What CEOs learned from their mothers
By Margie Quimpo-Espino, Tina Arceo-Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:23:00 05/10/2008
Jose L. Cuisia, president Philamlife
FROM MY MOTHER I LEARNED WHAT true love means because I saw with my own eyes the kind of sacrifice she endured to raise eight children with different temperaments. I also learned the virtue of humility because she always gave importance to her husband, choosing to be in the background all the time. Lastly I also learned the virtue of perseverance because she would not give up easily even after suffering several disappointments.
Cecilio K. Pedro, president, Lamoiyan Corp.
Mothers are our inspiration for compassion, love and care. They provide a glimpse of the other side of God. Most importantly they are the most lovable person in our life. My mother was a nurse doing injections for the poor which struck me deeply when I was still growing up as a child. I saw the need to reach out to the poor who sometimes cannot even afford simple injections.
Eric Soriano III, CEO, Belo Medical Group
What my Mom taught me was this powerful phrase that has carried me through the years especially in my corporate life: “Integrity will always be my best friend. And it’s also one of the best friends that my family will ever have.”
When the people around you know that you’re a person of integrity they know that you want to influence them because of the opportunity to add value to their lives. They don’t have to worry about your motives.
Fred Reyes, Godiva Inc.
I learned from my Mom my entrepreneurial spirit. When we, the children were still kids, she took risks in investing in real estate which my Dad thought we cannot afford. Mommy proved later on her investment decisions were right; well, most of them anyway.
Felipe Gozon, president, GMA
I learned to fear and love God and at the same time the teachings of the Bible. To save and to live within your means, to engage in business, to be practical and to use your common sense in everything.
Samie Lim, president, Automatic Centre
My mother is a very simple person and is content to remain in the background. Yet her influence in my life is unmistakably felt. I believe that because of my mother I got involved in advocacies, which aim to benefit the greatest number of people—like franchising and tourism. Though quiet and unassuming, my mother has always been seen as someone who is always ready to help and is always present to those who need her support. This is not only the opinion of us, her immediate family, but even by our relatives and in-laws. Because of this, we consider her the heart of our family. My mother is the glue that keeps our family together. She is also the reason why I started the Mother’s Day Movement in the Philippines.
Lorenzo T. Ocampo, CEO, Pet Plans Inc.
What I learned from my mother is that oftentimes, being gentle and civil is far more effective than being forceful and brusque.
Francis Monera, president, Cebu Holdings Inc.
It pains me to be reminded that I lost my mother before I graduated from high school. But what’s more painful is that Mother’s Day this year falls on the first death anniversary of the mother of my kids. Nevertheless, both were the greatest contributors to what I am now. For one, my late mother, Pilar, shaped my character during the crucial formative years of my life. Being highly religious, she instilled in me a very strong faith in God that allowed me to remain unshaken passing through life’s storms. She always inspired me to aim for excellence, that’s why I was always at the top of the class and finished with highest academic achievements. Hard work, self discipline and the courage to succeed were among the early learning that I acquired from my mother.
Manuel Siggaoat, founder, Manel’s group
My mother always told me that there is no substitute for hard work. Also that there is always a better way. She believed in respecting and listening to others. And most important, always pray for grace and guidance from Divine Providence. And she also probably said this a thousand times: “Son, the most effective formula against poverty is education. It does not matter if I have to go to debt for your tuition.”
Michael Romero, CEO, Harbour Centre
You don’t learn character from business school, you learn it from the people who raised you. So I thank my mom, Lilibeth, for making my character as strong as it is now. Thank you for building my character, Mom. I owe you what I am today.
Gabriel Paredes, CEO, RCPI
Next to loving God and obeying His commandments, my mother fought for truth, justice and opened her house to the poor. The material world was never important to her. Whatever little she had, she shared. From her, I learned as an executive to live by the rules, pay the right taxes and have empathy for employees—that when push comes to shove, employee welfare comes first.
Gregorio T. Yu, chair, CATS Motors Inc.
When we were growing up, we did not have much money. My mom helped my dad in his small business. She took care of the warehouse and dispatching. She woke up at 5 every morning to prepare our baon for school. So I learned the value of hard work and that you should sacrifice everything for the family. As an executive, I have always treated my people as my family and it has worked so far.
Albert MG Garcia, president & CEO, Whealth Inc.
The most significant lesson, but more an insight, is that no matter how old we are we will always be our mother’s children. To witness my then 94-year-old mother, Salvadora Garcia y Garcia, fretting over my 70-year-old brother, a great grandfather in his own right, brought home the depth and timeless love a mother has for her child.
That we are nine siblings makes one admire my mother’s capacity to equally nurture and care for all of us, whilst enduring the trials and tribulations of such a large brood, is a lesson of love.
