Taking advantage of opportunities in an integrated Asean region
The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), in partnership with BusinessWorld and Healthway Medical, will hold its 12th MAP International CEO Conference 2014 this coming Sept. 9, Tuesday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Rizal Ballroom of the Makati Shangri-La.
The conference’s theme reflects the top-of-the-mind issue today: “The integration momentum: Waves of change, oceans of opportunity.”
As an organization dedicated to excellence in management, MAP is taking the lead in informing business leaders about matters that can impact their respective industries. The Asean Economic Community (AEC), the integration pillar that addresses regional economic transformation initiatives, is one such development that enterprises must prepare for. The timeline for the AEC integration was set at 2015 by the member-countries.
Three-year program
To provide information that can assist organizations in this potentially game-changing development, MAP started in 2013 the first phase of a three-year program to bring awareness about the AEC to help companies and business leaders get ready for the exciting times ahead. Last year, MAP undertook the AEC Exchange to answer the frequently asked questions about the integration.
For 2014, MAP leveled-up the initiative, moving from awareness to providing inputs that can enhance capacities and capabilities to be a regional market player through its AEC-engaged learning series. To cap off this program, MAP’s 2015 series will be geared toward making businesses AEC-empowered. As the 10-member states of the Asean region ramp up for greater integration by year 2016, the challenge of taking advantage of opportunities will largely depend on how well companies can shore up their competitiveness to survive and thrive in the open seas.
An integral part of these learning programs that MAP, through its various committees and linkages, continues to undertake include the MAP International CEO Conference 2014. This is an annual go-to event for executives and management professionals that had built its reputation as an excellent forum for discussions of business concerns and future trends. More importantly, it will also provide a chance for interactive discussions and networking opportunities with colleagues across industries.
The waves of change
The conference was structured as more cohesive, compact sessions that will focus on presentations revolving around a sub-themes. The morning sessions will focus on “the waves of change.” It will go beyond the usual discussions to provide deeper perspectives on how Asean will be as a business environment. The benefits gained as a result of expanded trade activities with dialogue partners are expected to cascade to the 10-member states and enable inclusive growth in their respective countries. It took 50 years for Asean to get to this point and the slow steps are bringing the attainment of the vision of one community closer. The road to integration was arduous and the challenges are far from over, but going back is no longer an option. The region has come this far and the resolve is to make it work so that those past efforts will not be wasted. The issues will be framed, thus: “Asean in a relationship, but it’s complicated.”
The morning session will first tackle the subject of preparedness. Arin Jira (Thailand), chair of Map ta Phud Industrial Gas Co. Ltd., vice chair of the Federation of Thai Industries and chair of the Asean Business Advisory Council-Thailand will talk about “Gearing-up for the primetime: Can the ship set sail?” He will examine the status of some important dimensions, particularly in the areas of trade, investment and industrial development. With a bigger role that businesses are supposed to play in ensuring competitiveness, he will provide insights on how public-private partnerships can be enhanced.
One of the major advantages that the integration is working hard to achieve is the dismantling of trade barriers with the region. Bob Fletcher (Singapore), leader of Southeast Asia for Asia-Pacific customs and global trade practice of Deloitte, will highlight the AEC implementation progress and the impact on businesses trading inter- and intra-Asean through his presentation on “Customizing under the AEC: Surmounting the barriers.” He will explore whether there has been progress made in the critical areas, such as transparency of customs rules and regulations, consistency and diverse application of customs rules and requirements, harmonization and standardization of non-tariff barriers, and mechanisms for arbitration and dispute resolution for businesses to raise at the customs level.
“Building SMEs and working within Asean” will be highlighted in the talk to be delivered by Malaysia-based Dato Ramesh Kodammal, managing director of Goldtex Exim Sdn. Bhd. and a member of the Asean Business Advisory Council-Malaysia. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) make up about 97 percent of businesses in the Asean region and SMEs working forward will be the future of Asean business in this region with a growing population. In this session, he will answer pressing questions, such as, where will SMEs start? How will they take advantage of this expanded playing field? What role should big business play in helping enable SMEs for the more competitive AEC environment?
