Gov. Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda, Master in Business Management, batch 1990; and Ma. Alexandra P. Romualdez, Master in Development Management, batch 1994.

Each awardee’s work emphasizes managerial excellence in their chosen fields, as well as the social dimen-sion of their work. This is in line with

AIM’s vision of developing leaders for emerging markets.

“The leaders that AIM produce do not just exemplify managerial excellence, but they also work toward the attainment of social develop-ment goals,” stated AIM Dean Dr. Ricardo A. Lim. “The work of our Triple A recipients have demonstrated sound management principles, sustainabil-ity of businesses or programs, and significant benefits to the communi-ties and publics they serve.”

“AIM has put a premium on strong leadership and the importance of social consciousness,” remarked AIM Chairman Napoleon L. Nazareno in his welcome address. “Our Triple A awardees are all game-changers in their respective industries. Their influ-ence reaches beyond the boardrooms. The success of their socially-oriented projects is proof of that.”

Shih-Choib Fu is the Deputy Commissioner of Taiwan’s Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS)

and was previously with the Bureau of High Speed Rail (BOHSR) of the Ministry of Transportation and Com-munications (MOTC). He has played a critical role in the implementation of key infrastructure projects, such as the Taiwan High Speed Rail, which connects the northern and southern portions of the country. This project is the first major public construction project in Taiwan under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. Not only is this project a testament to the potentials of public-private partner-ships, it has helped spur growth and development throughout the country, as a result of improved transportation and increased accessibility.

Milon Bikash Paul is the Executive Director of Population Services and Training Center (PSTC), a national non-government organization in Bang-ladesh. Under his leadership, PSTC has grown by nearly six-fold, significantly increasing in terms of projects and de-velopment partners. Currently, PSTC provides services to over 3.5 million Bangladeshis, in the areas of health services, environmental health (water and sanitation), child and adolescent development, government and rights, HIV/AIDS prevention, and economic development. Apart from serving the urban poor, Mr. Paul has developed

programs for marginalized sectors of Bangladeshi society, including street children, children involved in hazard-ous work, and destitute women.

Ravi Prasad is the Executive Chairman of The Himalaya Drug Company, which has grown at an an-nual rate of 35% in the last five years under his leadership. He has helped grown the company from a boutique entity to a dynamic, multi-product global leader that provides products in the pharmaceutical and personal care segments. Mr. Prasad has also integrated community development and environmental protection into the company’s business model through a contract farming initiative that engages India’s small and marginalized farmers, including women farmers.

Jose Ma. Clemente Salceda is the Governor of Albay Province and the Chairman of the Bicol Regional Develop-ment Council. Under his leadership, the province received the Galing Pook Award in 2008, Gawad Kalasag Award in 2009, 2010, and 2011, and the Pamana ng Lahi Award for Excellence in Local Governance in Bicol in 2011. Governor Salceda has also been recognized for his pioneering work on disaster prepar-edness and management and climate change adaptation. He is an Advisor to the UNFCCC Transitional Committee of the Green Climate Fund and was named as the First Senior Global Champion of the UN International Strategy for Dis-aster Reduction (UN-ISDR) for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation. Governor Salceda continues to work in broadening public under-standing of sustainable strategies in view of global environmental concerns.

Ma. Alexandra R. Prieto-Romualdez is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Under her leadership, the broadsheet introduced various innovations, includ-ing: an advocacy program to develop a love for reading among children; a multimedia platform that responds to the various ways that readers consume their news; and the use of recycled pa-per and soy-based ink in the production of the newspaper.

The awarding ceremonies also recognized alumni that have generously donated to the institution to support the education of selected students currently enrolled in various programs, helping develop future leaders for emerging markets. The AIM Leadership Fund Trophy was awarded to: Lito Yabut, Jocelyn Maloles, Renny Yeo Ah Kiang, Alex Sembrano, Eris Arce, the Triple A Club headed by former Education Sec-retary Jesli Lapus, Gabriel Paredes, Joe Yiu Cho Tam, and Malvan Hwang.

AIM Recognizes Outstanding Alumni for Managerial Excellence and Social Impacts GeneratedAwardees’ Works Underscore Development Benefits for Communities in Emerging MarketsFrom left: Mr. Milon Bikash Paul, Executive Director of Population Services Training Center, Bangladesh; Governor Joey Salceda of Albay Province, Philippines; Ms. Ma. Alexandra P. Romualdez, President and CEO, Philippine Daily Inquirer; Mr. Shih-Choib Fu of the Department of Rapid Transit Systems, Taiwan; and Mr. Ravi Prasad, Executive Chairman, The Himalaya Drug Company, India

“The leaders that AIM produce do not just exemplify managerial excellence, but they also work toward the attainment of social development goals.”



DURINg THE BOARD Induction of the Alumni Associa-tion of AIM, Philippine Chapter last June 8, 2012, a special award was launched during the ceremonies honoring a new breed of alumni leaders.

Executive Managing Director of the Alumni Relations Office, greg Atienza announced that “Through their influence, a signifi-cant amount has been infused at AIM to enable the establishment of a Center for Tourism, a Profes-sorial Chair on Asian Family Cor-porations and a BPI-AIM Student loan Facility. They are our alumni ‘lEADERS OF INFlUENCE’”.

The following alumni leaders were recognized for their indefati-gable influence in supporting AIM: Jesli lapus, MBM 1973 whose influence has enabled the estab-lishment of the AIM-Dr. Andrew l. Tan Center for Tourism, which aims to promote sustainable tour-ism in the Philippines; Ramon de vera, MBM 1973 for establishing a BPI - AIM Student loan Facility to enable more Filipino students to populate the caserooms of degree

programs; and Deb Mazumdar, MM 2002, based in Singapore, responsible for establishing the Basant and Sarala Birla Profes-sorial Chair on Asian Family Cor-porations through a US$2 million grant from Optimax Management Services Pte. ltd.

During the launch last June 8, AIM Dean Ricardo lim stated, “In recognition of alumni who have facilitated funding of over Php 50 Million, the President and Council of Deans are pleased to announce that AIM is designat-ing an MBA Scholarship in their names. The Ramon M. de vera Scholarship will be offered as a one-time award to a deserv-ing, Filipino MBA candidate for school year 2012-2013. The scholarship will cover 100% tui-tion.” Scholarships will likewise be offered in the name of Jesli A. lapus and Deb Mazumdar.

AIM Chairman Napoleon Nazareno acknowledged lapus, De vera and Mazumdar and thanked them “for setting new benchmarks in terms of alumni donations and pledges.”

“Leaders of Influence” Awarded Scholarships in Their Name

Jesli Lapus, MBM 1973 whose influence has enabled the establishment of the AIM-Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism, was awarded the WiSdom Tree by AIM President Edilberto de Jesús and AIM Dean Ricardo Lim during the Triple A Breakfast meeting held last July 3, 2012.

Ramon de Vera, MBM 1973 received his token of appreciation from AIM Dean Ricardo Lim, AIM Chairman Napoleon Nazareno, and AIM President Edilberto de Jesús during the A A AIM Induction held June 8, 2012.

PHIlIPPINE DAIlY Inquirer President Alexandra “Sandy” Prieto-Romualdez, MDM 1994, and AIM Alumni Achieve-ment (Triple A) awardee for 2012 brought together members of the Triple A Club for a break-fast meeting at the Manila golf Club in Makati on July 3, 2012. Triple A Club President Mr. Jesli lapus MBM 1973, delivered the opening remarks and welcomed the attendees.

guest speaker Sister Becky Ortega, the national coordina-tor of Brahma Kumaris Philip-pines, was invited to shed light on the teachings of the organi-zation. She shared the role of inner peace in one’s strengths. “Our thoughts are energies; how we translate our thoughts

will keep our energies high. And these thoughts motivate us either to act or say something.” Ortega added.

Present in the meeting were Triple A club members Herminio Coloma, Jr. (MBM 1978) , Arthur Aguilar (MBM 1972), Eduardo limon (MBM 1974), Perpetuo M. de Claro (MBM 1973), Renato valencia (MBM 1971), Robert Kuan (MBM 1975), Roberto garcia (MBM 1973), Arturo Macapagal (MBM 1971), Alfred Xerez-Burgos (MBM 1971) and gabriel Paredes (MBM 1972). guests included AIM vice-chair-man of the Board of Trustees, Felipe B. Alfonso, AAAIM chairman Eduardo Sison, MBM 1973 and Alumni Relations EMD, gregorio Atienza, MBM 1983.

PDI Head Hosts Triple A Club Breakfast Meeting

Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez and Jesli Lapus presents a token of appreciation to Sister Becky Or tega.

Front row from left: Alfred Xerez-Burgos, Herminio Coloma, Jr., Alexandra Prieto- Romualdez, Jesli Lapus, Gabriel Paredes and Rober t Kuan. Back row from left: Greg Atienza, Perpetuo M. de Claro, Eduardo Limon, Ar turo Macapagal, Edilber to de Jesús, Ricardo Lim, Renato Valencia, Ar thur Aguilar, Rober to Garcia and Ed Sison.

13

THE AlUMNI RElATIONS Office (ARO) of the Asian Institute of Management hosted a mini-reunion for the Class of 1993, the lead host class of the Homecoming 2013 last June 22, 2012 at the Sgv 1 and 2. The

event was well attended with an astounding number of 29 MBM 1993 alumni, two of them via web conference call. The batch was able to set the highest number of attendees of a lead host class mini-reunion on record—a major achievement largely because of the initiative of MBM 1992 in passing on the torch as early as the Homecom-ing 2012 last February 24. This symbolic gesture ignited the enthusiasm of the class and instigated them in brainstorm-ing for the Homecoming 2013 celebration and forming com-mittees as early as March 2012.

The Executive Managing Director of ARO, Mr. gregorio “greg” J. Atienza, MBM 1983, and the Chairman of the Alumni Association of AIM (AAAIM), Mr. Eduardo “Ed” N. Sison, MBM 1973, gave the batch a warm wel-come and commended them for the keenness they have shown towards the preparation of the Homecoming in 2013. The event was also participated by AAAIM vice-Chairman, Augusto “Tito” C. Serafica, MBM 1991, Home-

coming 2012 Chairman and AAAIM Board Member, Rowena “Wing” Palmiery-Bayoneta, MBM 1992, and AAAIM Board Member Sr. Consolata “Consol” O. Mand-ing, FSP, MDM 1994.

Mr. Atienza emphasized to the batch that being the lead host class is a one-time opportunity and that a full blast effort in terms of camaraderie, determina-tion and commitment should be given in order make the Home-

coming a success. He coursed through a presentation citing the performances of the past home-comings and provided them with information on the goals and the tasks that they need to achieve for the Homecoming 2013. The presentation serves as the batch’s guide and benchmark to help

them in their preparation. As a member of one of the

celebrating batches next year, Mr. Atienza already extended his support for the group by sharing with them that Resorts World Manila could be a pos-sible venue for the Homecom-ing Night as he has already pitched the idea to Mr. Kingson U. Sian, President of Resorts World Manila. In this light, to illustrate the support of the AIM alumni community for the newly inaugurated AIM Dr. Andrew l. Tan Tourism Center, it was suggested to focus the theme on tourism, a sector for sustainable development of the country at the same time a way of rebuild-ing the diversity and interna-tionalization of the Institute.

Towards the end, Ms. Rosa-bella “Beng” S. Abella, MBM 1993, was appointed as the Chairman of the Homecoming Committee. The batch truly made their mark in delivering a promising, excit-ing and ”look forward to” events for the coming months until the most-awaited celebration of the Homecoming 2013.

Lead Host Class 1993 Mini-Reunion

“Being the lead host class is a one-time opportunity and that a full blast effort in terms of camaraderie, determination and commitment should be given in order make the Homecoming a success.”


AIM AlUMNI BASED IN london met last May 2012 at the Balls Brothers Pub at Fenchurch to formalize the establishment of the first ever Alumni Chapter in Europe. Present during the initial meeting were April lim (MBA 2005), Michelle Boquiren(MBM 2000), Nitin Chandak (MBA 2005), Himan-shu Kher (MBA 2005), Nithy-anand Poornanandan (MBA 2004), Sunil Pethe (MBA 2004), Rajesh Solanki (MBM 1999), and Deepak Winston (MBM 2000).

Election of officers was held and the following were appoint-ed: Rajesh Solanki (President), April lim (vice President with Himanshu Kher as deputy) and Deepak Winston (Secretary / Events Director with Sunil Pethe as deputy).

The group will be meeting quarterly to establish itself as the contact point for all AIM alumni in Europe. For more information, alumni may contact Rajesh Solanki at [email protected].


AIM Alumni Establishes Chapter in Europe

THE FIRST-EvER STAgINg of a mini reunion of AIM military alumni was held last April 27, 2012 at the Sgv 1 and 2, AIM Campus. The get-together led to the building up of a core group working towards a scholarship fund for those from honor ranks of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni enrolling into AIM. Brig. gen. Romeo David (Ret.), MBM 1972 and Capt. Renato valencia (Ret.), MBM 1971 have been nominated to co-chair the Military Alumni Chapter.

The Alumni Association of AIM-Philippines (AAAIM) Chairman Eustacio Orobia and AIM President Edilberto de Jesus welcomed the alumni to the event. AIM Dean Ricardo lim (on video), Washington SyCip graduate School of Business Associate Dean Horacio Borromeo, and Center for Development Management Associate Dean Juan Miguel luz updated the alumni with the

AAAIM Hosts Military Alumni Mini Reunion

developments of the school. Mr. Renato valencia gave a

few words during the gathering. “I got my leadership training from PMA and my management training in AIM...going to AIM is like going to a battle. You wonder whether you will still be around after every written analysis of case (WAC) or case discussion.

“Should military officers or ex-military officers aspire to go to AIM? No doubt. They can certainly broaden their horizons and prepare for a second career,” he said.

Maj. gen. Nonato Alfredo Peralta, MBM 1990, Superintendent of the Armed Forces of the Philippines graced the occasion.

AIM Alumni Beijing Chapter Helps Market AIMTHE AIM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Beijing Chapter held a gathering to introduce AIM to students at the Peking University last May 7, 2012. With the topic “Personal Career

Development”, nine sophomore students, Prof. Wu Jie Wei, Prof. Shi, and a teacher from the Philippines attended the meeting.

AIM Alumni Beijing Chapter Head,

Jack Niu, MM 1998 and Zhang Lanying, MDM 1998 organized the meeting to promote AIM degree pro-grams to students from the Peking University. Mr. Niu gave a briefing

on AIM and presented the degree programs including the Center for De-velopment Management programs. He also explained the application process and minimum requirements for each program. “Management education will play a key role in everyone’s life and career,” Niu remarked. “Students should be prepared for it after three to six years work experience.”

Ms. Zhang Lanying shared her NGO life in the Philippines for seven years and her days as an MDM student, as well as her NGO career in China after AIM. She advised the Peking University students to choose their careers by “following their hearts and interests.”

The audience, composed of professors and students, appreciated the presentation and agreed that the sharing session added a lot of value to the group on enlightening them about NGOs and business careers in the future.

Ms. Zhang Lanying will be recom-mending two MDM candidates and one MBA candidate in the near future.

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• How do we scale up initiatives and move from the point where we are now to where want to go?

• How do we harness our passions, energies and good intentions and experiences and put them into good use by a committed group of development professionals?

In closing, IMDM invited everybody to IMDEvPro2013 and raised the challenge to host the Asian Social Innovations Forum in a region outside Metro Manila. The IMDEvPro2014-2015 forums are expected to be held in other Asian countries.

The IMDM was established by graduates of the AIM Masters in Development Management (MDM) and executive pro-grams in 2003. The founders recognized the imperative to go

beyond having knowledge, skills, and experience as individual development practitioners. They realized the need to collectively forge solutions, execute them in a persistent, cohesive, and dynamic mode and synergize efforts towards sustainable socio- economic development.

In June 2009, the IMDM initi-ated the 1st Conference of Devel-opment Professionals, coinciding with the 10thanniversary of the AIM Master in Development Program and carrying the theme, “Maturing in Development Practice: Innovation, Action and Continuity.” This was followed in 2010 with a 2nd conference among development practition-ers. The positive response of the participants to these initiatives encouraged the IMDM to con-tinue this undertaking on a more regular basis, with a long-term vision of institutionalizing the IMDEvPro Forum Series.

“IMDEvPRO REMINDS ME of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. I believe IMDEvPro replicates Davos in the Philippines in a more grassroots way,” said AIM Dean Ricardo lim in his welcome remarks during the opening ceremonies of the IMDM Development Profes-sionals (IMDEvPro2012) Asian Social Innovations Forum which was held on 26-27 July 2012 at the Fuller Hall, AIM Campus.

The International Movement of Development Professional (IMDM) successfully launched the first in a four-year series of IMDEvPro Asian Social In-novations Forum in partnership with the AIM Alumni Relations Office (ARO), Alumni Associa-tion of AIM (AAAIM), Center for Development Management (CDM) and the Career Execu-tive Service Board (CESB). This

year’s theme was Scaling up for Inclusive Development and highlighted innovative ap-proaches, case studies, research work, and lessons learnt from various thematic development fields of current practice sup-porting the Millennium Develop-ment goals (MDg).

Around 160 development professionals and practitioners from various sectors and regions attended IMDEvPro2012. The programme started with the keynote speech of Mr. S. Chander, Director general of the ADB Regional and Sustainable Development Department on the topic “Empowering Asia’s Poor through Targeted Support Programs.” This was followed by the following plenary sessions:

• Defining the Development Context, Setting the Roadmap

• Social Innovations in Edu-cation and Health: The Smart Key to Poverty Reduction

• Poverty and Peace & Security: The Road to lasting Solutions

• Environmental Innova-tions and good governance for Sustainable Development

• Social Innovations that Work at the local level

• World Cafe: Scaling up Options for Priority Program Initiatives and Project Proposals

• Capacity Building Tools for Social Innovations.

In his keynote address, Mr. Chander underscored the re-quirements for inclusive growth.

First, sustainable growth is needed to create and expand economic opportunities. Second, there should be broader access to these opportunities to ensure that society fully benefits from economic growth. This requires focus on education, health and social protection. lastly, social safety nets must be strengthened to prevent extreme deprivation.

The succeeding plenary ses-sions focused on inclusive devel-opment and scaling up initiatives covering the thematic scope of the MDg. Speakers shared their experiences, best practices and recent studies. Plenary modera-tors then engaged participants in a discussion with the speakers. In lieu of the conventional action planning workshop, IMDEvPro conducted a world cafe session. The last plenary session focused on capacity building needs of development professionals.

At the end of IMDEv-Pro2012, IMDM posed the fol-lowing questions to participants:

• What are the urgent problems facing development professionals?

• What important ideas which are just around the corner are relevant to our work?

• What breakthroughs in social innovations are going to have impact in our organiza-tions, communities and societies in the region?

• What kind of social innova-tions shall we build as platform for development professionals?

IMDM HOSTS 1ST ASIAN SOCIAL INNOVATIONS FORUM

Left photo: ADB Director General for Regional and Sustainable Development Department Mr. Seethapathy Chander delivered the Keynote Address on “Empowering Asia’s Poor through Targeted Support Programs.” Right photo (from left): IMDEVPro2012 Project Director Josephine Tioseco, IMDM Board Vice President Sr. Consolata Manding, AIM Dean Ricardo Lim, Mr. Chander, IMDM Board Vice President Gina Barte, and IMDM Board Secretary Hilda Cleofe.

Ms. Maria Ressa, CEO and Chief Editor of Rappler.com.

Jon Ungphakorn, former Thai Senator and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee.

I N S I G H T S C O V E R S T O R Y G I V I N G S P O T L I G H T S H O W C A S E C L A S S N O T E Snew s1616

www.inquirer.net

Feature

W HAT STARTED AS AN idea to gather a group of movers and shakers in the field of research, healthcare and man-

agement to network and exchange ideas was quickly solidified into a monthly meeting spearheaded by AIM’s healthcare research hub, the Dr. Stephen Zuellig Center for Asian Business Transformation (ZCABT), or simply the Zuellig Center.

During a round table discussion (RTD) on the National Drug Discovery and Devel-opment Program at the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-go, execu-tive director of the Zuellig Center explains, “it was articulated in the RTD that there is a need for a platform that would bring indus-try and scientists together to informally network on a regular basis—this is to serve as an incubator for ideas that could lead to potential research papers, venture entrepre-

neurship and innovations to solve science problems through management.”

Coined as STIKE (Science, Technology, Innovations, Knowledge, and Entrepreneur-ship) by Dean Ricardo lim of the Asian In-stitute of Management, the monthly Kapihan meetings cover topics that show promise of enriching the future of research. Each month, experts in various fields are invited to discuss specific topics that have strong implications in management and innovation.

Since January, the Zuellig Center has brought in experts to discuss a range of topics covering disaster management, information and communication technology, medical and health research, and diagnostic innovations.

Speakers TalkServing as president of the Commu-

nity Health Education Emergency Rescue Services Corp., Sandra Montano recalled, “I was so honored to be invited to speak about disaster preparedness and share my knowledge on disaster medicine. To be part of STIKE’s pool of speakers is a privilege since not all are given the chance to speak in front of distinguished alumni.”

Mr. Jose Eugenio Quesada, a speaker for April’s ICT4Health, finds STIKE an “enlight-ening event”. He said, “I am happy that the STIKE Kapihan was started, and that I was able to participate in the appropriate Kapi-han forum to present my work, and to learn about the work of other Filipinos in the field.”