Virgilio Villar, chair, B. Braun Medical Supplies Inc.
At age 82, Nanay still runs a sari-sari store in Las Piñas. She has to not only to keep her mind busy but also because trading has been her way of life since her almost a lifetime career selling shrimps in Divisoria. It’s where she learned a lot about running businesses and where she accumulated some very important lessons and experiences she shares with us everytime. These can be summarized as follows:
Develop the acumen to identify business opportunities and evaluate each one thoroughly.
Lack of capital should not be an impediment. If the business has potential, lenders will always be available.
Protect your credit reputation. Your business career stops once you neglect your credit obligations.
Learn your craft and focus on satisfying customer needs. Sales and profits will surely follow.
Lastly, once successful, give back to customers and to the society. “Giving back” is the ultimate businessman’s high.
Jose E. B. Antonio, chair Century Properties Group
My mother taught me the values of hard work, thrift and resourcefulness. She always ends with a reminder to never forget to pray.
Conrado Bate, CEO, Citiseconline
My mom worked as treasurer of a school, so at a very early age, she made sure we learned to take responsibility and be trustworthy of the money entrusted to us like when we had to take turns in doing the marketing for the house. So she required us to do a detailed accounting of how the money was spent.
Ian Thackwray, COO, Holcim Philippines
My mother taught me humility and to not forget where you came from.
Evelyn R. Singson, CEO, EBIz
My mother was never a top corporate executive because she ran a small pharmacy and later on a small pawnshop but I have learned many lessons from her life that I emulate in my life and work.
My mother was an excellent motivator. She encouraged all of us to give our best in what we do and the pride and joy she displayed when we achieved inspired us to aspire for more.
My mother was extremely loyal if she knew you did what is good and what is right even if the whole world was against you.
My mother was generous and helpful to those who helped themselves and forgot her good deeds after she has done them. She did not demand reciprocity nor expect gratitude for favors she did for others.
My mother was not judgmental or opinionated. She strived to be fair, listened to all sides and dispensed good counsel.
Above all, my mother was so real, so genuine and you could see her sincerity in the sparkle in her eyes and in the sweetness of her smile.
What a great executive she would have been if she became one.
Richard Ferrer, president, Makati Medical Center
The one enduring lesson from my mom was “Mom knows best”—about their children, their careers, their choice of friends, most especially about choice of life partner. We are a large family of 13, eight girls and five boys. Of relationships she disapproved, the marriage soured or failed even. Mothers are very intuitive. I guess not only because that’s natural for women but more because the baby was part of them physically and spiritually during and even after. My mom knew my favorite dishes and she cooked them everytime I returned home for a vacation. Mom was the practical versus Dad who was the intellectual. Her name was Josefa and all my kids’ names start with J. Mom had the strongest influence over us. Having grown up with a patrician uncle she was a stickler to GMRC (good manners and right conduct), social etiquette, table manners, grooming, household chores.
Katrina Ponce Enrile, CEO, Jaka Group of Companies
I suppose all mothers would teach their children proper decorum, beautiful manners, and politeness. But I think some people learn to do these by rote, or just to oblige. My mother taught me more than just the little niceties—being courteous, thoughtful, and all that—she taught me to really pay attention to people from all walks of life.
With both my parents pretty much in the public eye, I grew up in a house where guests are always welcome. I will watch my parents interact with one another, with our guests, or people who work for our company. So really, it was more the particular knowledge or insight to people that I learned from them—from my mom especially. You could say that from her, I did not really get the super-educated or learned skills that big business puts so much stock on. Schools teach you that.
I learned more of the intuitiveness of my mother—she has an uncanny knack for knowing what works and identifying potential business and investment opportunities that pays off in the long run. In teaching me to value people, she effectively taught me how to recognize which people has the right work ethic and thus is the right fit in our company. In teaching me the niceties and inculcating in me a keen appreciation for detail, she effectively gave me the means to translate ideas and ideals into businesses that works. You could say that my mom’s role in the family and as my educator, so to speak, definitely crossed over to influencing how our company is run, how having it thrive benefits the people who works for us and the quality of life their families enjoy.
Vivian Yuchengco, Philippine Stock Exchange
I learned from my mother Vicencia the values of hard work, integrity and devotion to family. Like me, my mom was a single mom and she devoted herself to me and my sister. Even when she was really down, she gave us the best—but at the same time, taught us that what we had was not free and that we had to work hard for it. She made me work from an early age and this helped me in my career, especially when I found myself single again, bringing up my two daughters on my own, and when the Asian Crisis hit, which was a very bad time. It is my mom’s values that has made me thrive and survive in the worst of times and it is these same values that I hope my two daughters have gotten from me as well.
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