Among Giants at Anvil’s Business Summit 2016

A hush stole over the elegant Marriott Grand Ballroom as the invocation led by Anvil Business Summit co-chair Bettina Reyes commenced.

The Anvil Business Summit 2016 is part of a host of celebrations commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Anvil Business Club. For a quarter of a century, the club has dedicated itself to growing and nurturing its ever-expanding list of members, not just in the field of business but also through social and socio-civic activities that help each member thrive both in business and in life.

The theme of this year’s assembly, “Giants Level Up! Extending Your Boundaries” - lessons we can learn from business leaders who have not only greatly expanded their enterprises but ‘Leveled Up!’, and transformed the scale and definitions within their own industries.

The affable luminary Jon Ramon Aboitiz
delivers an enlightening call for leadership.

President Jon Ramon Aboitiz of Aboitiz Equity Ventures was the first one up on the podium, and what a charming presentation he gave on leadership! Quoting from his favourite books, he imparted that being a great leader is about understanding those around you. Moving the focus from yourself, to each vital member of your team assures not only excellent communication between all who are part of it, but serves as a morale boost that reminds each one that their role is important to the success of the business.

Engr. Saavedra enlightens the crowd with
the inspiring success story of Megawide.

Next came Engineer Edgar Saavedra, President and COO of Megawide Construction Corporation. Their success is due in a large part to their investment in innovative technology - importing new machines from Germany and eventually their foray into Precast technology which allowed for fast construction and cost efficiency without sacrificing quality. They took a risk in a novel idea and this made them stand apart from the rest.

The growth and lifespan of a family-run business is parallel to the greatness of those at the helm and CEO of Concepcion-Carrier, Raul Concepcion, stressed the importance of proper succession planning in his presentation. Concepcion-Carrier today spans five decades of leadership, with everyone kept in the loop with regular meetings, and bonding activities with the whole entire family, keeping a family-run business

Everyone says that business is heading digital, and who better to talk about the emerging trend of this technological shift than Anders Bärlund, Managing Partner at McKinsey here in the Philippines. At McKinsey, they analyse the digital potential of a brand by measuring their DQ (Digital Quotient) and shared that not all DQ leaders excel in all aspects - the most important two are Strategy and Organization. Increasing your success as a digital leader means addressing foundational cultural issues in order to keep the number of fundamental problems at a minimum.

The tech luminary Dado Banatao delivers a compelling message on
the need of innovation for the Philippines to have a lasting success.

Finally, it was time for the event’s awaited keynote speaker Dado Banatao, a trailblazing entrepreneur who made it big in the bustling tech companies of Silicon Valley. He started from humble beginnings, but his passion for both software and hardware led him to devote his life to developing semi-conductor technologies - and three start-up companies later (one, Chips and Technologies, which was sold to Intel for $300 million even before the tech boom began) he’s a multi award-winning businessman and the managing partner of Tallwood Venture Capital, a venture firm that invests in semiconductor technology companies. It’s no wonder he’s touted the “Bill Gates of the Philippines”.

His actual speech came without a visual presentation, and he told his story from start to finish. Through a moving video about his early life and a heartfelt narrative that included a call for education. Dado believes that education is the key out of poverty and how we can truly help our country move forward. His foundations The Super Fund, Asia Pacific Fund, and the Salvador and Rosita Banatao Family Foundation give scholarships to promising students believing that, with enough support, they will serve as the foundation that will put the country in the global map.

We truly felt what it was like to be among giants that day. Five different but equally admirable business leaders, who taught us all about what it takes to make it big. Passion, good leadership, innovative thinking, a focus on the fundamentals, and a sincere heart to help others flourish as we ourselves continue to grow.

Congratulations to the Summit Committee and all those who have worked hard to make this event possible, and thank you everyone who attended the event. We look forward to the future endeavours of everyone - the future ‘giants’ of the Philippines.