9TH AmCham BOP Day 3: Learning first-hand

9th AmCham BOP Day 3:

Learning first-hand

by Aldwin Chester Yap Dumago, AmCham BOP 8 Alumnus

Everyone was excited for the first round of company visits of the 9^th AmCham BOP. They had breakfast together with Mr. Rick Santos, President and CEO of CB Richard Ellis, at the AmCham Hall on Monday morning.

Mr. Santos focused his talk on leadership. He posed the question to the delegates, “If time and money were no object and success were guaranteed, what would you do?” and asked them to write their answers on a sheet of paper. He asked the delegates to send him an email of their answers to the question. The best answer will be recognized during the Awards Night and the winner will receive a mobile phone.

He continued to expound on his topic by citing famous leaders like Efren Penaflorida, Warren Buffett, Tony Meloto, Manny Pangilinan, Henry Sy, Jack Welch, Walt Disney, and Mahatma Gandhi. He also showed a video clip from the movie “Remember the Titans.”

“Be ready to change and adapt to the international world. If you want to be successful going forward, you look back to the piece of paper you’ve written on this morning,” he said. Apart from sharing other leaders’ success stories, he was also very generous to share to the delegates his personal story.

He then talked about the positive outlook of the Philippines under the administration of President Aquino. He cited the boost in investor’s confidence and financial health of the country. “Now is the best time for the Philippines; now is your best time to shine as leaders,” he said.

The delegates were all excited for their first company visit—Mead Johnson Nutrition at its headquarters in Makati City. The group was warmly welcomed by Mr. Paul Richards, MJN Country Manager, and his management team. He presented the history of Mead Johnson Nutrition worldwide as well as its local unit which has been in existence for more than 60 years. MJN Philippines is the fourth largest MJN subsidiary around the world and the second in Asia.

The delegates became more interested when Mr. Richards explained the different MJN products and how they are being marketed commercially. He said MJN’s strength is on strategy. “Marketing has no science; it’s all about creating a demand for your product and getting them to buy it,” Mr. Richards shared to the delegates.

He discussed the career opportunities in MJN. While they do not recruit new graduates, he was quick to add that MJN will be very happy to get BOP alumni after they get sufficient work experience from other companies. He also gave an unsolicited advice to the delegates, “Leap frog while early than to move from one company to another after 20 years.”

Lastly, he reminded the students of the significance of having a long-term goal but living life one day at a time. “Don’t sacrifice your health, your peace of mind, your friendship, your relationship, your family; you may be missing out on life trying to achieve your goal.”

The delegates were given a tour of its state- of- the- art facility. There, they were able to see first-hand how the milk products are placed in foil packs, then into cartons and, finally, into the boxes which are ready for warehousing and distribution. The fully-automated process made the delegates understand how an assembly line format of manufacturing works.

A buffet lunch was hosted by MJN. The executives sat down with the delegates to entertain their questions. The delegates wasted no time asking as many questions about product development, marketing strategies, company outlook, people management, and the whereabouts of the iconic Susi and Geno mascots of Sustagen, one of MJN’s premium brands.

The next stop for the delegates was Chevron Holdings at RCBC Plaza in Makati City. They were welcomed by Mark Quebral, Regional Manager for Human Resources, and Chevron employees to its training room. The topic on fuel and energy picked the interests of the delegates in view of the rising oil prices and looming power crisis. “It’s getting harder and harder to look for petroleum; oil in the Philippines is scarce,” Mr. Quebral said.

Chevron’s corporate strategy of enabling people has become an effective tool in achieving the companywide mission. “To ensure we have the right people with the right capacities at the right time, we create a world-class, high- performing, diverse global workforce, develop and manage our talent to ensure we have the organizational capacity to execute our strategies,” he explained.

Mr. Quebral took time to explain the Chevron Malampaya Asset, the biggest investment in the Philippines to date, and Chevron’s geothermal plants in Tiwi, Albay and Makban, Batangas. Chevron is the world’s leading developer of geothermal energy and the Philippines is the second largest producer of geothermal energy in the world after the US.

In Chevron, everyone puts a premium on safety according to Mr. Quebral. To prove the point, he presented a video on the companywide effort to ensure the safety of all its employees and stakeholders.

