“As family business consultants, it is imperative to be constantly learning, updating ourselves and challenging even well-established concepts and theories,” says Pilar U. Tolentino, Ateneo Family Business Development Center (AFBDC) assistant director. (Full disclosure: I am on the board of AFBDC.)
“Just like the dynamic nature of the clients we serve, we ourselves should be moving, growing and evolving,” she adds.
Tolentino finished cum laude, Management Honors, from the Ateneo, and with distinction, Masters in Management, from the Asian Institute of Management. She worked for a bank and taught finance, until she felt compelled to help individuals in a more direct manner.
Tolentino then pursued a professional diploma in family ministry from the Center for Family Ministries, Loyola School of Theology, where she became director for a time, and where she still remains a pastoral family counselor to this day.
True to her word, Tolentino recently completed the Family Firm Institute (FFI)-Global Educational Network certificate in family business advising, and became the first Filipino to garner the De Visscher & Co. scholarship.
“Through completion of the certificate program, Pilar has gained a deeper understanding of the needs of family-owned enterprises and the many roles family business and non-family members play,“ says Judy Green, FFI president.
Participants have access to cutting-edge information and resources for exploring the core disciplines—behavioral science, finance, law and management science—and steps for forming collaborative teams. FFI provides multidisciplinary educational programs to advance family enterprises worldwide by enabling collaboration between family enterprise practitioners and academics, creating a global network of professionals.
For several months, Tolentino and her colleagues around the world took online courses, accessing lectures and videos, doing exams and webinars, and most of all, interacting with one another.
“We come from varied backgrounds, such as law, finance, academe, management science, psychology, human resource, personal and professional life coaching, family business. Consultants share their expertise and engage us in case discussions, which give different perspectives and therefore, more comprehensive analysis and understanding of the complexities of family businesses,” Tolentino says.
“Since every family is unique, the ability to look at a case with several lenses allows us to be more responsive and creative in our proposed resolutions. No matter how similar a case presented to us may be to others, there will be elements in the family or in the business that will make each case different. We should be able to recognize that uniqueness, respect it, and adapt a most suitable resolution that will match the business family.”
An international group composed of 1,800 individuals and organizations across 88 countries, the FFI provides education and networking for family business advisors, educators, researchers.
Seminars for the public
Join Tolentino and our team for a series of intensive seminars this June 2016. The schedules are as follows:
Managing Family Dynamics for Business Families, by Pilar Tolentino (June 13)
Sustaining Family Businesses through Governance, Council and Constitution, by Ricky Mercado (June 14)
Strategic Management for Family Businesses, by Nani Lim (June 15)
Professionalizing Family Businesses, by Pilar Tolentino (June 16)
Human Resource Management, by Marijo Coronongan (June 17)
Succession Planning and Generational Transitions, by Ricky Mercado and Marijo Coronogan (June 20)
Management Systems, by Chito Tanchoco (June 21)
Estate Planning and Wills, by Atty. Romy Ramirez (June 22)
Financial Planning for Family Businesses, by Mike Tan (June 23)
Each session runs from 12 noon to 6 p.m. at Room 316, 3rd floor, Ateneo Professional Schools at 20 Rockwell Drive, Rockwell Center, Hidalgo Drive, Makati City. Each session costs P5,000, with one free session for every four topics or persons registered.
For inquiries or reservations, call 9283503 or e-mail fbdc.jgsom@ateneo.edu. Register online at https://ateneofamilybusiness.weebly.com/registration.html. Visit our website at www.ateneofamilybusiness.weebly.com.
Queena N. Lee-Chua is on the board of directors of Ateneo de Manila University’s Family Business Development Center. Get her book “Successful Family Businesses” at the University Press (e-mail: msanagustin@ateneo.edu). E-mail the author at blessbook.chua@gmail.com.