She makes her calm, collected presence felt the moment she walks into the room.
An air of confidence is apparent, as she weaves through a day’s work, crafting new strategies, and mapping out a new gameplan for one of the newer players in the Philippine real estate scene.
Malou Pineda, senior vice president of Rockwell Primaries, is by no means a newbie in the industry, as she has brought her impeccable credentials to the table to ensure that this company will live up to the parent firm’s distinct brand of elegance and sophistication.
In a recent interview with Inquirer Property, Pineda revealed how she went from working for a jewelry firm to being part of a highly esteemed property company that is Rockwell Land Inc.
“I never imagined that I would find myself in the real estate industry. My first job was in the jewelry retail and export sector and at that time, my husband brought Rockwell to my attention. He felt strongly about the potential and the vision of the company that he kept encouraging me to consider moving. But I didn’t until years after,” Pineda recalled.
“I finally resigned from my first job to spend more time with my family. I decided to just take over the business I started with friends while I was still working. My business was garments related and it was quite challenging at that time. Once again, my husband brought up Rockwell and this time I gave it a shot and finally took the plunge and applied,” Pineda shared.
Seeing potential
Pineda joined Rockwell Land in 1999—two years after the company’s inception—as membership director of the Rockwell Club. Back then, this was the first city club within a residential complex.
A member of the Lopez group of companies, Rockwell Land was established in 1997 with the aim of putting up intelligently planned, calamity-proof developments within the 15.5 hectare area in Makati City—a former site of a thermal power plant.
Rockwell Land then had set out to cater to a niche market who sought for opulence, comfort, and class, and in doing so, had also developed iconic masterpieces and landmark developments that had set new standards and raised the benchmarks in the Philippine property scene.
However, Pineda joined Rockwell at a time when the economy was as its worst and real estate developers were among those that bore the brunt of the Asian financial crisis.
But giving up wasn’t part of the plan and it was never really a choice for Pineda.
“When I joined Rockwell, times we’re changing from really good to extremely difficult. Surviving the Asian financial crisis was what greeted me as I got into the real estate industry. I had to learn the business when it was at its lowest. We did much more than survived and this was the most rewarding part of the experience,” Pineda narrated.
But company president Nestor J. Padilla, nevertheless, saw a huge potential in Pineda, who gradually rose the ranks to carry on more daunting tasks and even bigger responsibilities.
Under Padilla’s guidance and motivation, Pineda managed to hurdle the challenges that initially came her way, and was able to readily adapt to the nature of the business.
With a display of great skill and competence, Pineda was thus given a new and far more challenging role only two years after she joined the company.
“After two years, I moved to the residential sales team. Then after four years, I was once again moved to retail as general manager of Power Plant Mall and I held that position for seven years” Pineda related.
Leading the way
Pineda’s biggest break came in 2012—at a time when Rockwell Land was in the process of extending its reach to the so-called broader market through Rockwell Primaries.
As it was a newly established entity, Padilla wanted someone he can trust and one with the experience and the drive to make things really work for the said subsidiary.
“As the company needed to expand to other segments in 2012, I was then tasked to lead Rockwell Primaries. And while I always did want to be an entrepreneur, I took this opportunity as a perfect way to further hone my skills and prove to Mr. Padilla that I was indeed deserving of the trust he gave me,” she explained.
Strong support
In an industry that was not for the faint of heart, Pineda managed to come out unscathed and even stronger than when she first joined the company.
Having a strong support system and a leader like Padillla, who never stopped motivating them, allowed her to perform well despite the odds.
“My main inspiration would be my family, and that would be my husband and twin daughters. Also, I was just really lucky and blessed at the same time to have as my boss Mr. Padilla, a man whose wisdom and vision continue to lead the company to greater heights of success,” Pineda said.
“I have total respect for our company, our leaders, my colleagues and the entire Rockwell family. I believe in the values of the company, what it stands for and its mission of creating quality living,” she added.
Pineda pointed out that there is a certain kind of pride that comes from working for one of the country’s leading property developers.
This, she explained, makes her believe that she did the right decision when she chose to move and join Padilla’s team.
Seeing their developments change the way people see housing and improve the overall quality of life of the people, she added, was more than enough reward for her.
“I learned that with determination and passion you can conquer anything. And the learning never stops, no matter what rank you are in. Also, the best reward is that I get to take an active part in turning the company’s vision into a reality,” Pineda claimed.
Contribution
Asked what she thinks is their company’s greatest contribution to nation building, Pineda only had this to say. “It would probably be the ability to create something special and extraordinary from the ordinary. Upgrading the lives of Filipino communities to the standards of living that they truly deserve regardless of price.”
“Looking at the future, I hope to build and further strengthen the Rockwell Primaries brand through our projects. The dream really is to be able to transform lives by developing homes that our buyers can be truly proud of,” she further noted.
As SVP of Rockwell Primaries, Pineda is just proud that despite the company being a newcomer in the industry long held by bigger players, they managed to already carve a niche, make a name for themselves and earn the nod not only of buyers but other industry players as well.
And it helps that as the head of Rockwell Primaries, Pineda seems to be doing well as seen in the way colleagues and company employees would respond and work with her in ensuring that Rockwell Primaries would remain as the only known innovator in the broader market.
“Thinking about it now, if I was not part of Rockwell Primaries, I would probably be busy running my own business. But I’m happy with the work that I’m doing and I enjoy the way I am living it right now,” Pineda concluded.
Rockwell Primaries is intended to cater to families who dream of having better homes. It is for couples who would want to raise their children in a community that is warm, safe and secure, and with services and facilities that are reliable.
And much like its parent firm, Rockwell Primaries and all of its developments are family-oriented, and are set to satisfy the discerning market on their choices of high value products.
Currently, Rockwell Primaries aims to improve the face and vibe of the south as it launch its latest development to date, the East Bay Residences.
To learn more about the said projects buyers may visit the Pop-Up display at the North Court Side of the Power Plant Mall.
Fordham Tower is East Bay Residences’ first development in the South side of Metro Manila. With the development’s prime location, expansive on-ground amenities, safe and secure environment as well as its pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, one is guaranteed to achieve that so-called life balance.
The Pop-Up model unit will be open until October 27.