Tom Miclat (BOP 2 alumnus) and Jonalyn Andal (BOP 7 alumna), now Chevron employees, were present throughout the presentation. Ms. Andal shared her work experience on her six months of working with Chevron.

By 400pm, the delegates were back at the AmCham Hall to take the Test of English for International Communications (TOEIC) by John Hopkins International. The two- hour examination tested the listening and reading skills of the delegates. Results of the test are to be released and special citations will be given to the top scorers during the Awards Night on Saturday.

Shortly after the test, they had a forum on business integrity and corporate values by Ms. Grace Sorongon, Vice President of John Clements Consultants, and Mr. Richard McGonegal, President and Managing Director of RCG Information Technology Philippines. One delegate asked about the ethical parameters for employees who communicate thru social networking sites while another one asked about cases of employees sharing confidential information to people outside of the company.

Afterwhich, the delegates had their case mentoring with Mr. Tully Moss, a well-known educator of Harvard Business School programs and consultant to several multinational companies, and Ms. Carol Dominguez, President and CEO of John Clements Consultants. Both helped the groups work on their business plans.

9th AmCham BOP Day 2: Making sense of the case

9th AmCham BOP Day 2:

Making sense of the case

By Aldwin Chester Yap Dumago, AmCham BOP 8 Alumnus

It was a relatively “free and easy” day for the 32 delegates of 9th AmCham BOP since they did not have any activity until lunch time. In preparation for the case mentoring session later that day, everyone reread the case while having late breakfast at McDonalds.

Ms. Grace Alcid, a training expert of Harvard Business School case studies by John Clements Consultants, brought with her a variety of hair and skin care products by Splash Corporation and distributed them to the five groups to help them have a better grasp of the case study.

Right after lunch, Ms. Alcid immediately engaged the groups into a fruitful discussion. Together, they identified the challenges of Splash Corporation based on the scenario written on the case. Reading the case one day ahead gave the delegates an advantage because it became easier for them to process the case study. The session, which lasted for about four hours, greatly helped the delegates understand the objectives of the case.

The delegates went on working on the case until late night with just a short break for dinner. The delegates look forward to the company visits beginning Monday until Friday, saying that insights from the company executives might give them fresh ideas that can be of help as they work on their case.

9th AmCham BOP gathers the best business students

9^th AmCham BOP gathers the best business students

By Aldwin Chester Yap Dumago, AmCham BOP 8 Alumnus

It’s the time of the year when “the best meets the best” in Manila for the annual American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Business Orientation Program for Aspiring Business Leaders. A total of 32 undergraduate students from 25 universities and colleges all over the country were selected to be part of the weeklong program consisting of company visits, talks and a case study.

Now on its 9^th year, AmCham BOP offers well-qualified Filipino college students the rare opportunity to gain a new understanding of the global business and economic issues through a variety of activities that are geared towards preparing the future business leaders for the real- life business environment.

Of the 145 applicants for the program, only 32 of them passed the procedure which comprises written and online examinations plus phone and panel interviews. This year’s delegates come from Ateneo de Manila University, Ateneo de Davao University, Ateneo de Naga University, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Xavier University- Ateneo de Cagayan, University of the Philippines- Diliman, University of the Philippines- Cebu, De La Salle University- Manila, Enderun Colleges, Far Eastern University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, St. Paul University- Quezon City, San Beda College, University of Asia and the Pacific, University of the East, Holy Angels University, University of Baguio, University of the Cordilleras, Silliman University, University of San Jose Recolectos, and Mindanao State University- Marawi City.

Delegates who flew in from Davao and Cebu were the first to arrive at the AmCham Hall for the welcome lunch. Shortly before 1200 noon, all the delegates have arrived and the sumptuous lunch was served.

Ms. Leslie Ann Murray, 9^th AmCham BOP Chair, officially welcomed the delegates while Mr. Jeffrey Woodruff, AmCham Executive Director, gave an overview and history of AmCham Philippines. Mr. Robert Sears, AmCham Director, explained to the delegates what they should expect and do during the program.

Mr. Demetrio ‘Jun’ Salipsip, Director of AmCham Foundation, immediately engaged the delegates on how to go about the case study presentation which is one of the highlights of the program. The Splash Corporation case given to the students was from Nanyang Technological University of Singapore. Mr. Christopher Stolk, SEA Change Philippines’ Senior Director of Engineering, then facilitated the groupings of the delegates for the case study. The students had one hour to read the case and do a preliminary discussion before they checked in at AIM Conference Center, the official residence for this year’s delegates.