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Incubating Ideas that Bridge Development and Business SectorsZuellig Center’s STIKE Kapihan Series

PIERRE MARCEL/FLICKR

The President of Integrated Open Source Solutions, Quesada was a key member in the study on deploying innovative mobile-based telemedicine systems using open source tools in resource-poor areas of the Philippines. He presented the mobile health opportunities side by side with Mr. Ramon Duremdes of Smart Communications and Ms. Esther go of Medilink Inc. Of the two, Quesada states, “I learned from the two other speakers who had presented, and also from the discussions that followed.”

“STIKE is relevant to my line of work. It allows me to quickly see the scope of a tech-nology or issue in a one-stop-plus-interaction site,” added Dr. gemiliano Aligui, Dean of the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Medi-cal Center’s College of Nursing, who spoke on diagnostics of infectious diseases last June.

Opening Box of ideasviewed as a service to the public,

STIKE is free of charge and open to anyone interested. Thus, it attracts professionals and students across disciplines.

“The multidimensional nature of the experiences shared by the other STIKE par-ticipants gave me the impression that there is a wealth of opportunities for the public and private sectors to collaborate towards environmental sustainability,” said Marian valera, a graduate student at the london School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who had recently participated at the Disaster Preparedness and Management meeting.

“There are really a lot of innovations in the country and it is quite overwhelming,” said Mary Rose Rontal of Access Health International-Philippines who had attended the STIKE meeting on Health and Medical

Opportunities in Biotechnology and Nanotechnology. “STIKE is one of the venues where we can learn what and by whom these innovations are. As incubator and accelerator at the same time, the challenge for us now is to how we can scale-up and scale-out these innovations locally and globally so that these innovative solutions will not just stay on the shelves or at a pilot scale, and our young innovators will be more inspired and continuously incubate market-based solutions for health that are cost-efficient, scalable and sustainable.

Connecting Peoplevalera noted, “STIKE has expanded my

network beyond my field by introducing me to key players and stakeholders in development and business sectors.”

Additionally, Montano has said, “I view STIKE as a very good place to interact and collaborate, as well as a venue to network and coordinate timely events that answer the needs of the community.”

The Right PushThe Zuellig Center is inspired by the idea

of pushing for public-private partnerships in various different fields that can ultimately innovate and revolutionize research and management of healthcare systems in the Philippines. Through STIKE, the Center aims to continue to provide a venue where scientists, policymakers, businessmen and students can think out of the box, share ideas and invest more time in developing projects that help improve people’s lives.

STIKE is set to continue on its monthly run until December 2012. For more informa-tion, visit www.aim.edu/zuellig.


JANUARYDrug Discovery and DevelopmentSpeaker: Mr. Stephen Michael Co, Junior Consultant, Hybridigm Consulting

FEBRUARYStem Cell ResearchSpeaker: Dr. Samuel Bernal, Adviser Consultant to the Medical City

MARCHPriority Non-communicable DiseasesSpeakers: Dr. Franklin Diza, Medical Specialist IV, Department of Health National Center for Disease Prevention and ControlDr. Ma. Nilda Munoz, Visiting Senior Research Scientist, Research and Biotechnology Division, St. Luke’s Medical Center

APRILICT4HealthSpeakers: Mr. Ramon Duremdes, Consultant, Smart CommunicationsMs. Esther Go, President and CEO, Medilink Inc.Mr. Jose Eugenio Quesada, President, Integrated Open Source Solutions

MAYDisaster Preparedness and ManagementSpeakers: Ms. Hilda Tabar-Cleofe, Executive Director, Corporate Network for Disaster ResponseMs. Sandra Montano, President, Community Health Education Emergency Rescue Services Corp.

JUNEPriority Infectious DiseasesSpeakers: Dr. Eva Cutiongco-dela Paz, Director, Institute of Human Genetics at the National Institutes of HealthDr. Gemiliano Aligui, Dean, University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Medical Center

AUGUSTTechnological Innovations in Environmental ManagementSpeakers: Mr. Elmer Mercado, Natural Resource and Government ConsultantMr. Robert So, President, EcoSystem Technologies Inc.

A dynamic platform that engages in intellectual, thought-provoking discussions, STIKE has tackled the following topics thus far:

THE COMPlEXITY OF WOMEN’S roles and responsibilities are even more pronounced in areas of armed and religious conflict and ethnic discrimination. Women are expected to continue to put food on the table; care for their families; and manage the household while confronted with the reality of the horrors of social conflict.

While it is difficult to survive and lead a normal life in such areas, it is even more remarkable when women rise above these challenging situations and work toward establishing and maintaining peace and harmony, attaining economic recovery, and upholding human rights.

Bridging Leadership toward Conflict Resolution

The Asian Institute of Management (AIM) TeaM Energy Center for Bridging leadership provides tools for leaders to work toward conflict resolution, enabling them to bridge social and economic divides to reduce poverty and increase equality. AIM’s Bridging leadership Fellows Program demonstrates a new kind of leadership—leadership that forms linkages of under-standing and action to address social conflict, a reality in many emerging markets throughout the world.

The Bridging leadership Fellows Pro-

Women Making a Difference in a World of Conflict

gram also underscores the critical role that women play in conflict resolution. The pro-gram has attracted leaders from all over the Philippines, including women who are making a profound difference in their communities.

Peace Building through Women Empowerment

Sitti Djalia Hataman, wife of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) gov-ernor Mujiv Hataman, founded Pinay Kilos (PinK), an organization based in Zamboanga City and works on the areas of peace, health, and women’s rights in the provinces of Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and Zamboanga Sibugay. Hataman also established Pinay Kilos Young Cadres for Peace (PAYAPA) as part of her project for AIM.

“I no longer share our women’s everyday stories, experiences, fears, and aspirations,” reflected Hataman. “This made me uncom-fortable speaking and engaging on their behalf, and it became clear that they do not

Women’s rights and understanding of gender issues have significantly grown in recent years, leading to improved economic opportunities, greater equality in the work place, better access to health services and education, increased participation in decision-making and governance, and decrease in incidences of violence against women, among others.

Bae Rose Undag (standing), a consultant for Building Bridges for Peace (BBP) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), works with the Higaonons to help popularize their concerns and to encourage local and provincial governments to provide them with the necessary services.

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need my voice to speak for them, as they have their own voice.”

PAYAPA hopes to provide spaces for the development of young Muslim women who aspire to become community-based peace-builders. The project targets nine peace cad-res from the Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi areas, focusing on capacity build-ing, articulating social divides, developing a community peace agenda, and implementing a Bridging Peace Project.

Skills Development toward Equitable Communities

Another NgO working to uphold women’s rights is the Al-Mujadilah Development Foun-dation, Inc. (AMDF). led by project director Zahria “linky” P.M. Mapandi, AMDF works for the meaningful participation of women in peace-building, good governance, poverty reduction, and sustainable development.

“I was deprived of my right to make my own choices and for my own choices to be respected,” said Mapandi, sharing her experiences as a Maranao Muslim woman. Mapandi works toward enterprise building for enhanced Islam and gender equality mainstreaming in communities of peace, as well as to arrest trafficking of persons. All of these activities are intended for women to be actively involved in decision making at both the household and community levels.

Meanwhile, Ruby Andong, Senior Training Officer at the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA), believes that values transformation and skills development are tools necessary to achieve peace and good governance. She has been motivated by “the difficulty of life and the moral decline of the Bangsamoro people brought about by continuing conflict in our communities”.

Andong’s work involves skills training for some 5,000 indigent men, women, and out-of-school youth, with the goals of developing an enlightened and productive community, working together for peace and development by reinforcing Islamic values, providing livelihood skills for entrepreneurship and employment, and strengthening collabora-tion with all stakeholders.

Engaging Marginalized CommunitiesThe Mindanao Tri-People Consultancy

Services Cooperative and Kapayapaan Ka-patid Council, through its chairperson and planning and development head Ma. luz go, hopes to create a showcase for Christians, Muslims, and indigenous people sharing peace, understanding, and development through business.

go has proposed a three-year vinegar industry development project in Barangay Saravia, Koronadal City, with indigenous peoples as main suppliers of fresh coconut sap, Muslims as main suppliers of chili, and Christians as vendors. The first phase of the project is expected to help establish a chamber of commerce and a food processing center for vinegar.

Bae Rose Undag is another leader working to improve the state of indigenous groups in Mindanao. She is a tribal leader of the Higaonons and a consultant for Building Bridges for Peace (BBP) project, established by the Philippine Coalition for the Inter-national Criminal Court (PCICC), and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). At present, she is working closely with the Tatrico-Odliba community, one of the most neglected among the Higaonons, addressing their domain claims spanning 13 barangays, with the hope of mainstream-ing these issues in the Provincial Peace and Order Council. Undag also hopes that through her work, there would be a Higaonon Indigenous Knowledge System and Practices (IKSP) database and stronger livelihood opportunities for the group. A key goal of her work under her fellowship with AIM is to be able to bridge the needs of the Higaonons and the services that can be made available to them through informed decision-making by local and provincial governments.

Providing fresh perspectives on leadershipAll these women have acknowledged that

the Bridging leadership Program at AIM has provided new perspectives and approaches to their leadership and management skills.

“It has given me new perspectives, and a more systematic approach to dealing with the different divides I am confronted with,” shared Hataman. “I am new to government bureaucracy, and the tools I learned, particu-larly on systems thinking and the concepts on leadership have helped me a lot.”

In areas of conflict, there is little trust among various groups, and this is addressed by the program, which focuses on col-laboration among stakeholders, developing a common understanding of the conflict, and reaching a consensus on how solutions can be developed and applied. A sense of co-leading is espoused by the program which challenges current approaches to leadership. The bridging leader is not your traditional leader but one who recognizes the need to work with others and work through others to respond to complex issues.

“My AIM experience has contributed to my work and advocacy by enhancing my mind set. It made me believe the power of collaboration as an effective and more sustainable way of achieving our goal”, explained Mapandi.

“The Bridging leadership inputs trans-formed me from a ‘timid’ Bangsamoro woman leader to a Bangsamoro woman bridging leader. This leadership for social transforma-tion addresses complex problems in our com-munities through multi-stakeholder process-es,” added Undag. “We have started working through collaborative partnerships to address conflict through peace building activities that will start from within the self and promotion of skills-based livelihood activities.”

Countless other women and communities have benefitted from a new approach to ad-dressing decades-long issues. It is hoped that these strategies will allow concerned women to empower others, reduce conflict, and create peaceful and thriving communities that espouse gender equality, provide access to vital services, and recognize the rights of all peoples, regardless of their religious and ethnic affiliation.

Al-Mujadilah Development Foundation, Inc. (AMDF) project director Zahria “Linky” P.M. Mapandi addresses a general assembly of the organization’s partners.

Ma. Luz Go (left, standing),chairperson of the Mindanao Tri-People Consultancy Services Cooperative and the Kapayapaan Kapatid Council, works with communities to develop small businesses and promote peace and understanding.

All these women have acknowledged that the Bridging Leadership Program at AIM hasprovided new perspectives and approaches to their leadership and management skills.


FOR THOSE WHO CARE about such things, rising income inequality is considered an obstacle for development. Indeed, numerous articles and studies have helped elevate

our understanding of this social issue as well as identify and sharpen various policies to bridge the growing income and develop-ment divides between the über-rich and the destitute (eg Atkinson et al 2011, Fernholz and Fernholz 2012, galbraith 2011, Milanovic 2007, and Rajan 2010).

Nevertheless, far less attention has been given to the mirror image of income inequality in the political sphere: political dynasties. The rise of elected officials with extensive familial links to present and previous politicians in power signals a growing inequality in access to power and political influence. That, in turn, could also affect the persistence and prevalence of social and economic divides.

Numerous politicians have since taken over the reins of power from their family members (notably fathers and husbands) so that a few families dominate the top echelons of power in many democracies. A brief list includes: President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (wife of former President Nestor Kirchner) in Argentina, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (sister of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra) in Thailand, former President george W Bush (son of former President george HW Bush) in the United States, Prime Minister Najib Razak (son of former Prime Minister Abdul Razak) in Malaysia, and former President (now Congresswoman) gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (daughter of former President Diosdado Macapagal) in the Philippines. The Presi-dent of the Philippines, Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino, III, is the scion of the Aquino clan. His mother was the very popular former President Corazon Aquino and his father was former Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino, Jr.

Dynastic leaders in line to the throneMany other leaders appear to be

‘pipelined’ for the top leadership positions in their respective countries. These include Rajiv gandhi, the son of former Indian Prime Minister Indira gandhi, who in turn was the daughter of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Another is Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate who is now running for Parliament in Myanmar. She is the daugh-ter of Aung San, whom many consider to be the founding father of the Union of Burma.

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Inequality in the world’s poorest countries is considered one of the main barriers to development.

But this column points out that the inequality is about much more than the über-rich and the destitute—it is about access to political power. This article looks at political dynasties, where leadership is passed down through family ties, to see if these are a cause of the

persistent social and economic divides.

by Prof. Ronald U. Mendoza

Dynasties in democracies: The political

side of inequality

In varying degrees, political dynasties can exist in any democracy regardless of its structure, history, or the level of economic development of the country. legislators and parliamentarians with dynastic links range from 6% in the United States to as high as 37–40% in the Philippines and Mexico. In the case of the Philippines, if we also consider familial links to local government units, the figure reaches an amazing 70%. Roughly 80% of the youngest legislators in the Philippines also hail from dynastic political families.

Dynasties across democracies nevertheless differ in important ways. During the period between 1996 and 2007, over 90% of Japanese politicians as male and some 30% of the Japanese parliament was from political dynasties. Daughters are unlikely to form part of political dynasties in that country, as power is often passed on to sons. A recent study noted that of over 120 Japanese politicians described as dynastic, only 3 are women (Asako et al 2010). On the other hand, one study of political dynasties in the US Congress showed how dynasties helped to improve the gender balance in the US Congress, by allowing more female legislators to get in via their familial ties (Dal Bo et al 2009).

The longer runway and the stationary banditFormer Prime Minister lee Kuan Yew of

Singapore served for over three decades and remains the world’s longest serving Prime Minister. Most were not surprised when his eldest son, lee Hsien loong, eventually followed in his father’s footsteps and took over the reins of power in 2004. Many credit the lee dynasty for the sustained and stable reform and development process that have enabled Singapore to reach first world status today. Indeed some analysts concede that the performance of a government official is a function of the security and longevity of his or her tenure in office. A famous theory by Mancur Olson suggests that even less benign leaders with a secure hold on power may behave like ‘stationary bandits’, benefiting from their position yet ensuring that growth and development nevertheless takes place in order to continue to secure their hold. A

REFERENCES:Asako, Y, T Iida, T Matsubayashi, and M Ueda (2010), “Dynastic legislators: Theory and evidence from Japan”, Mimeo.Atkinson, AB, T Piketty, and E Saez (2011), “Top incomes in the long run of history”, Journal of Economic Literature, 49(1):3–71.Balisacan, A and E Pernia (2002), “Going beyond cross-country averages: Growth, inequality and poverty reduction in the Philippines”, World Development 32(11):1891–907.Dal Bo, E, P Dal Bo, and J Snyder (2009), “Political Dynasties”, Review of Economic Studies,76(1):115–142.Fernholz, R and R Fernholz (2012), “Wealth Distribution without Redistribution”, VoxEU.org, 27 February.Galbraith, J (2011), “Inequality and economic and political change: a comparative perspective”, Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 4(1):13–27.Mendoza, RU, E Beja, V Venida, and D Yap (2012), “An Empirical Analysis of Political Dynasties in the 15th Philippine Congress”, Asian Institute of Management Policy Center Research Paper.Milanovic, B (2007), Worlds Apart: Measuring International and Global Inequality, Princeton University Press.Olson, M (2003), “Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development” in Knack, S (ed) Democracy, Governance, and Growth, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.Rajan, R (2010), “How inequality fueled the crisis”, Project Syndicate, 9 July.Rocamora, J (1998), “Corruption in the Philippines. A Beginner’s Guide (Introduction)” in Coronel, S (ed) Pork and Other Perks: Corruption and Governance in the Philippines, Pasig: Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

darker view suggests that the less-benevolent and less-scrupled would turn to wide-scale and more destructive pillaging if given a short window of power.

There is really very little evidence to disprove either view. While lee Kuan Yew and his family presided over the rapid devel-opment and industrialisation of Singapore, other leaders with similar long stints in power were not as benign. Examples include Ferdinand Marcos, who served as President of the Philippines and presided over a more than 20-year period which saw poverty almost double; and the Duvalliers in Haiti (Papa Doc, the father, who was President

from 1957–71 and Baby Doc, the son, who was President from 1971–86), whose widely known regimes of plunder and excess left the country as the most indebted and least developed in latin America.

Political inequality and povertyPatterns of political dynasties in the

Philippines offer a very sobering view of what political inequality looks like. Our recent study of political dynasties in the 15th Philippine House of Representatives during the 2003–07 period (see Mendoza et al 2012) suggests that about 80% of dynastic legisla-tors experienced an increase in their net worth. About half of the sample did so well that their asset growth beat the returns from investing in the Philippines Stock Exchange. Political dynasties in the Philippine Congress also tend to dominate the major political par-ties, comprising anywhere from 60–80% of each of the major parties (see Figure 1).

Dynastic legislators are also richer, correcting for one non-dynastic outlier, Congressman Manny Pacquiao, the world champion Filipino boxer who was elected to the Congress in 2010. Political dynasties win in elections by much larger margins of vic-tory, and in recent years increased as a share of the total legislators (see Figure 2).

Most troubling—and this is the main link to the income inequality side—political dynasties in the Philippines are located in regions with relatively higher poverty levels (about five percentage points higher poverty incidence compared to districts with non-dynastic legislator incumbents). While these findings do not allow us to conclude causal-ity, two competing explanations paint a wor-rying picture. Either poor people continue to vote for political dynasties, or dynasties con-tinue to frustrate poverty-reduction efforts. Neither of these explanations is palatable for most of us who long to see development accompany democracy.

This article is printed with permission from http://www.voxeu.org/article/dynasties-democracies-political-side-inequality. The full paper is forthcoming in the Philippine Political Science Journal.

Figure 1: Political dynasties dominate the key Philippine political parties

Source: Mendoza et al (2012)

Figure 2: Share of dynastic politicians in the Philippine Congress over time: Preliminary snapshot

Patterns of political dynasties in the Philippines offer a very sobering view ofwhat political inequality looks like.


Source: Mendoza et al (2012)

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LEAD ING LEADERS

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by Gregorio de Jesus Atienza, MBM 1983

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y J O V E L L O R E N Z O

On December 9, 1969, an American professor from the Harvard Business School declared during the dedication ceremonies of the new AIM building that “It is our hope that through these halls will pass young men and women of superior intellectual and moral capacity who, fortified by their training here, will exercise strongly beneficial influences in Asian institutions of the future.” He was Stephen H. Fuller, the first president of the Asian Institute of Management.

Today, more than four decades after, AIM welcomes the 9th president of the Institute, another American professor in the person of Steven John DeKrey, PhD. Dr. DeKrey is one of the builders of the world-renowned business school, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). An MBA graduate of the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University, he obtained his PhD from the University of Iowa in Consulting, School and Sport Psychology. >>

LEAD ING LEADERSAIM’S 9TH PRESIDENT, DR. STEVE DEKREY


in education and leadership development. As Senior Associate Dean, Director of Masters Programs and Adjunct Professor of Management at the HKUST School of Business and Management, he helped propel HKUST’s masteral programs to international eminence. Its MBA program is rated top ten by The Financial Times, while its EMBA program rated number one in the world the last three times.

Dr. DeKrey’s roots are in Bemidji, Minnesota, a 150 year old town whose name is derived from the first Indian chief of the Chippewa Tribe. Steeped in Midwest values, the affable and charming gentleman has retained the endearing small town values seen in top business schools: Work hard. Play hard.

leading the leaders of the Asian Institute of Management, Dr. DeKrey shares a glimpse of his professional ideals, values and insights on education and leadership in this candid interview with the AIMleader.

EARLY YEARS

Greg Atienza (GJA): I read that you came from this town Bemidji, Minnesota?Dr. Steve DeKrey (SJD): I was there all through elementary and high school, from ages 5-18, before I went to college. First school I graduated from was in my hometown, Bemidji state. I first went to Montana State, then transferred to Minnesota, then to Wisconsin, Iowa, and finally Northwestern.

My first Master’s Degree was from the University of Wisconsin—that was a two year program. That was when school psychology was booming in the country, I selected that as my major course as it leads to a position—it was employa-ble. After that degree, I worked in Iowa and attended graduate school again, part time and later full time.

GJA: I noticed that after you took your PhD, you took an MBA in Kellogg.SJD: My career plans were evolving. In our early years what do we do? We take after our parents if we have a positive relation-ship. My father was a psychologist so I had a natural interest and predisposition to psychology. But as you grow and mature you find your own way. And I discovered in my early jobs, that the management side, a leadership role is more of my interest and strength.

GJA: Were your parents also educators?SJD: My father was a professor for four years, but after his 4th kid he could not afford the lifestyle anymore so he took a job in clinical psychology, he was prepared for that. He started as a professor of statistics in psychology. Mother has a degree in social work. She went back to school—at a later age. Her gen-eration of women frequently left college to raise a family and she did that. But she went back to school as an adult. In fact I

graduated with my mother. She was part of the same gradu-ation class in our local university and she had better grades than I did! And I was an honor student.