Oceans of opportunities
The afternoon sessions will be about “oceans of opportunities.” The new order of things will change the rules of the game. It cannot be business as usual. There is a critical need to think strategically about organizational directions, evaluate internal capabilities and determine what competencies need to be developed, redirected or reconstructed to survive and thrive. Innovation and creativity will be two of the most differentiating characteristics to continue being relevant in the changed marketplace as integration pace accelerates. In other words, it will be business unusual—and about “reconstructing the competencies.”
Dr. Evan Sinar (USA), chief scientist and director of the Center for Analytics and Behavioral Research (Caber) and author of the Global Leadership Forecast of Development Dimensions International Inc. (DDI), will present the “Global Leadership Forecast”. He will provide insights into burning questions, such as: What is the current state of the leadership landscape, and how has it changed over the past three years? What’s the state—and the impact—of gender diversity in the leadership ranks? What are the strongest drivers of high-potential program effectiveness? How well has the human resources sector incorporated analytics into talent management to generate credible answers to key business questions? How do talent management practices impact an organization’s financial performance?
The next session will tackle “redesigning organizations for innovation” with Gil Genio, COO for business and international markets and chief strategy officer of Globe Telecom Inc. He will talk about the need for businesses to move the organizations from execution of operation to building innovation into its core mandate. The big shift to the cloud, the insatiable thirst for information and the active social networks changed the paradigm for suppliers of technologies and services, for products and goods. How will feeding this digital ecosystem with creative ideas and strategies redefine the leadership competencies? How should business models for telecommunications, media and technology be transformed to deliver seamless service?
Outperforming the competition
“Analytics, innovation, technology and digital connection as key AEC enablers” will be discussed by Singapore-based Tim Phillipps, global leader of Deloitte Analytics and Deloitte Forensic. Businesses and governments across the globe are seeking to outperform the competition economically and strategically. One of the key enablers of this ability to out-compete is reflected in an emerging trend toward the convergence of analytics, digital connectivity, technology and innovation capabilities. On their own, they each represent a future challenge—but merged together, they present an entirely new paradigm. It will be impossible to ignore the demands of this digital mash-up where the near-future is data-driven, analytically-enabled, digitally-connected and subjected to endless innovation and reinvention. The question is: Can business leaders keep pace with the demand?
The conference will cap the day’s presentations by going back to the basics: MAP’s advocacy for inclusive growth. The participants will end their day with a presentation that can provoke reflection on the social responsibility. “Social innovation and the business in doing good” will be presented by US-based Karyn Caplan, chief development officer of Innovation: Africa. Innovation: Africa is a non-profit organization that brings Israeli innovation to African villages. Founded in 2008, it has provided light, clean water, food and proper medical care to more than 675,000 people in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo in just six years. Her insights will dwell on the many ways business can engage in social innovation: How it can contribute to a more sustainable system to alleviate poverty and other socio-economic and development challenges; what areas that can benefit from these new business models; how the challenges of funding are addressed; how these initiatives can be transformed into social enterprises; how it will work in developing/Third World countries; and how it can dovetail with the CSR initiatives of companies.
ANC is the broadcast media partner of the conference while the Philippine Daily Inquirer is the print media partner. The live streaming partner is the BiPstream.
Diamond sponsors include SM and BDO, Globe and Franklin Covey/Center for Leadership and Change Inc.
Gold sponsors include Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Ayala Corporation, Deloitte/Navarro Amper & Co., First Philippine Holdings, Hyundai, Meralco, Pharex and Stradcom.
Silver sponsors are DDI, Makati Shangri-La, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, R. G. Manabat & Co. and SGV.
Bronze sponsors include Amalgamated Investment Bancorporation, Asahi, Asian Institute of Management, BPI, First Vita Plus Marketing Corporation, Isla Lipana & Co., Punongbayan & Araullo, Philippine Coffee Board, Reyes Tacandong & Co., RCBC, Shell, The Bellevue Manila and ZMG Ward Howell.
For reservations or inquiries, please visit <www.mapceoconference.ph> or contact MAP via 751-1149 to 52, <[email protected]> or <[email protected]>.
(The author is the Chair of the MAP CEO Conference Committee, Chair of the MAP ASEAN Integration Committee and President and CEO of Health Solutions Corporation. Feedback at <[email protected]> and <[email protected]>. For previous articles, please visit www.map.org.ph)