Shortly before 600pm, the delegates boarded the bus en route to South Forbes Park for the cocktail reception hosted by Ms. Leslie Bassett, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the United States of America, at her residence in South Forbes Park, Makati City.

All the delegates, BOP alumni, AmCham members, BOP sponsors and partners, US Embassy officials and guests enjoyed the gastronomic showcase.

AmCham President Austen Chamberlain and Mr. Woodruff each gave their message to the students and sponsors. Meanwhile, Mr. Paul Richards, Mead Johnson Nutrition’s President and CEO, spoke on behalf of the sponsors of the program. He expressed his excitement towards meeting the delegates again during the visit and plant tour at Mead Johnson Nutrition’s headquarters in Makati City.

The 32 students were asked to go in front to introduce themselves to the crowd. Mr. Woodruff then gave the BOP delegates 10 minutes to interact with the AmCham members and sponsors. Immediately, the students dispersed and approached every sponsor and member around. On the other hand, the BOP alumni gathered around recalling their own experiences.

The cocktail reception ended with the traditional picture-taking session. The delegates thanked Ms. Bassett from graciously hosting them at her residence.

As early as the Day One, the delegates already showed their commitment and diligence in doing their case study. Upon arrival at the AIM Hotel, the five groups immediately convened to further discuss their strategies before they go for a more intensive case study and mentoring session on Sunday.

The BOP Daily Activity Post

April 19, Monday

8:00 AM

Smartly clad in corporate attire, the 30 students began the first day of the BOP bright and early with breakfast and opening remarks by Ms. Carol Dominguez, BOP Committee Chairman, while Mr. Rob Sears, Executive Director of AmCham, gave an overview of the Chamber.

After breakfast, Mr. Rick Santos, President of CBRE dropped
by the AmCham Hall to give the students a talk on leadership.
Early on in his speech, Mr. Santos asked them a soul-searching question: “If time and money were no object and success were guaranteed, what would you do?” He went on to give the students an overview on the definition of being a good leader, several of which consisted of the following qualities and insights:

- Leaders know their mission statement, core values, big goals.
- Never, ever give up. There are no shortcuts to success. Persistence and hard work are omnipresent.
- Leaders thrive on competition, and win. It is a lot like coaching in sports.
- Leadership is lonely at the top, but it’s crowded at the bottom.
- Leadership is a mosaic of talents, a result of experience.
- Leaders make good choices, based on personal core values. Make a choice, make a difference.
- Being in charge means making decisions, no matter how unpleasant.
- People will respect a leader who holds them to a high standard and pushes them to the limit—as long as they see the worthwhile objective.
- A leader owns up to mistakes early. Doing the wrong thing will eventually catch up with you.
- Enthusiasm is a ‘force-multiplier’. Be positive, exude confidence. Compartmentalize emotions.
- Don’t be often swayed by ‘elitists’ or so-called experts. Trust your instincts. Judgment through experience is priceless.
- Make an example of your personal life outside the office.
- In a leader, look for intelligence, loyalty, integrity, passion, a balanced ego… and heart.
- Make sure your team is prepared.
- People want the title, the promotion, not the hard work behind it. Leaders step up and take responsibility.
- Leaders show up!
- Leaders are the brand.
- Managers muddle—leaders inspire.

Mr. Santos also encouraged the students to find mentors, and to remember the ones they already have in their lives, since they did not get into the BOP on their own. In conclusion, he revealed the answer to the question at the beginning of the hour: “Be the change you want to make.”




10:00 AM

The students hopped off the bus and ventured into the Citibank Tower along Paseo de Roxas for their first company visit of the week, where Citibank executives such as Ms. Lillibeth Fajardo and Mr. J. Antonio Itchon spent the next two hours giving the students a look-see of Citi’s operations, structure and organization, as well as encouraging them to validate their own career choices and determine if the banking industry is what they want to be a part of.

Citibank is one of the pioneer sponsors of the BOP, having supported the program for the past eight years. The company is celebrating 108 years in the Philippines and is unmatched in global presence, or global footprint.