GJA: You mention there are four of you?SJD: Four siblings. I’m the eldest grandson in a large group of grandchildren, 26 grandchildren from my father’s side. I was named after my grandfather, a prominent farmer from North Dakota, the next door state. But I do have an older sister-one year older and we are quite close. My brother is a doctor in our hometown—he is still there. He bought the family house on lake Bemidji, so we all still go to the same place for Christmas that I’ve been going to for over 50 years.

GJA: I wanted to ask, from where is the name DeKrey?SJD: My heritage is Dutch and I am a 4th generation American. So it goes back to my great grandfather. De-crai was how it used to be pronounced. It was spelled DECRAIg, but we are Americans now, none of us speak Dutch. great grandfather, grandfather did, father—no. It used to have a space, if you know Dutch names it’s DE with a space then KREY. So I grew up with a space, but after getting into college and comput-ers becoming so prominent it messed up the last name. They thought it was Krey, so in my generation, we got rid of the space so now my business card says DeKrey. I kept the Capital K, but that we don’t always use. Oftentimes it would just be capital D.

FINDING ASIA

GJA: How did you from far off find your way to the east? What was the force that drove you to Asia?

SJD: That is an interesting story. My goal was university administration. I had a PhD and I went to get a masters and I chose Northwestern because they had a major in management of nonprofits. Now you happen to know that AIM is a nonprofit. Management and leadership in educational institutions was my goal, so when I went to Kellogg, I had the opportunity to actu-ally opt out of my full time program and start working with the school. So not only was I finishing my school at night but during the day I had a full time job. That full time job sent me to Asia every year; I was helping Sasin start up their program. In 1983 I first visited Bangkok and helped do the admission and marketing for Chulalongkorn Sasin graduate School.

GJA: So this was a tie up between Sasin and Kellogg?Kellogg, Wharton and Sasin started this program in Asia.

This was new to me—I didn’t even have a passport! I’m from a little town in Minnesota and in those days I didn’t even know where Asia was. So they sent me to Bangkok and I was very intrigued by the culture, the people, and the idea of just being there. I looked forward to that trip every year. It was during

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Dr. DeKrey has over 30 years experience

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that trip that I found out about AIM, because AIM was the inspiration for Sasin.

AIM had been founded in the late 60s so by the 80s, it had already established a prominent position in Asia. And it was a role model. It was from a prominent US school, helping educa-tional institutions build graduate business education. So that was it. Now it didn’t mean that I had to move there but after 5 years of working there I was intrigued by Asia and every year I would come to the Philippines; I would stay at the Manila hotel on the waterfront and host Kellogg alumni events. The Kel-logg alumni are very prominent here. And you know I am very active with the alumni so the link was good. In fact the Kel-logg alumni welcomed my wife and I in the Philippines [last August], at the Manila golf Club. I was co-chair of the alumni for Asia, until end of June. I am very keen on alumni involve-ment at a business school. I do it personally and I certainly promoted it in my institutions in Hong Kong and the US.

The Asian link started there, but then I went back to exchange jobs and have regional positions—not global business positions with Kellogg. I did not travel as much, didn’t get to Asia as much, but this opportunity came up through a Kellogg connection. HKUST was starting up and because of my early Asian links and knowing that Asia was the future—I really felt in the 90s when we talked about the tigers: Korea, Thailand,

Hong Kong and Japan, Asian tigers I guess, that the growth was in Asia. So the chance to work in an English speaking environ-ment, in a major city in Asia, with Kellogg connection, a start up, was just an unbelievable opportunity. That was 16 years ago.

GJA: So this is where you met Mrs. DeKrey? In Hong Kong? SJD: Yes, I gave a going away speech last August and said the best part of Hong Kong I’m taking with me to Manila. We met up within a year—we met through Rotary. She was very ac-tive; she was the first female president of her Rotary Club. She was president year after I was president of my club. We met at a district conference in Hongkong.

ENGINEERING JOINT DEGREES

GJA: This platform that you started, this HKUST in Kellogg and joint degrees of the mid 90’s—everyone started having them after?SJD: You know we started this whole thing. Kellogg engi-neered the joint degree. The first one was a Tel Aviv, North-western EMBA. In Tel Aviv, Kellogg started the first joint degree; it was about the time that I was moving to Hong Kong. Then they started up in germany—the dean at that time,


Don Jacobs, was the dean who hired me back in the 80s. So I contacted him, I said Don, you need an Asian joint degree. Sasin is not a Kellogg degree. We can become an equivalent quality program. And so he agreed, he knew the school our dean was former Kellogg faculty and was my reference going to HK. I view him as a mentor.

GJA: Is there still space for a joint degree? SJD: Of course. Asia is huge.

GJA: I noticed that one of the trends, putting on more mid-eastern and other components is not just a US or an Asian thing. Is it becoming a more multi-polar approach?SJD: In that era, my space and with my Asian institution, the joint degree was a perfect early stage starter for us because it gave us a quality indicator even before the ranking shot up. We were on the map with the top US schools; we were awarding a Kellogg degree. That was the strategy. I didn’t promote

this just for Kellogg even though I am a Kellogg graduate who worked for the schools; my primary motive was for HKUST as a strategy to build reputation. Now it helped both schools. Clearly, that was the intent. We were the first. Some of the oth-er schools had to come out here with degree programs—there are other schools active in Asia before in this joint degree. But given that a degree was significant, it became a game changer.

GJA: What do you think would be the next game changer? Is there a next step that you foresee? SJD: I do have some thoughts. When you look at business school education, you look around—what are the issues? Certainly finding the right faculty is an issue for all schools. And so, there is an opportunity to be part of the solution. Preparing faculty is another role for business schools, taking that seriously in preparing teachers, faculty routine that handle case courses; strategy courses; applied faculty. This is partly why I have been so attracted to AIM. Because AIM’s base is what the faculty

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needs to do, the base serves the students need, which is finding a better way to develop faculty. The historical PhD programs which I graduated from, don’t prepare you to teach, they don’t prepare you for the classroom. It’s research-oriented; the doctor-ates. Prepare teaching materials, classrooms—teaching etc. There’s got to be a way to fix that— will have a global impact. I’d love AIM to pioneer in business school faculty preparation.

ON AIM

GJA: It was a joke, something like, what did DeKrey “smoke” that made you accept AIM? You are already on top of your game. What did you “smoke”?SJD: You know I went there to help build a school, to help with strategy and to put the pieces in place. I enjoyed the people. I certainly had a home in Hongkong. And there was no reason to leave. Our status was nice for awhile. But I got restless. To be part of a creation or build up of a value-added pro-gram—these jobs have impact. And if you can have impact—terrific! But I’d gotten to a place where it was ok for someone new to come in and for me to move on. It’s only the fact that this position at AIM was available. And the timing, the place, the people and the philosophy was good. Being an Asian Player early on, I think of it as this way: AIM is a school that has a proud heritage, a challenging history and a bright future. I wanted to be part of that bright future. There have been some past issues but AIM is rock solid, and the philosophy still works I went through your mission statement, back when AIM was founded—it still works. The track record of the school, The Asian Status, my research on leadership and being a leader, It is a perfect move for me.

GJA: There are high expectations from the alumni now. It has resonated that 9 out of the 15 AIM trustees are alumni. And people are taking a second look. SJD: That was an attraction to me, I mean, I’ve seen the list and I did analyze it and there are many positives for the future of AIM. One of my points is that 60% of the Board of Trustees are alumni—that’s over half. Who cares most about this school? The alumni of course! They are the stockholders; they’re the reason change is happening. It just happened. And I just happened and this all just happened. There’s a wave of positive change coming for AIM and I wanted to be part of it.

GJA: What challenges of moving forward do you want to address?SJD: Any quality business school has to worry about classroom diversity, quality faculty and high-end facilities, and you build your networks. These aren’t complicated issues. But as a strat-egy, to focus on what’s important, that is of course including input from others. It’s going to take a little while to get strate-gies sorted out. Joint degree strategy is a possibility; but it may not be the best one, there are others.

I come from a marketing background and I see AIM has a huge need in marketing. It is stronger, better than most people realize. It’s not on the radar of many people but it should be. I do see some opportunities; it’s not just “fix-it-up.” It also is telling the story. There are things you can improve, no doubt, any school can, but you’ve got to get the word out on what you

have, and there’s enough going on already. To start making those moves, you don’t have to wait.

AIM is way ahead on CSR—that wave is crossing all busi-ness schools, social demands are growing and AIM has a head start. That would be something to look on to. There’s a new Center for Tourism—what better for the Philippines than to be a leader in tourism? That can be capitalized on. The case meth-od, it’s rarely done in Asia’s business schools—there’s a huge need. Think of the size of Asia. We’ve analyzed the fact that 40% of the population would want the high standard American schools offered. AIM is the same. You almost have half of the world here accessible in Asia. There is plenty of opportunity.

GJA: The case pedagogy—do you think it’s still relevant for today’s Asia?SJD: Yes of course it is, but the cases have to be relevant. The case instruction method, the case teaching method is very viable in business school. But you’ve got to use it in the right mind, you have to get the right content. The best way to use the case is if you can get the protagonist in the classroom, and have some access with real people that make it come alive. Students learn a lot that way.

ON LEADERSHIP

GJA: Leadership development seems to be your expertise; do you see this expertise also being shared at AIM? Can we expect that leadership type of knowledge, teaching?SJD: I would hope so. If I know what you’re saying, I just don’t write about it, I practice it. I guess I’m unique in that regard. Some research and write about leadership, but they were not in the leadership role. I did it the other way; I was in the leadership role before I started writing and teaching about it. I just started teaching leadership ten years ago; I have been faculty in three business schools for 25 years. My earlier teach-ing was strategy, organizational behavior and communication, so it wasn’t until I had some experience and some background that I got into teaching about leadership. And now I’ve been doing it for 10 years with three books and cases.

GJA: So it is like preach what you practice?SJD: A lot of this is, if you don’t have passion for it, how can you deliver? And to me that’s why I got into it. What a great leadership opportunity here at AIM!

I WANTED TO BE PART OF THAT BRIGHT FUTURE.”

THAT HAS A PROUD HERITAGE,A CHALLENGING HISTORYAND A BRIGHT FUTURE.

IS A SCHOOLAIM

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GJA: I think that will find great resonance with the alumni network. That’s why, as an aside, the alumni associations adopted that nine years ago. That’s in their slogan, “Leadership, Live It”. SJD: Well, I go on the record as saying, you can’t teach leadership even though I am a leadership professor. In spite of teaching per se, it’s learned pretty much on the job. You can provide frameworks and thinking points, decision models and all that but the actual leadership is very personal when it is applied, it’s in the field. So my job as faculty member and professor of leadership is to get students to learn quicker and the faculty to perform it better. They get a lot of it hands on. I used a textbook called, Enhancing leadership Experience, so it’s really adding on to what people know. That’s why I didn’t start teaching this until I had a lot of leadership experience.

GJA: What other leadership trends do you see in Asia, and does Asia have something to contribute to this argument? SJD: I’m glad you asked that. Yes. My early interest in leadership was to diagnose the strength of Asian capability. In other words, what is it about Asian leaders that works and what is unique, and what should they be doing. The more I get into that, the more I realize that the best Asian leaders are global leaders. You can get into specific cultures, country and find out typical leadership behaviors. But if you want to broaden that, globalize that, and that’s what top business schools do, you have to get away from national cultures and get into global leadership.

GJA: When you say global leadership, you talk about which perspective?SJD: Crossing borders. You know there’s a formal definition of that: Influencing others to effect towards positive group goals, crossing cultural and economic borders. There’s the efficient definition. What that means is, the entity you are leading has multiple cultures involved, and there’s a type of person who prospers in that environment. And those people are very open- minded, leaders are good listeners, they are responsive, they are team players. leadership now is not the single dominant entity, command-and-control—that is long gone. leadership now is really team management. It is inspiring others, and you work through other people. The leader does far less of the ac-tual activity than the experts. When you find experts who are better than you in what they do, you bring them together, give them space and you let them work. And so really, leadership now crosses functions and borders.

GJA: And can this be shared, given and administered in a business school? SJD: The best way to effect this is in your admissions office; look for people with the propensity for leadership. look for “pre-leaders” with leadership potentials. They’ve had experi-ence—we don’t take kids straight from undergrad; they have been in the workforce so you can assess their capabilities. If the admissions office is doing their job, this gives the career services staff a head start. The program fits in between.

One of my colleagues at Kellogg used to say, the MBA program is there to polish the apple. You already have an apple and it’s already in a pretty good shape. So you polish it and it shines by the time it’s over. If you have a rotten apple in there, I don’t care how much you polish, it’s still rotten. You need to have well formed apples coming in. First expertise was in admissions and I have a psychology background. I believe very strongly, that input predicts output. The better job you do at the front end—hiring people, mentoring students, hiring faculty, and of the early stage—bringing in and indoctrinating people into the organization—that’s what the priority should be. And if you have limited resources, we all do, put it in the frontend.

GJA: You mention in your book that EQ is equal to IQ in ferreting out the quality.SJD: They are both important. In fact I’m into new theory now that I’ll be teaching—the four quadrants of the brain—the upper left, the lower left, the upper right, lower right. One is intellect, the other is inter-personal, and there is another one called organizational, and another one called strategizing, the big picture. That is the latest context that I am teaching now—it’s conceptual. You don’t carve the brain out, they work in sync but not everybody has equal capability in those four quadrants. And if you’re missing strategizing the big picture, it is hard to be a decent leader. What we’ve discovered in research is that all four quadrants are necessary to be a top leader. So we focus on IQ, people will be limited, and if we focus on EQ, they will be limited. Organization is the third one—if you can’t put the pieces together and see things properly you’re not going to make it either. But the big picture, strategize, is the big big part of the leaders quadrant. Business schools should develop all four quadrants. So looking at the AIM curriculum you can say, well, what course is contributing to which quadrant? And then you make sure that you cover all quadrants because they are all important. You look at those four capabilities in admissions also.You need a balanced curriculum and the case method allows you to do that.

THE ALUMNI’S ROLE

GJA: What to you is the alumni’s role in the school?SJD: Alumni have a huge role. They recommend, support, write references for admissions, and they market the school. They are the ambassadors, they hire graduates. If you look at career services of the top schools, half of those hiring agents are graduates of that program. That’s what perpetuates graduate reputation.

THEY ARE THE AMBASSADORS,

THEY RECOMMEND, SUPPORT, HAVE A HUGE ROLE.“ALUMNI

AND THEY MARKET THE SCHOOL.WRITE REFERENCES FOR ADMISSIONS,

THEY HIRE GRADUATES.

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AIM needs its alumni to hire its graduates. Of course, that’s the first place where students look for jobs—in your alumni network. And now with 40,000 alumni, it’s a resource that can be tapped for many reasons—the marketing, the assessment. I used alumni in interviewing applicants elsewhere. They are tougher than the staff. This is their school.

When I was running admissions in Kellogg in the 80’s, I used current students to interview and review applications. They care most and are right there from the field them-selves—they have better knowledge. And so I would say that in predicting strong alumni, if we do our job in admissions, we are way ahead already.

GJA: Do you see alumni raising more scholarships in order to help? SJD: It is absolutely necessary. Alumni are your best source- the fact that they are representing all Asian countries, they should also be seeking that classroom diversity. You can make the plea, you could say look we need help, and you can track the people in your country. You should know your top alumni when you travel the region. And that’s part of being a global institute—to engage them in this diversity turnaround.

GJA: What message do you have for the alumni, what’s in your heart that you want to convey right now?SJD: I want to inspire their link back to the school. Find ways that they can help build the school, sort of like Kennedy’s quote: ask not what the school can do for you. How can you help? How can we engage you to build a better reputation for the school? For business schools, the bottom line for us is in fact not just faculty quality. It is reputation. Keep your eye on the school reputation, there are a lot of pieces to that, and the alumni are permanent and their contribution in building the reputation is huge. So we want them to be engaged in the process.

GJA: Now the fun part, you’re a golfer? What other sports interest you?SJD: I am a “work hard, play hard” type of guy if I have time. You probably know that about Hong Kong, but it’s also something about the Dutch—get the job done first. golf—I played that later in life, I thought it was boring before I was in my 30s. I did it because there were organizations, events and social activities that I should participate in. So I started to golf, that was an add-on. My early sports—I was a discus thrower in high school, shot putter. I am about 6’2”. But in high school my other sport was snow skiing. I went to Montana State to ski in the Rockies, I did cross country and giant slalom. But in the summertime I was a professional water skier. We had weekly ski shows at lakeside resort.

GJA: You mean your summer job?SJD: My summer job was Social Director for a big resort—that was where a lot of the social skills were developed. And one of the activities we had for the guests was a ski show. I was there for the experience—backward skiing, barefoot. I could start barefoot off at the dock, or from deep waters, so that was my act. But that’s history now. Current sports—golf, scuba diving,

yes I went through all the training and became a master scuba diver. Cebu was where I did the first and last course, so we go there frequently.

Scuba diving is something my wife veronica and I do together, that is why I don’t play as much golf because veronica doesn’t play. I also do boating—I grew up on boats and used to teach sailing, and used to race. I raced J-24 sail boats in lake Michigan when I was at Kellogg, but that sport has moved into motor boating instead of sail racing, mainly because of my schedule. If you get on a sailboat race team, you have to be there every Saturday. I travelled too much so I could never join a sailing team in Hong Kong.

GJA: So you have to be part of a team?SJD: You have to take the part. I am not interested in being a temporary crew member and jump on a boat once a month just to do that. Unless you are a part of the team, you can’t do it low key. Either you are committed or not. I can’t commit. But I did have motor boats; we have three different motor boats in Minnesota, mostly for Sundays. One of my passions is biking for exercise, and I swim every morning. One of the advantages of our Makati place is they have a nice pool. That pool at Shangri-la. I have been swimming in that pool every year for 10 years. I never imagined I’ll be looking down on it, from a Makati apartment where I live.

GJA: You’re a regular in Manila?SJD: I’ve come here once a year for the past 10 years. I’d spend one night then I’d go back to Hong Kong. I have a lot of friends here in the Philippines, a lot of them are alumni or Kellogg classmates, or people who I’ve worked with. I know a lot of people here already, which is a plus.

GJA: You did your due diligence with them.SJD: I did my due diligence with them. A lot of them wondered what I was smoking! But I convinced them.

GJA: They must have the loudest cry.SJD: They did. Some of my friends are very well placed in Manila, and you would know their names. I won’t mention them. I did contact several and one of their questions was, “are you sure you really want to do this?” I said well the question is, “Am I sure I can do this?” I certainly want to give it a go. And here I am. I am very enthused and honored to have this opportunity to work with AIM. It’s really a very special honor for me.

AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION IN BUILDING

FOR BUSINESS SCHOOLS,

REPUTATION. THE BOTTOM LINE FOR US IS...

AND THE ALUMNI ARE PERMANENT

THE REPUTATION IS HUGE.”


Alumni Leaders Unite to Bring AIM Back to Greatness

by Susan Africa-Manikan and Bea delos Reyes

N E W S I N S I G H T S C O V E R S T O R Y S P O T L I G H T S H O W C A S E C L A S S N O T E Sgi v ing

Seated from left: Tony Tan Caktiong, TMP 1983, Bernadette P. Lomotan, MBM 1974, Robert F. Kuan, MBM 1975, Ricardo S. Pascua, MBM 1971and Ofelia Odilao-Bisnar, MBM 1988. Standing from left: Eduardo N. Sison, MBM 1973, Napoleon L. Nazareno, MBM 1973, Alejandro Z. Gaston, MBM 1970

Ramon M. De Vera, MBM 1973, Jesli A. Lapus, MBM 1973, Eustacio B. Orobia, Jr., MBM 1971, Roberto V. Garcia, MBM 1973 Arturo R. Macapagal, MBM 1971, Augusto Antonio C. Serafica, Jr., MBM 1991, and Gabriel M. Paredes, MBM 1972

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SINCE THE ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAgEMENT WAS established in 1968, it is only during the present times, nearly forty-five years later, that the alumni are actively shaping the future of the school as members of AIM’s highest level of governance. Currently numbering more than 39,000 in over 70 countries, and recognized as the Institute’s largest, permanent stakeholder, AIM alumni have been given nine out of fifteen seats in the Institute’s Board of Trustees. In a historic move in February 2011, the AIM Board appointed Napoleon l. Nazareno, MBM 1973 as the first alumnus Chairman of the Institute.

In response to a call for alumni leadership and counsel, on November 22, 2011, the Alumni Association of AIM, Philippine Chapter (AAAIM) held the first AIM Alumni leaders

Assembly at the AIM Conference Center Manila. AAAIM Chairman, Eustacio Orobia, Jr., MBM 1971 initiated the project with the goal of having a more engaged alumni base. It would also be the first time for Chairman Nazareno to address the majority of his fellow alumni leaders.

The assembly gathered more than a hundred distinguished members of the AIM alumni community. The Council of AIM Alumni leaders, a major consultative alumni body made up of all the alumni in attendance, was formally organized to engage batch mates and friends in accurate information dissemination on developments with the school.

The inception of the AIM Alumni leadership Foundation, Inc. (AAlFI) was formally announced during the Assembly. >>

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PHOTOGRAPHY: JOVEL LORENZO

N E W S I N S I G H T S C O V E R S T O R Y S P O T L I G H T S H O W C A S E C L A S S N O T E Sgi v ing34

Mr. Augusto Antonio Serafica, Jr., MBM 1991 and AAAIM Development Committee Chairman, related how some major alumni groups, namely the AAAIM Philippine Chapter, AAAIM Council of Chairmen, Triple A Club, and Federation of AIM Alumni (FAIM) initiated the development of a Foundation that would provide the platform for the alumni to have a continuing active participation in the management of AIM. The alumni, through the AAlFI, are seen as the main driving force that would assist AIM in regaining its preeminence as one of Asia’s premiere business schools by 2017.