The students listened attentively and asked questions on Islamic banking for Muslim sectors in the Philippines, managing risks, maintaining trust and confidence of clients, lessons learned in the financial crisis, as well as inquiries on career advancement and performance appraisal measures.

The visit was wrapped up with a photo op on the 34/F balcony with a breathtaking view of Makati City, and lunch with the Citi executives.



1:30 PM



Next stop was at 6750 Bldg along Ayala Ave. for the Chevron visit. The students took pictures of the old gas tank at the reception area before filing into the conference room to join Mr. Mark Quebral, the company’s Policy, Government and Public Affairs Manager, and other Chevron officers, who presented them with an eye-opening discussion about the status of the oil industry in the Philippines, new demand for energy in Asia, building biothermal energy and the downside of it, and Chevron’s stand on biofuel.



Engaged in the presentation, the students asked questions on possible sources of renewable energy in the Philippines, building organizational capability, nuclear energy, striking a balance between energy production and protection of the environment, dealing with critical organizations who are staunch advocates of the traditional sources of energy, and cartelization.

Like Citibank, Chevron (Caltex) is also one of the BOP pioneer supporters in the program's entire 8 year-run. The company has been in the Philippines for the past 90 years.


3:45 PM

The group trooped back to the AmCham office where representatives from Hopkins International were waiting to conduct the TOEIC exam, a three-hour test in English proficiency skills.

Tonight, Atty. Lagera will be hosting dinner at the AmCham Hall for the students. The students will conclude today’s activities by working on their case study, before rising tomorrow at the break of dawn for their field trip to Clark, Pampanga.

-Marge F. Friginal
Official BOP Writer

AmCham Kicks Off the 2010 Business Orientation Program (BOP)

The pre-program cocktail reception for the 8th AmCham Business Orientation Program (BOP) was graciously hosted by Ms. Leslie Bassett, Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy, at her residence in Forbes Park, Makati City last April 17, 2010.

Held at the poolside with a Hawaiian theme on a balmy summer night, the informal event was well-attended by company sponsors, US Embassy personnel, the 2010 BOP participants, BOP alumni and the 2010 BOP committee, headed by Carol Dominguez, President of John Clements Consultants.

Newly-appointed US Ambassador, Mr. Harry Thomas,
also graced the event, amiably mingling with the students.






Christopher Stolk, BOP committee member and Sr. Director of Sea Change Philippines, started off the evening by welcoming the attendees and thanking the participants and sponsors for the support of this year’s BOP. Ms. Leslie Bassett, DCM, gave the welcome remarks, speaking about the US Embassy’s appreciation of the purpose of the BOP, which is to develop tomorrow’s leaders through exposure to the contributions of American multinational businesses to the country’s development.

The keynote address, entitled “What the Future Holds for Young Leaders”, was delivered by Ms. Victoria Woo of Harvard Business Publishing. Ms. Woo congratulated the students for completing the Everest Simulation, a leadership skill exercise held at the New World Renaissance Hotel earlier that day. “The simulation you just experienced is a metaphor to life—compressed into just four hours,” she said. The program is designed to highlight the importance of communication, resourcefulness, teamwork, creativeness, analyzing situations, working with people toward a collective goal, and being a leader.

The winners of the Everest Simulation, namely Mariel Alfonso (DLSU), Marilie Sablan (Miriam College), Ivan Lim (DLSU), Niño Paz (UP Diliman) and Fritz Baum (CEU), were awarded by Ms. Woo and the 2010 BOP committee.



Several BOP alumni from different batches went on to share their own experiences and lessons about the program with the 2010 students, while Mr. Paul Richards, President of Mead Johnson Nutritionals and BOP Company Gold Partner, congratulated the students and expressed his enthusiasm at their upcoming company visit to Mead Johnson.

Amb. Harry Thomas also provided a few words of inspiration to the students, saying, “If we want to make the Philippines one of the Asian Tigers, it should start with you, young men and women.”

Ms. Carol Dominguez, 2010 BOP Committee Chairman, concluded the program by acknowledging past BOP Chairmen such as Bill Pfluger and Dave Morin, whose efforts helped the program grow and evolve through the years. As the newest chair, she is optimistic that the BOP will continue to improve and become successful under her tutelage. Ms. Dominguez capped off the evening by thanking everyone for attending the event and supporting the 2010 BOP.


-Marge F. Friginal
Official BOP Writer