Nazareno appealed to alumni leaders to heed their responsibility as major stakehold-ers, and to be the driving force in their Alma Mater’s affairs. On that morning of November 22, AIM alumni leaders showed solidarity and firm support to the AIM Chairman and to the AAlFI. The Classes of MBM 1973, MBM 1971, MBM 1991 and the AIM Alumni Association—India all pledged their support to the AAlFI by way of a PhP3M cumulative donation. Total pledges on that morning alone amounted to around PhP13.6M.

On January 20, 2012 the AIM Alumni leadership Foundation, Inc. (AAlFI) filed its Articles of Incorporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a non-stock, non-profit organization. Members of its Board of Trustees are composed of Triple A Awardees (recipients of the AIM Alumni Achievement Award, the highest recognition given by the Institute and alumni to outstanding graduates), Council of Former AAAIM Chairmen (composed of the Past Chairmen of the Alumni Association of AIM), Alumni Association of AIM, Inc. Board of Directors, and officers and directors of the Federation of Asian Institute of Management Alumni Association (FAIM).

Its vision is to mobilize AIM alumni for AAlFI’s “Back to greatness” campaign to provide support for Scholarships, Faculty De-velopment and Internationalization, and the School’s Facilities Upgrade. It is an exclusive, AIM alumni-led endeavor to help increase do-nor participation from 5% to at least 50% with a target of PHP 300,000,000 in five years.

The objectives of the AAlFI are to initi-ate, undertake, support, or otherwise foster educational, scientific and other activities exclusively aimed at benefiting the Asian Institute of Management, including its vision and mission, strategy and objectives, plans and programs, and aspirations to be a leading school of management in Asia.

On June 8, 2012, the AIM Alumni leader-ship Foundation, Inc. launched its website and online giving facility at http://aimalum-nileadership.org.

NAPOLEON L. NAZARENO, MBM 1973President and CEO of

PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc.Chairman, AIM Board of Governors and TrusteesChairman, AALFI

“As you know, the alumni association has taken on a very important task. Over the next few years, we shall try very hard to help put AIM back in the front ranks of Asia’s leading business management schools. I cannot overemphasize the significance of this task. This is not just an opportunity for AIM alumni to ‘give back’ to our alma mater. This is also a chance for us to help the country move forward. Restoring AIM to its position of leadership means, among other things, enabling AIM to provide the thought leadership that the country needs to compete in this fast-changing world. I am inviting the AIM alumni to join us in this larger mission of nation building in this rapidly changing world. This is certainly a task well worth the effort.”

OFELIA ODILAO-BISNAR, MBM 1988President, Makati Medical Center CollegePresident, AALFI

“We are what we are today because of the rigorous lessons we had at AIM: the case studies, the WACs, the sleepless nights, the terror professors- and most of all, the lifelong friendships we have forged in the case rooms. The institute has defined our success, and now it is time to give back. Any amount, not matter how small will make a big difference in the future of our school. As the alumni have taken the helm of leadership at AIM, I invite all my fellow alumni to support AALFI—Now is the time for the alumni to make a difference at AIM!”

AUGUSTO ANTONIO C. SERAFICA, JR., MBM 1991Chairman of the Board of

Premiere Horizon Alliance CorporationVice Chairman, AAAIMTreasurer, AALFI

“The Institute is currently at a crossroad, major donors are waiting for AIM’s alumni to take the lead and make the change. Our alumni have great influ-ence in the different industries in the country today. Now is the best time for all of us take the reins of the Institute and lead it back to what it once was. I en-

courage and invite all AIM alumni to give back to our school. The knowledge and wisdom we were able to receive when we were at AIM brought us to where we are today. Now is our time to return that.”

RAMON M. DE VERA, MBM 1973Director, Sunlife Development Ltd. of Hong KongChairman, Former AAAIM ChairmenTrustee, AALFI

“The alumni can support the goals of AALFI by way of contribution of their time and talent. And there are times that the contributions will be helpful by way of assisting or promoting projects through an outright check. The alumni’s participation is very important because in many cases their contribution to the well being of the institute multiplies. There are many ways to do these. One is through the mentoring system. The other is to be available for group discussions or even lectures, upon the invitation of the school. Other projects may include family day, and other projects supported by AALFI.

“It is very easy to whip out a check book and just sign, but I would like to think that the alumni would like to give back by participating in the affairs of the institute.”

ROBERTO V. GARCIA, MBM 1973Chairman, Subic Bay Metropolitan AuthorityMember, AIM Board of TrusteesTrustee, AALFI

“Give back. Give back in terms of what we have learned here in the Institute. And it’s time to give back as alumni in terms of financial support, support for the activities of alumni, and basically helping the Institute become the premiere graduate school of business in Asia, which is the vision of the Institute. So we all have to do our small share. “

ALEJANDRO Z. GASTON, MBM 1970Chairman and Owner, Exxon LandTrustee, AALFI

“I would like to invite my fellow AIM alumni to support the goals of AALFI in leading our beloved institute back to its prestige. Let us offer our service, our time and knowledge to the school that has helped us be what we are today. Now it is our time to give back to AIM.”

Members of the AIM Alumni Leadership Foundation, Inc. (AALFI)

Board of Trustees Invite Fellow Alumni to Help the School

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ROBERT F. KUAN, MBM 1975Board Member, Saint Luke’s Medical CenterTrustee, AALFI

“Look back with pride and gratitude to the Institute that has given you a solid foundation for your management skills. Get involved in the programs of the school and the alumni association. Together let us work to strengthen AIM’s position as one of the top management schools in Asia.

“There’s just a handful of us in the AALFI and a lot of work to do. There is no way we can do it on our own. We need the support and assistance of our fellow alumni, indeed of everyone who has learned a thing or two at AIM, to join us in our program to enliven our alma mater and polish its name to a radiant shine.”

JESLI A. LAPUS, MBM 1973Chairman, Manila Tytana Colleges Inc.Member, AIM Board of TrusteesPresident, Triple A ClubTrustee, AALFI

“The alumni are the real stakeholders of the Institute. We must get involved with the affairs of our school. Get to know what’s going on.

“The AALFI is a laudable and necessary initiative in order for the alumni to mobilize as it should- AS ONE. Please support the foundation and participate. We are just doing pioneering effort, but we hope more alumni in the future will take our place.”

BERNADETTE P. LOMOTAN, MBM 1974Entrepreneur, Beacon Global Network, Inc.Trustee, AALFI

“In everything that we do, we owe any institution what we are today. We all have to give back. I invite all alumni who benefitted from their stay in AIM, to share of themselves and give back, either in kind or in their services, or by their presence in the school. Lending their name to the school, and participating in the projects of the institute like the on the job training for AIM students- that is one way where the alumni can really help by training would be graduates in their own businesses.”

ARTURO R. MACAPAGAL, MBM 1971Chairman and President, Toyota Pasong Tamo, Inc.Member, AIM Board of TrusteesTrustee, AALFI

“We are where we are today because of AIM. It is time for all of us to impart our knowledge and wisdom and impart our time. With this action we will be giving future AIM students a brighter future. So I invite my fellow AIM alumni to return to their roots to give back and give to the AIM Alumni Leadership Foundation.”

EUSTACIO B. OROBIA, JR., MBM 1971Director, People’s Credit and Finance Corp.Ex-Officio, AAAIMTrustee, AALFI

“We try our best to serve our graduates. The alumni are really a very critical group of guys in any school. The alumni are important, more so here at

AIM. For many years, nobody has taken a stand to own AIM. It’s neither owned by Ateneo, La Salle or the Ayalas, it is just a school that has been taken for granted. We want to pick it up; we feel that the alumni are the only group that can pick up AIM. We want to do the steering of the ship. We want to run the school as a corporation, for it to have a direction.

“For our fellow alumni, here is a vehicle for you to express your love for the school in any way. Either through big boxes or pennies and cents...the money is not really the issue. For me it is a vehicle for you to ride on and help the school. Whatever capacity you want to help, please do. Also, please invite your friends to go with us towards that direction of success and wellness.”

GABRIEL M. PAREDES, MBM 1972President, Universal Storefront Services Corp.Member, AIM Board of TrusteesTrustee, AALFI

“Get involved. It will not be a burden to volunteer some involvement. Visit the school. Get the feel for what’s happening. Get involved in your own desired level of involvement, but get involved.

“Open up your wallets. Your gifts may not be significant but what is important is that you give regularly. For example just donate any amount, like 2,000 or 3,000 [pesos]. Little amounts are significant when we make the decision to contribute something- and that contribution is best appreciated when expressed monetarily.

“Guys, we’ve always criticize the faculty but now we have already resolved the issues. Now there is already dialogue. Now the board is already in the hands of us graduates. This is the best time to come out- whatever help you give will be managed efficiently. Whatever resources you passed on through this foundation will be channeled directly. And if you have any love for this school, how else would you express it? So get involved. I urge you.”

RICARDO S. PASCUA, MBM 1971Chairman, Caelum Developers, Inc.Member, AIM Board of TrusteesTrustee, AALFI

“We owe the school what we have become. It is high time that we give back- part of our time talent and education, so that those coming after us will benefit from our contributions. They also could become good ethical leaders and managers contributing to the development of their societies.”

EDUARDO N. SISON, MBM 1973General Manager, Perez OpticalChairman, AAAIMTrustee, AALFI

“The Alumni Association of AIM (AAAIM) has taken on a very crucial task. In the next couple of years, we as the alumni shall try very hard to help return AIM back to where it once was. To be Asia’s go to business management school. I am inviting all AIM alumni to come together in making this immense task we are about to embark on possible. This is certainly a task for AIM’s biggest stakeholders, the alumni.”

TONY TAN CAKTIONG, TMP 1983Chairman and CEO, Jollibee Foods CorporationTrustee, AALFI

“I always like to think back to the people and institutions that have helped me along the way, and give thanks to them for their roles in my life. Our successes today would not be possible if not for the training and lessons we learned back in school. We are deeply grateful to these institutions and we should show our active support for them.

“I invite all my fellow AIM alumni to support the goals and plans of the AALFI. As fellow graduates, we all share the responsibility to rise to the occasion and strengthen the foundations of our beloved institute. Your participation and contribution will surely help in making AIM once again the leading management institute in Asia.”

Napoleon L. Nazareno, MBM 1973Augusto Antonio C. Serafica, Jr., MBM 1991Mario Antonio G. Lopez, MBM 1970Tita D. Puangco, MM 1991Ma. Teresita Luna

(On behalf of the Class of MM 2002)Robert F. Kuan, MBM 1975Virgilio Espeleta, MBM 1991 Ricardo Pascua, MBM 1971 Teodoro Villanueva, MBM 1973Eustacio Orobia, MBM 1971 Armi Cortes, MBM 1996Ernest Villareal, MBM 1975Philip Juico, MBM 1973 Elba C. Solis, MBM 1992AIM Alumni Association India,

through MP Singh, MBM 1976 MBM 1970MBM 1971 MBM 1973 MBM 1991 MBM 1992

THANK YOU!Your gift is important to the future of AIM! We would like to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to the following individuals and classes who have pledged and/or donated to the AIM Alumni Leadership Foundation:

IT WAS, INDEED, A WAY OF “WAlKINg the talk”.

The amount may look modest versus earlier and heftier monetary donations of other Cohorts in AIM, but the Class of MBM 1980’s move is still a strong start, by any other standards.

In the afternoon of May 8, 2012, our 1980 MBM Cohort’s President, gen. vic g. Batac and Treasurer, Ramon l. lim, together with main donor and Board Director Winston Kawsek, handed over a cheque of P300,000.00 to AIM. The ceremony was held in the lopez gallery on the 2nd floor. To formalize matters on MBM 80’s official donation, which is meant to shoulder the renovation costs of the gSB-MBA Conference Rooms in the old Faculty Area (on the 2nd floor), gen. vic and Ramon lim co-signed the simple agreement papers with AIM’s Dean Ricky lim. The latter gave a brief response of words of gratitude and optimism. After the signing and the camera clicking, bonding with hors d’oeuvre and red wine followed in the Presidential lounge.

Present in this simple May 8 affair were: DTI Sec. gregory l. Domingo, Main Donor, Winston Kawsek, MBM 1980, Cohort President, gen. vic Batac, Treasurer, Ramon l. lim, gigi Zenarosa, Minda garcia-Arcilla, Philip Huang, AIM Dean, Ricky lim, gSB Associate Dean, Doc JunBo Borromeo, Executive Managing Director of the AIM Scientific Research Foundation, Marvee Bonoan, the Assistant of Associate Dean Doc Junbo, Eleen Aragon and the Cohort’s chronicler, gel Tamayo.

The subject project is the renovation of the interiors of the old MBM Rooms, now called the gSB-MBA Rooms, located on the 2nd floor of the AIM Faculty. Interior renovations especially on areas for the MBA

students have been under the auspices of Associate Dean/Doc JunBo Borromeo. The gSB Rooms house a Big Conference Room and a Mini Room. This is the area where the present MBA students meet for small meetings and even for counseling.

The total renovation costs are about P500,000.00. The approved designs were then exhibited.

According to MBM 1980 Cohort’s Treasurer Ramon l. lim, there is now a sure funding of P500,000.00, including the additional P300,000.00 cheque that was turned over by the generous Winston Kawsek to MBM 1980’s gen. vic Batac and Ramon lim, who both in turn handed over officially the same cheque to Dean Ricky lim—thus, officializing the donation as coming from MBM 1980 Cohort.

The renovated facility will be named after the MBM 1980 Cohort. A bronze plaque will be exhibited on the wall by the entrance door.

It must be recalled that on October 10, 2011, gel Tamayo met with Doc JunBo in AIM. The latter opened up the suggestion that our MBM Cohort 1980 may be able to shoulder the needed renovation of the said interior areas. That night of October 10, gel emailed the MBM 1980 Cohort’s Board Direc-tors. like the speed of light, Winston gave a positive response and pledged P300,000.00. The event in May was simply having the ceremony in “making the talk to walk”.

The Class FundIn the sit-down cocktails, it was suggested

that the MBM 1980 as a Cohort may now put into motion the building up of a Class Fund, on a year-to-year basis. In the next two years, our MBM 1980 Cohort had expressed pledges worth P1.2 Million, in putting up the common class fund. The first P300,000.00 was handed over, but again, as a formal donation to AIM coming from MBM 1980 Cohort.

Actually, the idea of the cohortmates who were present in the ceremony is to put up a common and growing fund that will be eventually used not only to help AIM but to help the MBM 1980 Cohort in terms of two areas: a) helping a classmate in financial need especially during times of grave sickness or hospitalization, or b) funding the academic requirements of a classmate’s very deserving son or daughter or even a grandchild.

It was pointed out that there were about 92 classmates who made their MBM degrees in 1980, based on the old list of graduates from the cohort. On the practical side, it was pointed out that there were 40 MBM 1980 classmates who attended the three succeeding alumni night events in February 2010. Perhaps, the “easy potential number” as a base would be 40.

It was made clear that all are invited to the making of the class fund...whether one officially graduated or not.

Minda garcia-Arcilla has a practical suggestion of going about this by having the active members form a “cell method” which can hasten the communication process and the eventual follow-ups with peers who are closer to each other.

It must be recalled that in 2010, MBM 1980 Cohort’s Board Chairman Philip Ng himself brought up the suggestion of putting up a “Common Class Fund” that will be used to help the MBM 1980 members, especially in terms of academic scholarships for deserving children or grandchildren.

Donations in KindIn going back to the topic of interior

renovations in AIM, another suggestion was also made. Cohortmates who are in better pre-disposed positions may donate in kind. For example, Minda garcia-Arcilla was suggesting her contribution of actual marble materials, in case a renovation would need floor or wall marble parts. Other suggestions were on chairs or tables, wirings, computers or certain softwares and the like.

The Cohortmates present in the event also mentioned with great pride and honor other members of MBM 1980 Cohort who had quietly and generously given their contributions to AIM in the past. Names were mentioned during cocktails.

MBM 1980 Hands Over P300K to AIM

by Gel Tamayo, MBM 1980

An Official Chronicling from MBM 1980, May 8, 2012

“The amount may look modest versus earlier and heftier monetary...but the Class of MBM1980’s move is still a strong start, by any other standards.”

N E W S I N S I G H T S C O V E R S T O R Y S P O T L I G H T S H O W C A S E C L A S S N O T E Sgi v ing36

I Want to HELP Lead AIM Back to GreatnessYes!

Please fax this form to +632 893.7410 or email [email protected]

Kindly make checks payable to:AIM Alumni Leadership Foundation, Inc.

For check pick-up within Metro Manila, please call the AIM Alumni Relations Office at 892.4011 loc. 553 or 414 or email [email protected]

Other Ways to Give*1. To Give Online: kindly visit: www.aimleaderhsip.org2. Wire Transfer: Unionbank-Perea BranchPeso Savings Account: 102410019080Dollar Savings Account: 132410001849Swift code: UBPHPHMM

*Kindly inform us at [email protected] if you have made a donation for proper acknowledgement. Thank you.

N A M E

A I M P R O G R A M & Y E A R G R A D U A T E D

L A N D L I N E N O . M O B I L E N O .

A D D R E S S

E M A I L A D D R E S S

S I G N A T U R E

I am pleased to support the AIM Alumni Leadership Foundation. I commit to contribute for 5 years. I pledge a gift for: Php 5,000.00 per year for 5 years Php 10,000.00 per year for 5 years Php 15,000.00 per year for 5 years Php 20,000.00 per year for 5 years Php 50,000.00 per year for 5 years Php 100,000.00 per year for 5 years Php per year for 5 years

I commit to contribute once: Php

I would like my gift to be used for: Scholarship Program AIM Facilities Upgrade Faculty Development and Internationalization

I wish to have my donation acknowledged as follows: Individual Donation Corporate Donation: Class/Batch Donation: Alumni Association/Chapter Donation: Anonymous

POST SCRIPT:

READY AIM FIRE“At times our own light goes out and is

rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” —Albert Schweitzer

IN All THE EXCITEMENT lAST February 24, 2012, we realized belatedly that we overlooked something. We forgot to thank those who had enabled Ready AIM Fire to become a reality.

We, in MBM 92, would have wanted to thank AAAIM, FAIM, and the AAAIM 2011-2012 Board for giving us the chance to host the homecoming, for giving us latitude and for trusting our decisions notwithstand-ing our sporadic involvement in previous alumni activities. We hope we had made up for our absence. We realize the horror and the shock we must have caused by standing our ground, and wanting to march to the beat of

our own drum. Mr. greg Atienza told us, “It is your time to bat, the only chance you’ll get”. We hope we stepped up to the plate, made it count and hit a home run (with all three bases loaded). Ready AIM Fire not only gave us a chance to reminisce about what we had gone through together and to renew ties, but more importantly, it provided the spark that rekindled the desire to be more engaged. The opportunity to be involved could not have come at a better time. AIM was at a crossroad, with many changes in the school and in alumni affairs taking place.

We also would have wanted to express our gratitude for the support extended by our co-celebrants. We thank Celebrating Classes 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007. We appreciate your allow-ing us to tell you about our plans for the Homecoming celebrations in the reunion of celebrating batches, in your own mini

reunions, in meetings, via our long emails, and even over the phone. We thank you for your trust which pushed us to do our best, for attending the various events, for rallying your other batchmates, and for celebrat-ing with us on Homecoming Night thereby helping Ready AIM Fire achieve one of the highest attendance records for a paid home-coming event. We had especially wanted to acknowledge MM 2002 for their generosity. Undoubtedly, the Homecoming Night would not have been the same without San Miguel Beer and the Spirit of ’67!

We particularly wanted to thank MBM Batch 72 for their presence in the various homecoming activities, for soliciting sponsors, and for serving as inspiration. We can only hope that we remain as committed, united, and involved into our 40th year anniversary. There was a line in the opening prayer that you handed out,

by Rowena Palmiery-Bayoneta, MBM 1992 Homecoming 2012 Chairperson

Special Feature38

which perfectly articulates what we want to say— “May everything we do, begin with your inspiration, continue with your help, and reach perfection under your guidance.” We look forward to celebrating our 40th year—your 60th year —together.

MBM 92 is also grateful to MBM Batches 91 and 93. Now, as it was many years ago, we value your encouragement, your belief in us, and your cooperation. We recognize that what we have achieved we partly owe to you. You drive us to push ourselves, to go beyond expectations.

We thank Mr. Michael Cacnio for his generous gift of the Leadership Flame, the turnover sculpture, the symbol of a new tradition. May the Leadership Flame continue to be passed on as a reminder of our common dreams and aspirations, of always striving to be the best that we can be, to pay forward and make a difference through our god-given talents.

For Ready AIM Fire, we found ourselves forging partnerships with leading institu-tions to finance our ambitious plans. We thank our sponsors for trusting us with their prestigious brands. We were honored and thus motivated further to ensure the success of Ready AIM Fire.

last but certainly not the least, we would have wanted to thank ARO for their invaluable assistance. Please know that we appreciated your patience to our unending requests. We remain in awe of your tirelessness and commitment. We truly could not have done it without you.

Ready AIM Fire: Déjà vu? “Some things never change.” That was an

oft-repeated phrase throughout the time we were preparing for the 2012 Homecoming. We marveled at how, despite the passage of so many years, nothing had really changed deep down, in the things that mattered to us...the friendships, the commitment to the batch, the passion for excellence.

Twenty years ago, in making our yearbook, we had said we envisioned our yearbook to be more than just a compilation of memories—but a reflection of the ideals or values we acquired and developed during our two years in AIM. In the center of our year-book, symbolically, at the core, we document-ed what we believed then was the psyche of the Asian manager as embodied by our batch, the values and aspirations that we believed we should continue to live by. Among these were to be enterprising and innovative, to be committed to ethics and excellence, and to be socially responsible with a deep concern for others. It is relevant to mention these now because reflecting on the collaboration that

Lead Host Class of 1992 passing the torch to MBM 1993


was Ready AIM Fire, we realize that even without intending to then, we were in a way, reliving our history as a batch.

To be enterprising and innovative. “Ideas and opportunities, not a few of our professors used to say, are what men need to stay in business. More pressing than the pursuit of profit is their desire to achieve something of import, something they believe in so much that their total involvement becomes second nature.” We made these statements twenty years ago to describe MBM 92 and as proven by our actions, these remain true to this day. Not a few have said that the Homecoming plans were ambitious, that we might be setting ourselves up for failure. However, we always prided ourselves with being “managers with unconstrained visions”. We had always liked to pursue our own path...to push boundaries...to see how far we could go...to challenge the status quo, and yes, even tradition. In true MBM 92 fashion, we looked deep into ourselves and we agreed on our objectives: the homecom-ing activities must reflect our beliefs, cel-ebrate and fortify the bond among alumni, must rekindle the pride of being AIM alumni by being dynamic and relevant and must renew the desire to lead and make a differ-ence in school and in the community. Carpe diem! We endeavored to remain steadfast to our goals despite challenges, trying to seek out solutions by innovating and going beyond our comfort zones. With the belief that awareness of and sustaining the inter-est for the Homecoming was key, we sought to be relevant to the times and to our target market—be it in print, radio, or cyberspace. We arranged events—such as the Pacquiao fight viewing and the unity walk—with the primary goal of generating awareness about the Homecoming in a different way. We not

only composed a homecoming song, but also, as Prof. Mayo lopez often said years ago, “had the chutzpah” to record it and have it aired on radio commercials. Even in pitching for financial support for the events, we attempted to be bold a nd creative in our packages to land a win-win situation for all parties.

To be committed to ethics and excellence. Just as we vowed twenty years ago that we will all march together and leave no one behind, we understood that it would take all of us together to bring into being the homecoming celebration we aimed for. The amount of time that many had devoted to organizing and participating in the various activities leading to the Homecoming Night was inspiring. The generous offers from classmates, here and abroad, of their indi-vidual talents and expertise, networks and

personal resources had been overwhelming. The courage to trust each other and the respect shown for each other’s diversity was truly humbling. Then as now, we committed ourselves to excellence. Today as before, we are proud of what we have accomplished be-cause it was realized through our collective efforts, with dignity and with humility.

To be socially responsible with a deep concern for others. Ready AIM Fire is a tan-gible manifestation that MBM 92 continues

We marveled at how, despite the passage of so many years, nothing had really changed deep down, in the things that mattered to us...the friendships, the commitment to the batch, the passion for excellence.

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to believe that to whom much is given, much is expected in return. It is gratifying to see that our commitment to social responsibil-ity, that readiness to take action, no matter how humble remains ablaze. Twenty years ago, we consciously looked beyond our own concerns, had always tried to be involved in what was happening outside. We had always believed it did not necessitate a grand ges-ture to make a difference. Humble actions with the right intentions can move people and can change the course of events. Twenty years ago as students, we contributed P1.00 each day for a couple of months and man-aged to bring an army truck-full of relief goods to Mt. Pinatubo victims in Zambales. To help victims of recent calamities, we aimed to raise funds through the AIM Unity Walk, which traced the streets near AIM we used to walk around in twenty years ago to exercise, to find entertainment, or just to clear our minds and muddled thoughts—as one batchmate had aptly put it then, “to sift substance from chaos”. It was inspiring to be with family, friends, fellow alumni, even

strangers during the walk and enjoy a meal of Aristocrat barbecue afterwards. Just like old times. Recognizing that our stay in AIM had been life changing and that AIM had a considerable influence in shaping who we are now, we also wanted to leave an endow-ment as a token of our gratitude and com-mitment to AIM and its avowed vision. Our “let’s go Blue” initiative (a reference to the Alumni leadership Awards given by AAAIM, the awards being color-coded depending on the amount of donation, the highest being blue) revealed MBM 92’s readiness to pay forward as we dug deep into our own pockets to raise and to donate PhP1,000,000 to the AAlFI.

Twenty years ago, after every activity, we did a post-event analysis, an act to achieve closure. Old habits die hard and so after February 24, we found ourselves in a series of post-event meetings, hoping to find closure, hoping to move on and to resume our normal lives. But then we couldn’t. It seems we accomplished what we had set out to do: we renewed old ties, strengthened the bond between us, reawakened the pride of being part of MBM 92 and of AIM and revived the desire to be engaged and make a difference.

Yes, after twenty years, many things are different, and yet everything is the same.

From the spark that was rekindled, our flame burns on.

“Ready, AIM, Fire!” With the theme, “Ready, AIM, Fire!”,

this year’s alumni homecoming celebrating batches—1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007—were all fired up, commu-

MBM 1972

Co-emcees Mike Ochosa, MBM 1992 and Tessa Prieto-Valdes

nicating the passion of the AIM Alumni to lead AIM back to greatness. More than 450 alumni and friends gathered at the NBC Tent, Bonifacio global City, Taguig, City to celebrate AIM’s 44th anniversary and the grand alumni homecoming.

For this year’s homecoming, the lead Host Batch of 1992 spearheaded a fund drive to support the AIM Alumni Asso-ciation’s project of raising funds for the alumni’s total endowment contribution for 2012. This will be directed towards scholar-ship funds or renovation of learning space and facilities.

Highlight of the homecoming night was MBM 1992’s donation of P1 million to the AIM Alumni leadership Foundation Inc. (AAlFI) and the passing of the torch, the symbolic turnover of the flame sculpture by lead Host Class MBM 1992 to next year’s lead host, MBM 1993. The flame sculpture was especially made by brass sculptor and 2006 TOYM awardee Michael Cacnio.

The homecoming celebration started with “Ready, AIM, Fight”, the Pacquiao- Marquez fight viewing last November 13, 2011 which was followed by “Ready, AIM, Fore”, the AIM Homecoming golf Tour-nament on February 17 at the Alabang Country Club and the “Ready, AIM, Walk”, a fund-raising unity walk for the disaster victims of Cagayan de Oro and Negros.

Mr. Ricardo Pascua, MBM 1971 of the AIM Board of Trustees gave the welcome remarks on behalf of AIM Chairman Mr. Napoloen Nazareno, MBM 1973. Mr. Mike Ochosa, MBM 1992 and Ms. Tessa Prieto- valdez were hosts of the night. Music was by Spirit of 67 and Mulatto.

The homecoming events would not have been made possible without the generosity and support of San Miguel Beer, HSBC, Smart, Alveo, Ayala Businesscapes, Ayala Premier, Philippine Daily Inquirer (Platinum Sponsors); the AIM Alumni Association of AIM-Philippine Chapter, Federation of AIM Alumni Associations (gold Sponsors); RX 93.1, Crossover 101.9, Manila Broadcasting Corporation (Media Partners); American Tourister, lacoste Fragrances, Sunlife, Honda, Mini Cooper, Kia, Toyota, PSBank, Motolite, Digiprint, PlDT SME, lasik, Canon, Meister Watches, gothong Southern Shipping lines, Inc., Western Union, Jack Nicklaus, and BDO Private Bank.

Yes, after twenty years, many things are different, and yet everything is the same.

Special Feature40

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Spotlight Triple A

Leading with Passion

RAVI PRASAD, MBM 1988

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43A I M L e a d e r M a g a z i n e | T H I R D Q U A R T E R 2 0 1 2

THE TERM AYURvEDA used to be an exotic word that was invariably linked to traditional medicine native to India. In Sanskrit, the word ãyus means “longevity”,

and veda means “related to knowledge” or “science”, thus Ayurveda pertains to “the science of long life”.

As president and executive chairman of the Himalaya Drug Company, Ravi Prasad (MBM 1988) has positioned Himalaya as the face of contemporary Ayurveda, not only in India but overseas as well.

Integrating the traditional Indian system of medicine with modern healthcare practice, he has been able to transform the boutique company into a dynamic, multi-product, global leader within a span of less than two decades. With over 160 healthcare products including 66 in pharma, 63 in per-sonal care, 9 in baby care and 22 in animal care, and manufacturing from 43 factories in India, Syria and Dubai, Himalaya is today an established brand that provides patients with alternative treatment options.

For his contributions to the community, the management profession, and the industry at large, Prasad was bestowed the AIM Alumni Achievement Award, the most prestigious recognition given to outstanding alumni of the Asian Institute of Management last February 23, 2012

When asked about his success, Ravi Prasad, 51, smiles humbly and replies, “It’s not me. It’s my people.”

Applying Important LessonsThe dream of the young man was to be

an eminent doctor like his father, and Pras-ad was able to obtain entrance to the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune, India. How-ever, upon his own medical examination, he was barred entry due to a back problem that the report uncovered. Not one to be discouraged, he decided to take up Physics at St. Xavier’s College in Ranchi, after which he worked at Alken laboratories for seven years before deciding it would be better for him to pursue a degree in management.

The Asian Institute of Management in the Philippines attracted the young Prasad. “I had heard it was a very good management school, as it was started by Harvard,” he said. As fate would have it, he passed the admission test and flew to Manila in 1986 to begin his MBM studies.

When asked about his AIM experi-ences, Ravi Prasad cannot help but smile, recounting many illuminating encounters. “It was very funny and yet enlightening, in retrospect,” he says on his first day. “The first lesson, which was an inadvertent les-son, was taught to me the first day of my life at AIM, Manila. It was my first time in the Philippines. I had just gotten off the taxi, and I didn’t know anybody.” Fortunately, there was a helpful gentleman at the AIM lobby, from whom Ravi was not only able to get directions, but who also offered to carry Ravi’s bags all the way to the dormitory.

“The next morning, I realized that he was the late Prof. gaby Mendoza!” Ravi recounts. “I felt blessed. I felt really blessed! That was my first day at AIM—what could be a better start than that?”

Ravi gratefully acknowledges his AIM education, citing that “What I had tried to do in the recent years—a lot of that came from what I had learned here.”

One of the first lessons that Ravi brought back to India was learned in the midst of many talented and warm class-mates from different parts of the globe. “A lesson which has always stayed with me and helped me was that of globalization. Before Manila we were in India, everything we had to do was Indian, our friends were Indian—that was the little well we lived in,” he shares. “AIM exposed us to a much bigger space—there were students from different countries who became friends. Their homes quite literally became ours!”

This significant impression of a bigger universe outside his own country came to Ravi in 1993 when he was given the chance to start the exporting division of Himalaya. “After considerable discussions with the chairman that our products merit markets outside of India, I think that lesson—that forcefulness in the argument that I perhaps would have had with my chairman came from AIM. And today we are in 82 countries,” he smiles.

Having a good team is another crucial lesson that Ravi absorbed from AIM. “We were put into study groups comprised of students from different disciplines. So the strengths of one would offset the weak-

nesses of the others, and that was a brilliant system to have to discuss cases and to come up with what the best solutions would be,” he narrates. “I realized that if Himalaya has to become what it should become, then I would have to rely on importantly put together teams that are going to take the vision forward. This is a lesson that I have been applying at Himalaya every single day.

“When you tackle a multi-faceted problem, you, alone, cannot handle it. You do not possess knowledge of every single field that can be applied to the problem. It is then that you must acknowledge that to do something well, you cannot do it alone.”

This remains his strategy in maintaining his people today. By creating well-constructed teams of people from multiple disciplines, these teams become self-sufficient and more than capable of dealing with problems using their unique expertise. Ravi likens his role to that of a musician, something he discovered in AIM. “My job in a team is to get everyone to play together harmoniously. They are the virtuosos, I am the conductor. By hiring people who are smarter than yourself in certain fields, then getting them to play together, you can make wonderful music.”

Ravi also acknowledges the unique AIM teaching method in contrast to the education system in India which he likened to indoctrination, where a student is required to remember a lot of things without at times understanding the concept. “At AIM we try to understand and discuss things and that improved the way that you could engage with the problem,” he shares.

That important lesson has helped Ravi understand the importance of thinking out of the box, and in trying to move Himalaya from being a manufacturing to an innovative company.

Going GlobalBefore Ravi signed up with the Hima-

laya Drug Company, the establishment was then a small family business that catered only to the Indian market—a very small niche. While on holiday in Bangalore, Ravi noticed an advertisement hiring people with his qualifications. His curiosity and interest piqued, and with no preparation at all, he presented himself before the company head-hunter, who was, suffice to say, surprised to see this young man before him.

W O R D S B Y I S A G A N I E L I E Z E R A . M A N I K A N | P H O T O B Y J O V E L L O R E N Z O

“Leading with Passion” cont. on page 58 >>

“To do something well, you cannot do it alone.”

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Spotlight Triple A

FOR MIlON, THE ARDUOUS JOURNEY to receive the Triple A started in his rural village in Bangladesh. His simple family is Hindu in a country where almost 90% of the population are Muslims. His father was the head teacher of a primary school. In 1971-72, although he was still a student, Milon was involved in the fight for the independence of Bangladesh.

Inspired by his father, Milon chose to be a college teacher for his first profession and then moved to Bangladesh Rural Advance-ment Committee (BRAC), the largest NgO in the world, where he became regional manager. “I had to shift because of some social factors and reasons,” he recalled. Afterwards, he transferred to Population Services and Training Center (PSTC), where he has remained since. “Shifting from that organization to this was the largest move in my career.”

After working for about 12 years, Milon enrolled in AIM’s Master in Management program in 1987. One fond memory of his AIM studies was the Written Analysis of Cases (WAC). “When there was WAC the next morning, all of us used to stay up the whole night. It was a competition on how we could complete our task within the night. So this was an exciting thing—working all night and then going early morning to class to submit on time,” he narrated.

Another activity that brings a smile to his face is the case study. “WAC was there along with studying all the cases the whole night at least once. And if the next day’s professor was gaby Mendoza, then we were nervous. We had to be prepared. You had to push. He was the one that made our class interesting, pushing the students to go into the depth of the subject.”

Milon’s third best memory of his AIM days was his walkabout among the Man-gyan tribe in a mountain range in Mindoro Province. “It was very interesting. I spent

two weeks with the community in the forest, staying in a primitive state of society,” he shared. “They had a small church there, and I used to stay there but work with them...My walkabout program was selected for presentation in the whole class.”

He also remembered his classmates as being helpful. “My classmates helped me in how to operate the computer. I didn’t know how to operate a computer before my coming to Manila in ’87.”

Among his professors, he named three who are most memorable to him. One is Prof. Mendoza, whom he described as “father-like.” “He really wanted students to work hard...In my life, whatever change, I think, came from him, most of the time because he pushed me in hard situations. I wanted, like a boy, to learn how to swim. Throw the son into the water, and he learns how to swim and come to the bank of the river. It was, I think, very important.”

Another professor was Tommy lopez. “He actually tried to make everybody his friend—not a student. Friend,” Milon stressed. “He was a friend to all the foreign students. That’s what I liked in him most. He was a good teacher, but this quality of his in an international institute like this, I think, is very important. He made us feel welcome. He invited us, the foreign students, into his house and entertained us.”

Finally, there was Prof. Jun Borromeo. “He’s a combination of the two: gabino and Tommy,” described Milon. “He was guardian-like. He used to take care of everybody. I didn’t know why, all of a sudden, he was

W O R D S B Y R O S E C H E R Y L R . O R B I G O , B M P 2 0 0 5 | P H O T O B Y J O V E L L O R E N Z O

When Milon Bikash Paul came to Manila to be formally honored as an AIM Alumni Achievement Awardee (Triple A) winner in ceremonies held on February 23, 2012, he must have been overwhelmed by a tide of emotion and nerves because after delivering his acceptance speech, he promptly forgot his trophy on the podium. Alumni Relations Office director Greg Atienza reminded Milon of his trophy and joked, “That’s easy to lose, but hard to get.”

thinking of me: ‘Hey, Milon, I think you’re upset very much now.’ That’s why I said guardian-like—following students, following what we’re doing, giving us little messages so that we could concentrate on making our WAC and things like that.

“The teachers wanted us to go into the depth of issues so that our analytical skill was enhanced, capacity enhanced, and then we could make decisions—theoretically though, but it would help in the next step of our life,” he continued. “What I learned is actually hard work. A stone is a stone. But if you polish a stone constantly, then fire will come out of the stone. This is true if you put effort continuously, if you want some output from the students. It was continuous pressure. And out of the pressure, not in a negative sense, just hard work—case analysis, then WAC again, walkabout, MRR (management research report) first part, second part—a lot of things within one year actually. So these helped us in how to sacrifice for hard work without even taking a rest. And hard work is how to continuously put efforts to bring some results...You can push, but fire will not come out. So you have to continue pushing until fire comes out of the stone.”

On no other stone, so to speak, has Milon put more pressure than PSTC, a national NgO where he immediately started working as deputy chief executive after obtaining his AIM degree in 1988. PSTC works for the improvement of the health, social security, and physical living conditions of the poor and socially disadvantaged in Bangladesh. In 1995, when PSTC was transitioning from quasi-governmental organization to NgO, Milon became its secretary general. In 1999, he led the crafting of the long-term strategic plan, which is adjusted yearly depending on the scenario.

After being chosen by PSTC’s governing body, Milon became executive director in 2003. “I knew that [decision] because it went through a process of strategic planning. The unique thing in our organization, we have our strategic plan, and we roll it out every year. In the strategic planning process, we discuss a lot of things, including leadership transition...Strategic thinking, mission, and implementation are important. Whatever you do, you have to do strategically through profound planning. Otherwise you can’t go anywhere.”

“What I learned is actually hard work. A stone is a stone. But if you polish a stone constantly, then fire will come out of the stone.”

“Fire Maker” cont. on page 58 >>

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Fire MakerMILON BIKASH PAUL, MM 1988


Spotlight Triple A

MA. ALEXANDRA PRIETO-ROMUALDEZ, MDM 1994

Defining Moments, Daring to Make a Difference

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JOHN MAXWEll, AN INTER-nationally recognized leader-ship expert, characterizes a “defining moment” as a challenge or crisis that demonstrates the leadership capacity that lies inside a

person. He further explains that it reveals a person’s hidden potential, either confirming a leader’s competence or exposing him or her as a fraud. It gives self-awareness to a leader, and enables followers to see their leader’s true colors. Most importantly, Maxwell points out that defining moments purify motives. Since the effect of these moments is often manifested within, it helps identify the real driving force behind the leaders’ influence.

“It all started when I attended a leader-ship program during my sophomore year in high school. The program combined semi-nars with visits to various communities. My eyes became open to a greater social reality, one that was unlike the sheltered upbring-ing that I was immersed in. I really wanted to help. I realized the greater social realities that thus far, I was oblivious to.” She did not know it at that time, but this defining mo-ment ultimately led Miss Alexandra “Sandy” Prieto-Romualdez, MDM 1994, to the direc-tion where she would eventually accomplish significant milestones in the mass media industry and to contribute substantial meas-ures to promulgate development and social change in the Philippines.

There have been other defining mo-ments in her life since then. For instance, the experiential learning that she received in college further reinforced her passion and advocacy in getting involved with community development. Her participation in the student government while studying Sociology during her freshman year at the University of Santo Tomas, learning the ba-sics of community organizing while she was majoring in Social Work at the University of the Philippines during her sophomore year, transferring to the College of Notre Dame (CND) in California, USA to study Sociology, with a Minor in Psychology, and spending six months in Kenya for a Management Study Abroad Program under CND taught her the fundamental concepts in community involvement and helped her identify the missing elements that would help in a com-munity’s development.

Four years after college graduation, she was back in the Philippines and teaching at the Assumption College when the oppor-

tunity to study at AIM beckoned. Someone recommended the Masters in Development Management program and encouraged her to apply. She was attracted to the idea of combining Development and Management, two disciplines she was passionate about. She knew that although her Sociology back-ground gave her an advantage to pursue a career in Development Management, she still needed to learn the principles and philosophies of management. She became even more interested when she heard about the case study method and the subjects in the curriculum.

“On my first month at AIM, my class-mates and I took a class called Accounting for Non-Accountants,” she fondly recalled. “I thought that AIM really understood their students and recognized what was needed. It made me realize that to do what we needed to do, we really needed to do what it takes, even if it means going through the numbers. When we first came to AIM, we had an adversity to numbers and computing, but it was good that our professors made us understand that it was important. ”

“Prof. victor limlingan taught us that we don’t necessarily have to know how to compute the IRR (internal rate of return), the net profit, overhead, but we needed to understand and know what to look for in the financial statements. He got us interested in the financial aspect of development manage-ment, we liked it enough to use the informa-tion we learned to our advantage. He taught us how to look at the spreadsheets and know what to watch out for.

“One thing that I learned from Prof. Eduardo Morato, that I take to heart until now, is to drop the term ‘non-profit’ and constantly talk about ‘not-for-profit’. He said that an NgO still needs to make profit like any business; it is just the purpose and the mission that makes the big difference. I learned how to do an effective environmen-tal scan. He was instrumental in helping me develop a keen eye despite the volumes of cases we needed to read. I learned how to look at the forest down to the tree, to narrow down the situation to see what is critical.

“I can never forget Prof. Tomas lopez, Prof. Soledad Hernando and Prof. Alejandri-no Ferreria as well, because they also taught me fundamental concepts and practices that I heed until now. I have been blessed to have a great set of professors who understood our backgrounds and strengths and weak-nesses, and all knew what we needed to

learn to succeed in the field of development. They taught us how to run institutions that are ‘not-for-profit’, gave us a good base to know what to look out for in studying one’s environment, and see what it takes to grow and progress.”

Aside from her professors, Sandy also holds fond memories of her CAN group. “In MDM, CAN groups are called Damayan (Support). Aside from the lessons and learn-ing for the day, we also shared our personal

stories, mostly what we go through during the course of our program. We cry on each other’s shoul-ders in times of frustration and

cheer each other on during our moments of triumph. There are times when we only have four hours of sleep. My Damayan group mates really helped me cope through the rigors of the requirements. We already memorized all the shops around AIM that were open 24/7 and we bonded over our common hardship. It was like an extension of family,” she shared.

Another defining moment for Sandy was when she was asked to step into her late brother’s role as a representative of her family in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. In another interview for a different publication, she shared, “My brother, louie, who was representing the family at Inquirer, passed away in a motorcycle accident. At that time my mom was the Chairman of the Board. She asked if I was interested. Apart from being interested, I told her I want to make sure I could be good at it. So our arrange-ment was I will join, try it out, and in a year, evaluate if I could handle it. That’s how I joined the company.”

looking back, Sandy intimated that AIM helped prepare her for the role she was asked to fill. “When I enrolled in AIM, I had no intention of going into Inquirer. Never-theless, when the time came, I was thankful that AIM helped me prepare. Being able to study and hone management skills, learning management concepts and doing my MRR helped. To look at things as a student, to have an objective eye, to be able to study processes, to be empowered to ask many questions that some consider trivial or

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“If I get to help a lot of people along the way, I know I have lived a good life.”

W O R D S B Y K R I Z I A E L E N I P A T R O C I N I O | P H O T O B Y J O V E L L O R E N Z O


“Defining Moments...” continued on page 60 >>

Spotlight Triple A

W O R D S B Y K R I Z I A E L E N I R . P A T R O C I N I O | P H O T O B Y J O V E L L O R E N Z O

FOR gOv. JOSE ClEMENTE “JOEY” Sarte Salceda, receiving an AIM education meant succeeding at whatever venture he put his mind into. He credits one of his professors for his “winning attitude”. “I always choose to employ the strategy that I learned at AIM, what Prof. Ned Roberto calls substantial segmentation and domination. This is: I never went into any situation where I cannot dominate. Whether as a politician or a financial executive, this world view es-sentially shaped my career. I owe my ability to create and generate change, or manage things better, through this strategy”.

This winning strategy proved handy and effective in the various positions he held and responsibilities he handled through the years. After graduating from AIM with a Master in Business Management degree (With Distinction) in 1990, gov. Salceda pursued a career in the banking and finance industry, working for INg Barings as a Research Director until 1995 and then for SwissBank Corporation (SBC) Warburg until 1997.

His stint in the corporate world gar-nered him numerous awards and accolades from his peers in the industry, such as: Best Analyst for Asiamoney Survey of 1994, Best Economist for the Philippines, Asiamoney Survey of 1993 to 1996, Best Analyst, global Money Survey of 1994, Best Analyst, Institu-tional Investors choice for 1993 and 1994 and Top 5 Philippine Analyst in the 1996 Survey of Philippine Fund Managers.

He joined the Philippine legislature in 1998, serving for three consecutive terms until 2007. He held several key positions in Congress, including the Chairmanship of the Committee on Appropriations, Chairman-ship of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Committee on Oversight and Chairman-ship of the Committee on Trade and Indus-try. Under his terms, he authored bills that would promote the protection of farmers and

domestic manufacturers through additional tariffs on imported products and rationaliza-tion of documentary stamp tax.

During his term in the legislative Of-fice, he enacted three important measures. He was the principal sponsor and co-author, respectively, of Republic Act No. 8751 or the Countervailing Duty Act, Republic Act No. 8752 or the Anti-Dumping Duty Act, and Republic Act No. 8800 or the Safeguard Measures Act. These measures proved criti-cal in allowing the Philippines realize the full benefits of its membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and at the same time protect domestic farmers.

He also authored other laws during his term as Member of the Philippine Congress from 1998 to 2007, such as, Republic Act No. 9401-general Appropriations Act of 2007 (the first PhP1 Trillion-budget of the Republic of the Philippines), Republic Act No. 8800-Safeguards Duty Act (protecting farmers and domestic manufacturers, this statute allows the imposition of additional tariffs on imported products that surge in greater volumes in the domestic market), Republic Act No. 8752-Anti-Dumping Duty law (allowing the imposition of additional tariffs on imported products that are priced much lower than their original prices in their domestic markets), Republic Act No. 9243-Rationalization of Documentary Stamp Tax (rationalizing the Provisions on the Documentary Stamp Tax on financial trans-actions which supports the development of the domestic capital markets), Republic Act No. 875-Countervailing Duty law (allow-ing the imposition of additional tariffs on imported products that are subsidized by other countries, thus underpricing local products), Republic Act No. 9008-Charter of the City of ligao (increasing the Internal Revenue Allotment of ligao City, Albay, Bicol from PhP42M to PhP182M), Republic Act No. 9358-Supplemental Budget (appropriating

PhP46B as supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2006 principally for Philhealth and salary upgrading for PNP, BJMP and BFP), Republic Act No. 9220-Establishing Albay 2nd District Engineering Office, (upgrading the Albay Sub-District Engineering Office into a Regular District Engineering Office), Repub-lic Act No. 9359-Standby Fund, (establishing a PhP850M Standby Fund for (a) clean-up operations of the guimaras oil spill, (b) relief operations for the victims of Mayon volcano’s eruption, and (c) emergency fund for the repatriation, evacuation and relief of OFWs and other Filipino Nationals).

He also served as Presidential Chief of Staff and Senior Economic Advisor to former President gloria Macapagal Arroyo. As Chief of Staff, he was credited as the chief architect of the Fiscal Roadmap to Recovery. He also oversaw two major programs of the National government-the growth Accelera-tion Plan: Plan 789 and the Economic Pack-age of 2008. He resigned as Chief of Staff to pursue his gubernatorial bid in Albay, where he won as an independent candidate in the 2007 elections, a position he still holds as of this writing.

As governor of Albay in the Bicol prov-ince, he prioritizes projects dealing with disaster preparedness and management, cli-mate change adaptation, livelihood programs and provision of opportunities for small and medium enterprises. Poring through “a lot, maybe thousands, of cases” and having many “big-time professors” at AIM helped prepare him for the task of re-developing Albay. “My ‘big time professors’ formed my bragging rights as a professional. The cases we had to read seemed ordinary, but once I got out of AIM, I found them handy and they helped me to succeed in a big way,” gov. Salceda acknowledges.

Peter Drucker, a writer, management consultant, and self-described social ecolo-gist stated that “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”

If his development programs for Albay are any indication, then gov. Salceda’s leadership skills go beyond just management and leadership. The faith and trust of his constituents in addition to the exemplary projects he has been implementing since he became a public official are proof that he is not only doing things right, but he is also do-ing the right things. Case in point; since his entry into local politics, gov. Salceda has

“Because of my stint at AIM, I saw myself as another commodity to be used to manage certain situations, and another talent to be acquired and employed. I learned to be doctrinally non-ideological. I always look at things as a problem looking for a solution, regardless of ideological positions. I was able to use everything I learned in real situations.”

“Winning Strategies...” cont. on page 59 >>

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49A I M L e a d e r M a g a z i n e | T H I R D Q U A R T E R 2 0 1 2

JOSE MA. CLEMENTE S. SALCEDA, MBM 1990

Winning Strategies, Winning Albay

Spotlight Triple A

SHIH-CHOIB FU, MBM 1989

On the Fast Lane to Triple A

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W O R D S B Y M A R K L I M | P H O T O B Y J O V E L L O R E N Z O

AMONg All THE AWARDEES OF THIS year’s Triple A Awards, Mr. Shih-Choib Fu, MBM 1989, from Taiwan, could be said to have taken the fastest route to success.

And it’s a dizzying speed, at a top speed of 350 kilometers per hour (kph). An engineer by profession, Fu is one of

the main men behind the development and construction of the 350-kilometer Taiwan Southern and Northern High Speed Rail Construction and Operation Contract. He worked for 14 years with the country’s Bureau of High Speed Rail (BOHSR) under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC). As one of the pioneers who participated in the project from the planning, design, construction and operation, Fu displayed outstanding leadership, innovation and determination in overcoming challenges.

Proof that this executive is top rate: he received no less than two grade A’s and two first-rate awards from the MOTC in 2005 and 2006 for his topnotch performance. These included strong commendations for a disaster prevention plan. Perhaps, the awards eased the pressure of working for the world’s largest BOT project, slated at US $20 billion.

Part and parcel of the disaster prevention plan is a contraption that automatically stops the train once the seismic strength notches fourth degree or higher. Fu notes that this is of extreme importance for passenger safety, because just like the Philippines, Taiwan sits on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.

“Because the project is so complicated and capital investment is huge, contract management and financial planning is so important to make the project a success,” Fu remarked during his acceptance speech. “Fortunately what I learned in AIM gave me a lot of help in solving all issues. So far, the Taiwan High speed rail has provided service for more than four years and has offered the Taiwan people faster, convenient and comfortable transportation assistance and has also brought economic prosperity to Taiwan. I want to thank AIM for what it has done for me. I am proud of AIM.”

Fu gives the reason for his train’s high speed: “The top speed is 350 kph. That is the design speed. The operational speed is 250 kph. Why? In Taiwan, if there is a delay of 1 hour, we will give free tickets to all the passengers. If the train is delayed for 30 minutes, the passengers pay half the price. So 250 kph is the operational speed. When delayed, we try to catch up. That is the important part.”

Taiwan’s train passengers’ chances of getting a free train ride are practically nil. But nevertheless, it’s still a neat treat considering that from the previous 4 hours and 30 minutes travel by car, it now just takes 90 minutes for Taiwanese to travel from the north to the south of the country along its western side, facing China. “You can note how fast it is,” Fu beams.

let’s slow down a bit to the start. Fu recounted that he had gov. Joey Salceda, MBM 1990, another Triple A awardee this year, as a classmate during his first year. “I remember he’s very smart.” He noted that AIM’s advantage is that it fostered “a very good environment. That is very important unlike in Taiwan where the

universities were more like institutions. Here, it was something like a hotel or an activity center… you can live and study in a very good atmosphere, although the professors are so severe or strict.”

Among all the subjects, Fu credited Finance as very beneficial “to what I have been doing since graduation, because Taiwan [fosters] BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) projects. It’s very important. You will see that in how you forecast, how you look at the economic trend since the investment is so huge.”

He also noted that with financial computations, “The correct answer is not the only one. More important is how you analyze, what the logic is, and in the end, what I learned.” Other factors such as economic growth, economic trends, and industry trends, that help him make a decision is what he learned in AIM and made him a better decision maker, he said.

Fu stressed an important advantage of AIM: “Actually, because you study abroad, you have a more international view. That is very important. That makes you more internationalized. You have [students of various nationalities]. You may have the same issue, but because of different country-backgrounds, no, not like this,” he gesticulates to demonstrate different opinions. “So that is important. When I went back to Taiwan, other country people’s views were totally different.”

It’s the first time that Fu is back in Manila in 23 years. And what a grand comeback it is: as a Triple A awardee. “The environment changed a lot in Makati, even the city, as it is more modernized. One big advantage that I found in Makati is the walkway on the second floor. Because I always travel to the US, even China, South Asia, and other countries, I think the Makati

walkway is very amazing, a very good idea, even better than those in Hong Kong,” he said.

And it is this walkway system that Fu wants to integrate into his next development project in his country’s capital. “The new job I am doing is the mass

rapid transit, just like in the Philippines where you have the lRT and MRT,” he said. Fu was recently promoted to Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS) of the Taipei City government where he is now responsible for the supervision of financial management and land development issues.

He said the best way to solve the right-of-way issues for the MRT’s train stations is through joint development. “For each MRT, you have stations which use the private land. According to law you can compulsory acquire, but they [the land owners] will protest because the price is so low. If you offer the government to make the station, the government will allow you a larger buildable area. For example, a 100 [sqm] area becomes 200 with a second level.” This also allows for retail stations that give train riders the ultimate convenience.

When asked who is his ideal leader, Fu readily quipped, “The mayor of Taipei (Hau lung-pin). He’s very determined.”

With his strong track record, Taipei residents can surely count on AIM’s outstanding alumnus to make his talent and professional skills work on the fast lane.

“The correct answer is not the only one. More important is how you analyze, what the logic is, and in the end, what I learned.”


INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION

ClASS A CHAMPION Philip Judan, MBM 1973 ClASS B CHAMPION Lin Hsing Ching, ME 2007 ClASS C CHAMPION Rene Diaz, MBM 1979 ClASS A RUNNER–UP Celso Vivas, MBM 1973 ClASS B RUNNER–UP Roland Detabali, MDM 2004 ClASS C RUNNER–UP Erlin Panegro, MBM 1972 lOWEST gROSS Ruperto Nicdao, MBM 1977lOWEST NET Paolo Olives lONgEST DRIvE Carlos SisonNEAREST TO THE PIN Samuel Poblete

TEAM COMPETITION

OvERAll TEAM CHAMPION MBM 1973 Philip Judan Teodoro Villanueva Celso VivasTEAM 1st RUNNER-UP MBM 1977 Ruperto Nicdao Jose Suarez Ed CordovaTEAM 2nd RUNNER-UP MBM 1972 Romy David Erlin Panegro Rene Diaz

“READY, AIM, FORE!”, THE AIM AlUMNI HOMECOMINg golf Tournament led by lead Host Class MBM 1992 gathered alumni and friends at the fairway of the Alabang Country Club, Muntinlupa City on February 17, 2012.

After almost 50 years of playing golf, Brig. gen. Romeo David (Ret.), MBM 1972, scored his first hole-in-one. gen. David brought home a luxurious Meister watch of his choice through the generosity of Meister President Mr. Paulo legaspi, BMP 2005.

Champions for the individual competition are: Philip Judan, MBM 1973 (Class A), lin Hsing Ching, ME 2007 (Class B), and Rene Diaz, MBM 1979 (Class C). For the team competition, Philip Judan, Teodoro villanueva, and Celso vivas of MBM 1973 bagged the Team Champion award.

Co-presentors were MBM 1972, Meister, gothong Southern Shipping lines, Inc., Western Union, Jack Nicklaus, San Miguel Beer, HSBC, Ayalaland Premier, Alveo, Ayala Businesscapes, Canon, lasik, Motolite, Honda, PSBank, and BDO.

Ready, AIM, Fore!

N E W S I N S I G H T S C O V E R S T O R Y G I V I N G S P O T L I G H T C L A S S N O T E Sshowc ase /golf

INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION

ClASS A CHAMPION Philip Judan, MBM 1973 ClASS B CHAMPION Lin Hsing Ching, ME 2007 ClASS C CHAMPION Rene Diaz, MBM 1979 ClASS A RUNNER–UP Celso Vivas, MBM 1973 ClASS B RUNNER–UP Roland Detabali, MDM 2004 ClASS C RUNNER–UP Erlin Panegro, MBM 1972 lOWEST gROSS Ruperto Nicdao, MBM 1977lOWEST NET Paolo Olives lONgEST DRIvE Carlos SisonNEAREST TO THE PIN Samuel Poblete

TEAM COMPETITION

OvERAll TEAM CHAMPION MBM 1973 Philip Judan Teodoro Villanueva Celso VivasTEAM 1st RUNNER-UP MBM 1977 Ruperto Nicdao Jose Suarez Ed CordovaTEAM 2nd RUNNER-UP MBM 1972 Romy David Erlin Panegro Rene Diaz

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53A I M L e a d e r M a g a z i n e | D O U B L E I S S U E 53

MICROCAP ADVISORS CONSULTANT AND AIM ALUMNUS (MBA 2007) Pranay Bhargava investigates the status of microfinance in Rajasthan, the largest state of India. The Rajasthan Microfinance Report 2011 was released by India’s Union Minister of Rural Development. It examines the untapped potential of microfinance and its operational means for improving overall performance. The publication includes recommendations for policy making, working plans to improve current poverty alleviation initiatives of state and central government, and strategies for employment generation and and livelihood promotion.

AIM Alumnus Publishes 2nd Book on Microfinance in India

ONE OF THE HIgHlIgHTS OF THE AIM gRAND AlUMNI HOMECOMINg in February was the passing of the torch, the symbolic turnover of the flame sculpture by lead Host Class MBM 1992 to next year’s lead host, MBM 1993. The flame sculpture was specially created by Michael Cacnio.

Filipino artist Michael Cacnio is a world-class brass sculptor of the social realist genre. Known for his early work depicting family and community as leitmotif, Cacnio’s signature style excels in providing profound visual commentaries on everyday scenes involving common Filipino folk. His art has evolved to cover a variety of themes, ranging from the lightness of childhood contentment and frivolity to the darker subjects of materialism and human fallibility. His work evokes a wide range of emotions: from the touching realization of unconditional familial love to the inspiring show of quiet dignity of humble workers.

Cacnio hails from the town of Malabon, north of Metro Manila, Philippines. A product of the prestigious College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, he professionally debuted as a painter, briefly exhibiting in several shows and garnering several awards, until he went on to find his true creative vocation in the art of sculpting brass.

Since then, Cacnio has held countless solo exhibits in the Philippines, New York, Singapore and Japan, earning critical acclaim as well as commercial success in Asia, Europe and the USA. In 2007, he became the first Filipino artist to be featured in a solo exhibit in the European Commission’s headquarters in Berlaymont, Brussels. He then participated in the Anchor Show of the Philippine Art Trek in Singapore in 2008. He was a recipient of numerous awards and citations, one of which was The Outstanding Young Men in the Philippines (TOYM) Award in 2006. He is a member of the Presidential Commission on Culture and the Arts and has been featured in several reputable publications and in broadcast media.

He continues to be awarded several large public commissions, as his pieces are collected by top corporations, private art collectors and dignitaries. His major installations are the triptych found at the St. vincent de Paul Shrine and Columbarium, The Crucifixion at Eternal gardens, the life-sized Play In the Sun at Jardin Miramar at Antipolo, the Malabon City Marker, and the Golden Tree of Life at the lobby of the Amuma Spa at Maribago Bluewaters in Cebu, among many others.

Cacnio marks his second decade in the Philippine art scene in 2011, he continues to captivate audiences with his explorations with color with the launch of his Balloon Series. His well-received exhibitions, more than 50 both locally and abroad to date, as well as consistently positive reviews from critics and collectors alike, are clear testaments to a strong following that can only continue to grow in decades to come.

N E W S I N S I G H T S C O V E R S T O R Y G I V I N G S P O T L I G H T C L A S S N O T E Sshowc ase /ar t / book self

Michael Cacnio

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55A I M L e a d e r M a g a z i n e | D O U B L E I S S U E

FROM EMERgINg TRENDS to the changing business landscape in Asia and from the companies making it big in this arena to the strategies which they adopt to the opportunities and challenges which this huge Asian market posses—just about everything you needed to know about the fastest growing region in the world.

Relive the journey of entrepreneurs who have leveraged growing Asia to turn their ventures into global enterprises. This book is

not just a collection of their experiences but brings out the subtle dilemmas that they negotiated—both personal and professional to turn into the champion businessmen that they are today.

Aided by awe inspiring stories of AIM Alumni, the book studies the opportunities and challenges which the fastest growing region on the planet poses. The book discusses the changing business landscape in Asia, the opportunities and challenges which the huge Asian

Asia Incredible

markets pose and urges youngsters and aspiring MBA’s to take up to entrepreneurship rather than the beaten conventional path. In the Foreword by His Excellency governor of West Bengal M.K. Narayanan, he says, “The real value of the book lies in encouraging the youth of Asia to become entrepre-neurs rather than job-seekers, in the wake of the immense opportu-nities that have become avail-able. Instances of entrepreneurs, including some Asian Institute of Management Alumni, who have succeeded because they believed in their abilities and had the strength to persevere in their task provide the narrative with a special flavor. It is not surprising in this context to understand why students from this Institute should be so positive and buoyant in their attitudes.”

Siddharth Wadehra, an author and entrepreneur has been the winner of numerous business innovation awards around the globe. A Computer Engineer by education, not only has Siddharth has worked on numerous software applications for which he holds patents/copyrights but also presented papers in different forums on a range of technical topics. Siddharth has close of three years of credible work experience with Silicon valley giants Sun Microsystems (now Oracle) and IBM before studying business. His business concept of ‘thInQ’ has met with numerous accolades

including the event at Hult global Case Challenge at San Francisco. Siddharth has been a technology buff, sports enthusiast and an avid quizzer. He enjoys studying Business laws and has industry knowledge on Cyber laws and E-Commerce laws.

Are you an entrepreneur itching to make it BIG in the world of business or a regular office-goer who has always believed in the power of his idea as the ‘next big thing’ but really don’t know how to go about it. Asia Incredible is just the tool-kit which you need to have.

“The real value of the book lies in encouraging the youth of Asia to become entrepreneurs rather than job-seekers, in the wake of the immense opportunities that have become available.”

ON JUNE 6, 2012, JERRY A. QUIBILAN, MM 1976 launched his book “One Man Selling Change” at the AIM Meralco Case Room. The book is Mr. Quibilan’s collection of emails for social advocacy marketing.

Mr. Frank A. Hilario, the editor and designer of the book, in his speech shared about the three-year journey and inspiration in producing “One Man Selling Change”. “JAQ calls himself a Crusader for PPUL—Peace, Prosperity, Unity and Love. If you are in the orbit of his peregrinations, his emails are exactly that—digital rains: they come as steady as a rainfall even on a summer day. Sometimes they catch you without an umbrella. Days before the launch, I was thinking like this: You are always anticipating JAQ’s emails. Sometimes you dread opening them. Sometimes you want to open them. Other times they have pleasant surprises.” To read Mr. Hilario’s blog post on the book launch > http://frankahilario.blogspot.com/2012/06/book-launch-jaq-as-one-man-selling.html

Mr. Ignacio Bunye, Mr. Quibilan’s AIM classmate, in his short talk quoted himself from the book: “To say that Jerry is interesting is an understatement. Jerry is everybody’s relative. It never ceases to amaze us, his classmates, to discover the length and breadth of Jerry’s kinship, whether by blood or by affinity. To the members of his AIM CAN Group of MM ‘76, Jerry was the Can Do guy who went anywhere and everywhere to finish the group’s assignment always on time. Jerry is the class historian. He carries around a photo or a clipping of just about any article printed or emailed about any of his classmates. He remains active in AIM Alumni Relations, always reminding us and inviting us to the next AIM event. Jerry can be very passionate in expressing what he believes in. With the advent of email, Jerry has given vent to this inclination with his on-line social commentaries. But above all, Joey Sycip sums up Jerry’s sterling quality: “Jerry is a true friend who will go all out and out of his way to help you.”

AIM Alumni Association Chairman Mr. Eustacio Orobia and AIM Alumni Relations Executive Managing Director Mr. Greg Atienza congratulated and sent well-wishes to Mr. Quibilan. Ms. Aurora “Rory” Alesna, MM 1976, emceed the event. JC Aliwalas, Aurora Alesna, Rorie Adriano, Max Edralin, Rufo Colayco, Humph O’Leary III, Ray de Jesus, Menchu Esteban, Enrique Nalus, Tony Sibal, Jose Paolo Sibal, Willie Villarama, and Sonny Coloma attended the event.

“One Man Selling Change” Jerry A. Quibilan, MM 1976 Book Launch

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream, Discover.” —Mark Twain

OverviewI TRIED TO SEARCH FOR

any information about the ‘loh-e-Dandi’ in the Margalla mountains off Islamabad but

was flabbergasted to learn that except for a few pictures; the Internet was silent on the subject. Thus I was provoked to write this piece and once again indulge in the process of creating/writing history for my ardent readers as well as edu-cating the masses on the subject and doing a service to the inhab-itants of the planet. And also to gain some cheap publicity.

Discovering the world seems a thousand times more interesting to me. Thus I set out

on long arduous journeys since the tender age of seven and have not stopped yet, nor do I intend to. One thing is for sure though; if I stop travelling and writing, I would cease to exist and I would not want to deprive my readers of my presence. Haha!

As for writing, I still don’t know how or why I write; my articles are not born in my mind, they gestate in my heart and are capricious creatures with their own lives, always ready to subvert me.

The Legend of LOH-E-DANDI by Shaikh Muhammed Ali, MBM 1995

The mouth of the cave where Bari Imam spent 12 years in meditation

The first time I went to loh-e-Dandi was in 1984 when I had come from Karachi to Islamabad all by myself on a journey of truth and discovery. I was 20 years of age and had recently returned from Saudi Arabia after performing Hajj with my parents in 1982 at the ripe age of 17.8 years.

After cleansing myself through religious ablution, I was now treading the path of Sufism, a rather arduous path which would become my way of life in the years to come, but that’s a story for another time.

My first trip to loh-e-Dandi had nothing to do with Sufism since I visited the place late in the night along with a few crazy friends in order to hunt wild boars. Islooites (Inhabitants of Islamabad) will agree that there used to be a lot of boars in the neighborhood of Nurpur Shahan in the mid eighties; the village where the famous saint Shah Abdul latif Kazmi (commonly known as Bari Imam) lived.

I tried to shoot the wild boar in the pitch darkness of the night under flood lights but my gun backfired which almost got me killed. Had it not been for the sharp shooter who was a local friend; I would not have been around to write this article, today. One thing for sure, after this failed wild hunting trip; I pretty much realized that I was not cut out to mess around with wild boars at least. I could thus never become a hunter except for the few partridges and other birds that I would shoot later in life. Bird watching I still continue, though.

The JourneyIt so happened that a friend

called up early this month while at work and amongst other things he asked as to when was the last time I had been to loh-e-Dandi on which I responded that some 26 years ago when the place was but a jungle and we almost walked for 4 hours and climbed the mountain after paying our

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homage at the shrine and a sumptuous langar (free food) from the Mazar.

He informed me that the place has changed since then and I must revisit the place (being the mountain goat that I am) since the Capital Devel-opment Authority (CDA) has beautified the place and has put in steps which go all the way up the mountain to the abode of the fairies and the jinns.

And the idea clicked suddenly since the government had just announced that Saturday would be a closed holiday and this was the ideal time to go visit this place before the advent of summer. Although I had decided to take my entire gang (read family here) to the

expedition but initially, in my mind I was a little perplexed since Ayesha (my daughter) who was 4.5 then may not be able to take the beating of this long and tough climb.

Much to my surprise it was Ayesha who enjoyed the most, although my wife almost threw a tantrum on the way back. Actually it was not her fault. At her age, women do get cranky. She will kill me when she gets to read this.

After parking the car at a car park some 3 odd kilometers to the northwest of the Mazar, it took us around5 hours to go up and down, with a half hour break which included the langar (free lunch) at the peak of the mountain, disproving the

adage that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Although the destination looked pretty near but due to the steep climb, it did test our nerves of steel and since we had started late i.e. around 11:00 a.m. or so, the heat started to build up and we would stop after every half hour to catch a breath.

In about two hours or slightly more, we reached the site where there is a legend about the wing of a fairy and two snakes. The story goes like this: once, when Bari Imam (who was a shepherd) was graz-ing his buffaloes in this valley, a fairy came rushing down the creek after which there was a jinni that followed her. As the legend goes, this jinni wanted to marry the fairy and she was simply not interested. Sounds pretty logical.

While they were running (shouldn’t they be flying?) some dirty water was splashed on the clothes of the Bari Imam and he asked them to refrain from such activity since his clothes were getting dirty but they did not listen and continued their frolic. And thus out of frustration and anger, Bari Imam recited something on the fairy and the jinn and the fairy became a rock in one of the hills and the jinn became another stone in a rock where he was standing on the top of the mountain.

Whether you believe this story or not, it is none of my busi-ness but the two rocks are very much there and they do look like as if the first rock is a close semblance of a fairy’s wing and the other long rock protruding from a hillock looks like the leg of this giant jinni.

After having a short pause here, we continued to walk while the sun became more and more scorching but we had to do it in this weather since summer was approaching fast and we would have to wait till September to do this and wait-ing I don’t like in life.

We continued our walk towards our final destination with slow and steady paces. I was the water carrier and had to watch so no one would get exhausted. I had to crack jokes and keep them busy since I was the tour guide and they were all at my mercy.

We could now see the destination clearly from here and when asked we came to learn that it was the last leg of about 45 or so minutes from here. It seemed so close yet so far away since it was almost after 1:00 p.m. and the ball of fire called sun was hardly showing any mercy on us. Actually, I was being punished for bringing my family here but with the resilience that runs in our travel-happy family, we were adamant that there was no way that we will not conquer this mountain.

later we had free lunch at the ‘langar Khana’ comprised of rice with beans and a deep boiled Qahwa (a spoiled version of green tea). I am used to such stuff since I have been to most of the Mazars (mausoleums) in Karachi to Saidu Sharif in Swat, but my wife was indeed making faces initially.

We finally called it a day and it took us another two hours to tread the path of the Bari Sarkar, the fairies and the jinnis alike to reach our car, exhausted but with a new sense of ac-complishment. It felt as if we were snapping out of a trance. We indeed saw the valley rising. We were all there to see the bounties of god and we would continue to be thankful to the Creator. Adios!

A panoramic view from the top of Loh-e-Dandi site in the Margalla Hills

The Shaikh Clan taking the f irst break

Actually, I was being punished for bringing my family here but with the resilience that runs in our travel-happy family, we were adamant that there was no way that we will not conquer this mountain.

“On the very same day, I was supposed to receive a letter of appoint-ment from a European pharmaceutical corporation. However, I ended up joining Himalaya after a long talk with the chairman. Everything just happened so quickly. I remember discussing with the chairman how I would get the people who would be under my employ to answer to a ‘boy’ like me. I still didn’t have a beard back then!” he laughs.

With Ravi inducted into their fold, the Himalaya Drug Company made a momentous decision.

Ravi began as a training manager in 1990, a job he enjoyed very much for its entrepreneurial value, unlike his pre-vious, pre-defined jobs. However, Ravi felt that Himalaya, with its top-notch products, could expand to the global market. After lengthy discussions with the chairman, Meraj Manal, Ravi’s sug-gestion that a strong export division be created was put to a vote.

“I can still see it very clearly in my mind. The chairman said, ‘This young man, he wants to start an export divi-sion. Those in favor, raise your hands.’ Only my hand went up. After a moment of silence, the chairman called for another vote, and this time, he raised his hand with me. He was a man with a very bold mind.” The chairman’s actions confirmed Ravi’s thoughts. Himalaya was a very strong company; it was just that people were afraid of change. “The problem with working in a compa-ny for many years is that you become insular. You become obsessed with retaining the status quo,” says Ravi. Indeed, many of the counter-arguments to Ravi’s proposition involved phrases such as “difficulties with the production lines”, “hassles”, “closing the lines”, among many others.

This scenario which demonstrated Himalaya’s thorough vintage standstill, with people too deep-seated in their own comfort zones, prompted the chairman to make changes to the organization. The results of these changes are evident today, with Ravi crediting the chairman’s progressive thinking for it.

“The high point of my career was working with Meraj Manal,” Ravi shares. “He taught me to think from the consum-ers’ perspective. We tend to become a little inward at business schools, but he made me think of the consumer first. It was my biggest learning.”

With the Chairman’s go signal, Ravi started building the Himalaya brand globally, establishing the brand in Russia, Ukraine and Romania. In Russia, he successfully created market leader-ship for several Himalaya products

such as its flagship brand, Liv-52, a hepato-protective drug, and Cystone, the No. 1 product for the management of urinary stones. Ravi also set up and streamlined operations in the US and UAE. In Malaysia and Singapore as in other markets, he developed Himalaya into a mainstream brand. Today, Hima-laya has presence in 82 countries and international operations contribute 40% of the company’s overall revenues.

Giving BackHimalaya prides itself on being a

research oriented company, with an emphasis on R&D for the production of safe and effective remedies using ayurvedic principles. With research teams continuously modernizing the Indian Ayurveda, Ravi constantly has his hands busy.

“There’s a lot of talk today about how alternative medicine is actually more helpful in oncology than mainstream radiation and chemotherapy. I would love to have my scientific teams come up with something for cancer,” he says.

Himalaya is not only tasked with the modernization of the Ayurveda, but also, Ravi believes, to spearhead a change in how healthcare is adminis-tered. The current healthcare model involves management of illness; Ravi envisions a future where the focus is the maintenance of well-being. Further-more, he believes that alternative products based on the Ayurveda will become much more important in the future, not only because of its lower cost and greater availability than con-temporary medicine, but also because of its composition. Ravi explains, “The main problem today with medicine is the reductionist approach towards its crea-tion. An herb is, in its most basic form, a group of chemicals put together in a small, convenient package. However, one of these chemicals is incredibly potent, which produces both results and undesirable side effects. The reduction-ist approach discards all the other chemicals in favor of the single strong one. It’s similar to plugging up one hole, only to create many more holes.”

Alternative medicines produced by Ayurveda lean towards the more natu-ral composition of these herbs—that the other chemicals were placed into the herb for a reason: to act as a buffer against the strength of the primary chemical. Many doctors today are becoming aware of the problem of the reductionist approach with regards to medicine, thus, they constantly search for more holistic medicines. Of course, the alternative medicines produced by Himalaya are studied extensively and subjected to Western testing procedures to examine and acquire

empirical evidence proving their safety and efficacy.

“Himalaya can really change things, I think, and fill some of the gaps that exist in our society,” he says. “To whom much is given, much is expected. I would like to give back to the society that has given me so much.”

In giving back, Ravi believes that “Business Social Responsibility” is more sustainable than Corporate Social Responsibility. “If companies truly want to make a difference then they need to stay engaged in a project for long or until such time as the program is self-sustainable. This is possible when corporate citizenship moves away from being a mere social commitment to becoming a business need.” With this in mind, Himalaya’s community program has evolved into a full-fledged contract farming initiative that reaches out to small and marginal farmers, especially women farmers, across India. “This program is sustained by a business requirement. On the face of it, this is a supply chain arrangement, where farm-ers grow herbs for us and earn a fair price for their produce,” Ravi explains. Working with poor farmers instead of farmers with large tracts of land ensures that the program delivers a social good. In addition, the farmers are trained in good agricultural practices, sustainable herb collection and organic farming. “The project is spread over several villages and is now entering its seventh year,” he beams. “By 2015, we hope to procure 70% of our herbs through this channel.”

Himalaya also has a recent initia-tive with the Department of Prisons, Government of Karnataka which rein-forces the principle of sustainable com-munity programs run by companies. “This is an interesting project where we are helping to create employment opportunities for prisoners to reform and rehabilitate them,” Ravi shares. “The prisoners cultivate medicinal herbs for Himalaya, earning a regular income. Participation in this program also helps in skill-building. The project is already a success and we are now looking to extend this program to prisons in Andhra Pradesh.”

Full CircleHard work is not the only secret

to success. Some work hard, some work smart, and some work harder and smarter than the rest, yet some still do better than those. There is a secret ingredient in the mix, and that ingredient is passion. Ravi’s passion stems from his excitement at modernizing an ancient Indian art. “In India, many of our old tradi-tions and culture are being discarded in favor of more modern things, so I am very glad that at least, through Hima-

laya, we are bringing back something uniquely Indian. It’s like modernizing a pot of Indian culture” he smiles.

And Ravi’s passion was rewarded and recognized when he was named one of the most outstanding alumni of AIM for 2012.

“I was deeply moved when they told me I was an awardee of the Triple A. It was a sacred thing, if you will, a closing of the circle” says Ravi. But it is not only his own contributions that AIM has recognized; for Ravi Prasad, AIM has also come to acknowledge itself an awardee for equipping him with learn-ings essential to his success.

For Ravi, there are no shortcuts to success. “Work hard, go out and experi-ence the world. Let the working environ-ment be your teacher,” he imparts.

And for students, graduates, and young people in general, Ravi has these words to impart—simple but strong: “Follow your dreams.”

>> “Leading with Passion” continued from page 43

Under Milon’s helm, PSTC did not only successfully become one of the most respected NGOs in Bangladesh but also increased in size—from six to 33 projects, from five to 18 development partners. The projects are under several program areas: health services delivery, water and sanitation, child development, government and rights, HIV/AIDS preven-tion, and economic development. The projects directly benefit street children, children in hazardous jobs, and destitute women. PSTC’s current strategic plan considers the Millennium Development Goals and the objectives of the Govern-ment of Bangladesh.

“The challenge is how to work with all the development partners,” Milon noted. “All the projects’ timing is not the same. One project may start in January, another in March...Every time we are preparing documents, we are signing agreements, we are getting approvals from the Minis-try of Social Development. So we have a process of writing a proposal, getting it approved, negotiating with the develop-ment partners, and then getting the approval from the government. When one project is closing, the staff think about how they can get a job. Most people want a new project. It’s continuous.”

PSTC has 79 offices and more than 2,000 staff all over the country. It pro-vides services to more than 3.5 million people in 30 districts of Bangladesh. Its turnover has surged from BDT60 million in 2003 to BDT400 million today. The PSTC Complex houses a health complex, training venue, and resources center. Aside from that, PSTC owns a land and building in Dhaka. It has 35 Drop-in

>> “Fire Maker” continued from page 44

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served his people continuously first as Congressman for nine and now into his second term as Governor. In three of the five elections, he ran unopposed.

“Much of what I learned, my knowledge, skills, and the attitude I have towards my work are derived from four important things I had in AIM: reading through numerous cases, learning from my professors, belonging to a CAN group and staying in the AIM dormitory. These four things shaped who I became and gave me a distinct competitive advan-tage that I don’t think any other school would provide,” Gov. Salceda elaborates.

The Province of Albay has had its share of devastating calamities through the years. The damaging aftermath of previous calamities that affected the resi-dents of Albay prompted Gov. Salceda to implement disaster risk reduction initia-tives and climate change adaptation ac-tivities. He focused on the information dis-semination campaign on the importance of disaster risk reduction and education of communities and local government units in Albay on climate change adaptation initiatives. His pioneering work on these issues resulted to the formation of Albay and Manila Declarations on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA). These declarations provided an impetus for the enactment of Republic Act 9729, “The Climate Change Act of 2009”, and Republic Act 10121, “The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act”, which established DRR and CCA as a national and local priority for building community resilience to climate change impacts and disaster.

Through Gov. Salceda’s revolution-ary efforts, the province of Albay received the Galing Pook Award in 2008 for its Outstanding Governance Program on disaster preparedness and management. Albay also received the Gawad Kalasag Award in three consecutive years from 2009 to 2011 for its outstanding program on disaster preparedness and manage-ment. In 2011, Albay was named by the Department of Interior and Local Govern-ment as the Pamana ng Lahi Awardee for excellence in local governance in the Bicol. Albay ranked 1st in the Bicol region and ranked 7th in the entire Philippines.

Aside from accolades for the province, many other institutions recog-nized Gov. Salceda’s efforts. His work on climate change adaptation was recog-nized by the United Nations. In 2010, he was conferred by the United Nations as the First Senior Global Champion of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduc-tion (UN-ISDR) for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation. In addition,

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Centers and Multi-purpose Centers at which 5,000 beneficiaries annually get basic services such as food, shelter, education, recreation, and training. The organization also works for better livelihood for socially excluded groups such as sex workers and indigenous populations. For its accomplishments, PSTC has received three ministry awards and one award from Dhaka City Corporation.

“The organization is in the growth stage,” said Milon. “Whatever we have been doing, we have been doing for the poor people, for their upliftment, for their economic improvement, for their capacity building, for their healthier life. I feel proud that I have the opportunity to do something for the poor. That is one thing. Second, we in our organization generate some employment for the people. Two thousand plus staff are working. Employment is one of the major issues [in Bangladesh]. In the process, we have been supplement-ing and complementing government efforts in different parts.

“In come cases, we try to influence the government in their policy changes and also help poor people in their capac-ity building so that they can raise their voice, they can claim their rights from the government and have access to the services that they’re supposed to get. So it is the tough part,” he added.

But in his long history with PSTC, nothing has been tougher for Milon than PSTC’s leadership transition. “The founder decided to retire, and I was cho-sen by the authority to continue for the next phase,” he explained. “That period was challenging for me because I took the leadership of an organization.”

What compounded this period from 1997 to 2003 was PSTC’s transi-tion from being a government special project to an NGO. “It was a challenge whether I could lead them myself, whether I could maintain the image of the organization, the viability.”

Another monumental task has been organizational development, as PSTC has been growing faster. New people have to be recruited to fill mana-gerial positions. At the same time, PSTC has staff who have been around for 20-25 years and are facing retirement. “The people who have been working long, they have one type of mindset. And the new blood who are coming have another type of mindset and culture,” observed Milon. “How do you accommo-date these two mindsets and cultures, adapt them, incorporate them, and lead them? These last two years, I have been facing these challenges, bringing in and accommodating new people, making them adapt to the work, and changing some of the policies of the organization to adapt to the new scenario. People like

me have to retire. I will retire in three years. Others also. We need to develop the succession mechanism.”

Milon described his management style as “mostly participatory.” “But sometimes I have to be decisive also for the greater interest of the organiza-tion and the people. Judgment call,” he noted. “I personally believe in the par-ticipatory approach, but as a manager or leader, sometimes I have to make a decision based on some understand-ing, some scenario. For some senior management staff, I have to follow a more liberal decision-making process. Feeling style. But if a problem spreads, then I have to bring everyone together and make a decision. But in that proc-ess, what we do in our organizational culture is what we call adherence to the system...You have to adopt the system. And if you consider some system not conducive to growth, then you have to see if you can change the system.”

Beyond his load and advocacy at PSTC, Milon helped develop 82 NGOs to complement the national health program. PSTC acted as a resource organization for local NGOs and gave them technical assistance in the areas of project management, staff develop-ment, procurement, community development, capacity building, and sustainability.

Milon has been active in other social development-related matters. He has been a member of the Lions Club and the secretary of other networks. In his home village, he established a primary school named after his father. “Beyond my official activities, I keep my-self engaged in social works,” he said.

Moreover, after returning to Bangladesh from AIM, he mobilized the AIM alumni in the country. He acted as general secretary and president of the AIM Alumni Association–Bangladesh until 2000.

For his remarkable achievements and for coaxing a blaze out of many stones, Milon thus deserved his Triple A. “I feel very proud and privileged of having this award,” he stated in his ac-ceptance speech. “AIM totally changed my life and, through me, changed my organization. I would like to dedicate this award to the disadvantaged people of Bangladesh...I will continue to work, as long as I am alive, for the upliftment of the poor and socially disadvantaged.”

In his speech, he acknowledged his AIM teachers, classmates, and staff; his parents, who encouraged him; his wife, who made sacrifices for him; and his son Manosh and daughter Mushmi, who missed him while he was in AIM.

“I am very proud of both my son and daughter,” he beamed. “My daugh-ter completed her master’s degree in Mass Communication from Dhaka

University, and my son completed MBA from the Institute of Business Administration under Dhaka University. IBA admits only 60 students from all over Bangladesh. He’s working in a private corporate house. He is married. I have two grandsons with my daughter and one granddaughter with my son. Along with my career, my wife Panna helped in developing the career of my children...She has done a lot.”

Besides spending time with his family to relax, Milon likes sitting with his friends and watching TV and movies. “Most of the time I go to the village, listen to the community. For example, I join a cultural event or a social gathering.”

Milon also shared advice to young professionals and new AIM graduates. First is to understand the market. “What does the market demand? What skills, attitudes, or technology, what types of knowledge?” he asked. “The world is changing fast. Based on the changed scenario, market demands are also changing. You have to adapt to the market scenario always. Keep your eyes always open... Wherever you go, you have resource constraints. As a future manager, considering developed or developing countries, multinational companies or the market economy, it’s a struggle for resources. Whenever you become a manager, resources are put for you, and your success will depend on how best you can utilize the resources...To become the best manager, you have to use resources strategically.

“Second, wherever you go, whatever you do, do not forget your roots,” he continued. “I came from a poor district. Because of changes in society, most of us miss the link with our roots. The market economy is push-ing us just for survival: work and go wherever you want to go...It might give you some satisfaction or achievement, as long as you have the resources and energy. Once it is lost, then you become frustrated. If you can keep yourself linked to your roots, you will never get frustrated. You have something to find out, something to go back to...I have had milk supplied by a farmer in the community. I’ve given some clothes to wash to the washmen in the com-munity. Some farmers produce food for me. Some teachers in the community taught me ABC. Without them, I would not have learned anything. We are social beings. Without society, we can’t live. That’s how we grow. This connec-tion fuels my passion for development and keeps me on track. I’m proud that I came from a small middle-class family. Now I’m here. It is a human being’s social responsibility to do something always for the community. Think of the community. It helps a lot.”


>> “Winning Strategies...” continued from page 48

“Winning Strategies...” cont. on page 61 >>

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obvious, was a special bonus for me. I learned a lot in terms of development and management principles. It was a bonus that I learned all that a year before I joined the Inquirer.”

It has been seventeen years since she decided to join the Inquirer. She currently holds various positions both in the corporate and develop-ment spheres. Aside from being the President/CEO of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the leading newspaper in the Philippines, she is also the Chairper-son of Hinge Inquirer Publications, the magazine publishing arm of the Inquirer, President of Inquirer Publica-tions, Inc., publisher of Cebu Daily News and Bandera tabloids, President of Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundation, a social enterprise that champions livelihood products, Trustee of Hero Foundation Philippines, an organization which hopes to provide educational support to children of Filipino soldiers who have either been killed in action or totally incapacitated while in the line of duty, Founding Member of Hands On Manila, an organization focused on innovative and alternative model of vol-unteer service, and Founding Co-Chair of Tabang Mindanaw (Help Mindanao), a humanitarian project formed to address hunger and help victims of conflict in Mindanao.

She has since established herself and the Inquirer as a pioneering trailblazer and game changer in the industry. To address the ever-changing landscape brought about by new developments in technology, and to cater to the differing demands of audi-ences, she led a team that developed different multi-media platforms to establish many different touch points with audiences.

Among the innovative platforms developed are Inquirer Libre, the first regular free newspaper in Metro Manila; Convergence Project, a multi-media platform of the Inquirer Group of Com-panies which consists of DZIQ Radyo Inquirer, inquirer.net, Megamobile, Inquirer Publications and Hinge Inquirer Magazine. All these platforms, she proudly stated, provide public service in addition to delivering relevant, timely and credible information. It allows audiences to be able to choose more than one favored platform. Since there are different units within the company, Sandy spends most of her time to create a synergy within these units and grow the group. According to some re-ports, Sandy initiated innovative proc-esses in the Inquirer such as developing a complete manual of editorial policies, implementing quantifiable perform-ance measures and initiating regular

dialogues between management and the editorial team.

“There is a constant drive to have the group work as a team, give them a clear idea of where you want to go and what we want to do, developing new channels we started, and innovating. I always emphasize the concept of shared leadership among the manage-ment team. I want them to be excited about the vision, to empower them to make decisions rather than wait for someone to tell them what to do. I want them to know that I am supportive of their decisions. Teamwork is the key to our success. When you read the paper, you only see the editorial side. However, the process of producing a paper is very complex. It all relies on having good people and great team-work. For example, if you have a good editorial team but your support group, composed of the distribution, the sales and marketing, the finance side, etc., is not good, then your paper is not going to do well.”

“Since the news has been commod-itized, and the landscape is changing, building a brand that is respected and that has credibility, and differentiating that among the others, is a constant challenge. Nowadays, people want more but do not want to pay more. Whereas before people understood what it took to deliver the news, now the expectation is they get the news for a low or minimal cost. That is why our team needs to be quick on our feet. We used to do a 3-year or 5-year plan; nowadays we can only do a quarterly, sometimes monthly outlook because of the rapid changes in technology. Throughout the day, I scan different websites, monitor the print, meet with key people in the group or meet with the advertisers or meet with our agencies. I make sure to support our advertisers and be there at their events and launches, because I want to make them feel that I value them and support their growth. I also make sure I go to employee activities; it is one way I can interact with them. I cannot emphasize this enough, shared leadership and good teamwork is really crucial for success.”

Apart from the multi-media platforms, Sandy also initiated various CSR campaigns and independent not-for-profit endeavours, such as Read-Along Program, which aims to help children develop a love for reading; Readership Council, which allowed the paper to interact directly with readers to improve content; Red Tag Stories and Radical Optimism which strives to come out with at least one positive story on the front page identified with a red tag, and an all positive front page every Sunday; and New Paper Drive – which promotes the use of recycled paper to reduce the amount of waste that goes to disposal sites. She also spearheaded

the redesign of the newspaper which allows a reduction in newsprint, saving some six trees every day. The Inquirer is also the first newspaper to use soy-based ink for printing.

She has redefined print journal-ism to serve as a means for social involvement and entrepreneurship. “My advocacies include a passion for volunteerism, because I believe that having people develop a sense of public service can help in progress. I am also an advocate of education, it is one area I support. I also support livelihood programs. I recently set up a foundation that provides an avenue for people to sell their products,” she shared.

She also sustains projects, advocacies and programs for the com-munity. A scholarship fund is currently being managed by the Inquirer for 72 school-age children of the journalists who were killed in the November 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre. There is also an Isagani Yambot, Sr. Scholar-ship Fund that the Inquirer launched recently, in memory of the Inquirer’s late publisher. Since 1993, the Inquirer Newsboy Foundation has been helping close to 200 children, particularly newsboys in grade school, high school and college, by giving them monthly stipends. Internally, employees are en-couraged to do volunteer work through the Hands On Manila (HOM) Foundation which Sandy co-founded and where she used to serve as Vice President. HOM is an organization that offers an alterna-tive and innovative model of volunteer service with almost 45 partner-organi-zations performing volunteer programs in the areas of health and nutrition, sports and recreation, the differently-abled, the elderly, among others.

“My biggest achievement so far is being able to go through the challenges and pressure without taking the easy way out,” she mused. How the Inquirer managed to stay on top and keep their readership base strong (with a current daily circulation of 260,000) despite numerous obstacles is a testament of her persistence, strong leadership and her dedicated team. One of these notable obstacles was the advertising boycott in 1999, where, during the administration of former President Joseph Estrada, the former President accused the Inquirer of bias, malice and fabrication against him and resulted to the pull-out of advertisements of several government organizations, pro-Estrada businesses, and movie produc-ers. The boycott lasted for five months, a move that the late Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot criticized as a means to curb the freedom of the press.

Sandy credits her experiences in AIM in helping her deal with the pres-sures and challenges of her job. “There are many things outside the classroom

teaching of AIM that helped me to some extent. The discipline to pore through numerous cases, having a keen eye, perseverance, and having an inquisi-tive mind that is open to the fact that I may not be the best student but I can definitely learn from my classmates, helped me in overcoming some of the challenges.” She cited one instance where her perseverance was tested, when out of sheer exhaustion and lack of sleep, she accidentally deleted her ten-page paper that was due for a meet-ing with Prof. Ed Morato in three hours. She shared that mustering the energy and willpower to start all over again tested her persistence.

She went on to summarize some significant lessons she learned after going through difficulties in her career. “In the process of trying to overcome the obstacles, I learned that it was important to know what my strengths are, and at the same time, it is equally important to have someone in my team whom I can collaborate with to address areas where I am weak. No matter how challenging, it is also important to establish camaraderie in the group, make sure that as a leader, I keep an open mind, because if I insist on my own idea, I do not capitalize on my team’s talents. This is where the value of shared leadership comes in. It is knowing and respecting the different roles that people have in the institution, and empowering them to do things. I re-alized that one must be open to change. As a leader, one should be aware if he or she is the stumbling block to change. It gives a good perspective to know what to do to encourage and empower your people to make the change.

“In my opinion, a good leader is someone who has a clear vision and does what it takes to make sure that is it a shared vision and inspires the team to go closer to that vision. As for my personal leadership style, I try to improve on empowering the other lead-ers in the group, and spending more time with them in being able to craft a road map that is clear. I want to be there for them to go through issues and concerns. I want to make sure that they are empowered to make the decisions for themselves, and let them know that I stand behind them 100%.”

When asked who her model leader is, Sandy smiles. “My mother, Marixi Rufino-Prieto, is my ideal leader. I like the way she managed the team in a sense that as a person she’s very inspiring. She does not ask someone to do something she’s not willing to do. From my mom, I learned that hard work is everything. She is always prepared and her discipline is something I want to emulate. She always said that if you want things you have to work hard at it. But on the other hand, she also taught

>> “Defining Moments” continued from page 47

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me to have a sense of balance. Life is not all about work. Another thing I ad-mire about her is her calming presence. If your team is pressured, you want her to be on your team! Her philosophy is things happen for a reason. If you lose a deal, there is a better deal around the corner. She’s very positive. Because I hear good things about their manage-ment styles, I have to say that Ayala Corporation’s Chairman Emeritus, Jaime Zobel de Ayala and Metro Pacific Invest-ments Chairman Manuel Pangilinan are ideal leaders too.

“Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, Inquirer’s Editor-in-Chief, taught me to not take myself seriously. Letty and my mom are two women who epitomize humility, and always remind me of the importance of staying humble and grounded. For what both of them achieved, they do not brag about any of it,” she shared.

She was elated when she found out that she was one of the five out-standing alumni who would receive the AIM Alumni Achievement Award or the Triple A. She was pleasantly surprised to find out that the other Triple A Awardees are from across disciplines. “It was an honor for me to be chosen as one of the Triple A Awardees. In hindsight, the Award serves as a testimony of how good AIM is, because someone from MDM thrives in a different discipline apart from the development field, and got recognized for that.

“I want to be known as a leader who brings out the best in the team. For the Inquirer, I want to leave a legacy of being a trusted brand, one that is constantly being where our audience is. I would like it to be a respected brand that enables the Filipino, giving them credible news and information so that the public is able to make sound decisions, to grow, get inspired and be entertained.

“My mom and my dad, Alejandro Prieto, are my role models. They are very supportive and inspiring. They don’t force us to do things. They are very progres-sive in their thinking. I am lucky to have a good team both in my professional and family life. I have a husband who is progressive and understanding, who willingly goes to my son’s recital when I cannot make it. He is not the type who stereotypes ‘wife’ and ‘husband’ roles. If I have shared leadership at the office, I have shared parenting at home!” she animatedly shared. Whenever she has time, she plays golf or badminton or goes swimming, and watches movies with her family and spends time with her kids.

Through the course of her career, several entities have recognized her achievements and have given her citations on her business accomplish-ments and her passionate advocacies. Aside from the Triple A Award, she was one of the Ten Outstanding Women in

the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) for media and print journalism in 2007, and was selected as one of the Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum in 2006. She was also selected as one of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Awardees for Public Service in Print Me-dia and Advocacy in 2001. In 1999, the Filipino-Chinese Federation of Business and Professional Women of the Philip-pines honoured her as the Best Woman Achiever in Business.

When asked if there was anything else she would like to accomplish, she has this to say: “Of course there is still so much more I hope to get done to help in the area of poverty alleviation. I want to be able to do more with the foundations where I am involved, have the opportunity to partner with more NGOs that have livelihood programs, and bring to the market their goods. With the Inquirer there is also so much more to achieve in terms of growing the different markets they are in. As a mom, I want to make sure that my kids are sensitive to others and that I bring out the best in them.”

For those who are starting their careers in management positions, she offers some words of advice. “Be patient with the process. Be willing to put in the work and the time. Discover and nurture your passions. Even if you find yourself being disappointed or being forced to do certain tasks, try to find something you enjoy.”

“We the AIM Alumni have to be involved in our school. We need to connect and give our feedback, share best practices, and as our involvement gets deeper, we should give feedback on how to help make our school stay relevant. As this channel evolves, we should be able to take part in helping others pursue the same education we received, through getting involved in fundraising for scholarships. There are many people who want to study in AIM but do not have the means to do so. Incidentally, the network, specifically the Triple A network, can help bring this about,” she declared.

In everything she does, Sandy lives by the credo that she learned at the Assumption. “Allow the good to break through the rock that imprisons it and bring it to the light where it can blossom and shed its radiance.” “If I get to help a lot of people along the way, I know I have lived a good life,” she closes.

One only has to look at Sandy’s defining moments to see how her light shines and brings about positive and progressive change. Indeed, this won-der woman with many hats, who leads with her heart of gold and manages her various endeavours with a keen eye and sensible mind, gives a new definition to being a Development Manager, one that her Alma Mater is always proud of.


Gov. Salceda has been a member of the Philippine Delegation to the Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since 2007. He is currently an Advisor to the UNFCCC Tran-sitional Committee of the Green Climate Fund. In recognition of his outstanding communication strategies on climate change adaptation, he was the recipient of the 2011 “Communication Excellence in Organizations” (CEO) Excel Award by the International Association of Busi-ness Communicators (IABC) Philippines. He was similarly bestowed the Fr. Neri Satur Award for Environmental Heroism for his espousal of green economics in local governance in 2011. Gov. Salceda was also appointed as International Advisor to the Incheon Metropolitan Authority, South Korea. He is Incheon’s International Advisor until 2013.

Gov. Salceda also focused on the development of several programs to create opportunities for value-creation and employment for Albay’s residents. He developed and harnessed the poten-tial of small and medium (SMEs) and mi-cro-cottage enterprises in the province. His projects include Culinaria Albay, a campaign to draw tourists into the prov-ince byfeaturing the best places to dine and partake of Albayanon cuisine, as well as showcasing the best hotels, re-sorts and night bars in the province. The Culinaria Albay campaign also includes activities, like Fiesta Culinaria 2011. There are plans of conducting a cooking competition Iron Chef style, implement-ing a culinary tour for national media/bloggers, holding a Food Trade Expo, a Carenderia Congress and developing a coffee table book of Albay cuisine. The Albay Sweet Potato Project, a response to the effects of climate change through diversifying areas and sources of food production, distributed 250,000 pieces of sweet potato (camote) cuttings to five system sites in Bantayan in Tabaco City and Binogsacan in the Municipality of Guinobatan, and Paulog in Ligao City. The provincial government trained and organized farmers to optimize produc-tion of camote per hectare. Gov. Salceda has involved the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in this initiative, which is now formalized by the 3-year Albay/PCAARRD-DOST Project on sweet potato. The promotion of the production and use of abaca silk (pinukpok) was also a priority for the governor. He introduced a program to help increase the demands for the declining abaca industry in Albay. A fashion show was held to showcase garments using pinukpok. To support the program, Gov. Salceda issued a memo to all govern-ment officials and employees of Albay

to use pinukpok fabric in their uniforms and official functions.

Aside from the promotion of sev-eral local industries and development of employment opportunities through the enrichment of local produce, Governor Salceda has also implemented pro-grams to help fight poverty in Albay. The Nutrition Package Program, currently being implementedin the island of Batan is a project that provides healthcare benefits and nutrition monitoring for 450 children. The program includes medical check-ups, provision of medi-cines to children aged 0-5 years. The CRABS++ Program is a series of poverty alleviation programs for the eastern coastal areas of Albay. It targets seven barangays in Batan Islands Rapu-Rapu with the objective of transforming communities into vibrant economic areas. The Micro-Financing Program is a micro-lending program that provides financial assistance to 289 farm clus-ters in Albayand has distributed PhP37 million to assist residents of farm clusters whoare involved withvarious livelihood enterprises. The Program for Hunger Mitigation is being implemented in Albay’s resettlement sites: Kenny Vil-lage, Guinobatan, Albay and San Andres, Sto. Domingo. More than 100 families (per site) are provided with 2 hens and a rooster as a starter package and in eight months, they are expected to pay back the same number of chickens for the next line of beneficiaries.

For his exemplary performance and achievements in his chosen field of endeavor, Gov. Joey Saceda was awarded the most prestigious recogni-tion given by AIM to its alumni, the AIM Alumni Achievement Award or the Triple A last February 23, 2012.

Gov. Salceda credits his experience in working with teams as key to his suc-cess. “Working in a team, the first and only regular group I ever worked with in my entire student life, crystallized much of the knowledge that I learned from AIM. As a group, we were able to extend what we learned from the class-room further. Knowledge is acquired as well as employed as a team, and until now, I still use that in real-life situa-tions,” he explained. “Reading through a lot of cases, he explaines.

“Reading through a lot of cases, thousands, in my opinion, meant there was no room for mistakes. It ensured that we were trained to look at things in a doctrinally non-ideological way. It meant looking at things as problems with solutions. The top concepts that I would never forget, and I find to be useful until now, are Brand Franchise and Distinctive Comparative Advantage. AIM enables a student to be rigorously consensual. I credit all my success to my stint at AIM. I am a proud graduate of AIM,” he finishes.

>> “Winning Strategies...” cont. from page 59

ONE OF THE MOST ASKED questions when we catch up with someone via social networks or email or mobile is: “When are we going to see each other again?” For Cohort 6’s first reunion, we agreed to set it on August to mark the 2nd anniversary since we first walked the halls of AIM. Although it’s been 8 months since we graduated, it’s never too early to reconnect with your friends from business school.

The three of us (Katrina Adonay, Burns Puzon and Patrick Bitanga) made arrangements for dinner and the Alumni Relations Office was so generous to sponsor the venue and the sound system—also known as the ubiquitous videoke machine. As the clock hit 7pm, Cohort 6ers started arriving one by one and some brought their significant other. Our Program Associate, Anna Dela Cruz, was able to join the festivities on behalf of the

WSGSB team. Burns and Firstie Tampo took center stage to entertain everyone with songs that span three decades. With some nudging from peers and a little boost from alcohol intake, fellow classmates decided to do the belting.

Not only was the event a night of eating, drinking and singing, it was also a night of storytelling. Some of us have not seen each other since graduation in December, so it was natural that we updated each other on what we have been up to. We also welcomed back Gaurav Shivahare and Siddharth Lal who are now based here in the Philippines. We even got the chance to

meet an incoming MBA student (Cohort 8), who received a barrage of tips from us on how to survive the program.

Calling all Cohort 6’ers: Talks of a grand reunion in 2016 (or 2021) are already in place, to celebrate the 5th (or 10th) anniversary of our graduation. We are thinking of holding it in Singapore, the most strategic location for most of the batchmates. By then, we are pretty sure everyone will want to relive the unforgettable 16 months together—even just for one evening!

N E W S I N S I G H T S C O V E R S T O R Y G I V I N G S P O T L I G H T S H O W C A S E class no tes

Zhang Lanying, MDM 1998 and Jack Niu, MM 1998 visited Zuo Xiao Lei (MDM professor) at her office in Beijing and also had an alumni gathering with Natalie Lau (MM 1999) and Colin Wang (MM 1999) last May 7, 2012.

The group plans to align with China’s overseas scholar’s association

with seven alumni expressing interest in joining. The Alumni Association Beijing chapter will continue to help AIM identify and recommend candidates for scholarships, and will continue to present the benefits of having an AIM education, such as what they organized with the Peking University.

After 16 years, the Master in Development Management (MDM) Class of 1996 in coordination with the Alumni Relations Office and Center for Develop-ment Management (CDM) had a reunion on August 25, 2012 at the AIM campus. The occasion was graced by the AIM faculty namely, CDM Associate Dean Mike Luz, Prof. Benjie Bagadion, Prof. Tommy Lopez, Prof. Poch Macaranas, and Prof. Pat Lontoc. Members of the International Movement of Development Managers (IMDM) also attended the event. The class reminisced the case method experience by having class updating and enrichment session facilitated by Prof. Marie Lisa Dacanay, MDM’96, at their old classroom, the First Philippine Holdings caseroom.

Zhang Lanying, Zuo Xiao Lei and Jack Niu

Alumni Reunion in Beijing

by Katrina Adonay, Burns Puzon Pictures courtesy of Enrique Martinez

MDM 1996 Class Reunion

Zhang Lanying, Natalie Lau, Jack Niu and Colin Wang

Back in Business (School): The Cohort 6 Mini-Reunion

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