‘Big John’ named MAP’s Management Man of the year

Tycoon John Gokongwei Jr.— founder of an Asia-Pacific industrial powerhouse which has thrived amid tumultuous economic and political cycles starting from the Philippine colonial area—is this year’s “MAP Management Man of the Year.”

The 91-year-old Gokongwei, also the chair emeritus of conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc., was handpicked by the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) to receive this prestigious award bestowed on individuals in the business community or government for “attaining unquestioned distinction in the practice of management and for contributing to the country’s progress.”

The citation—which has been conferred only 41 times in the five-decade history of the award—follows a thorough, stringent selection process. The criteria for the award include integrity, leadership and management qualities; contribution to nation building and values formation, and effective stewardship within the confines of the highest standard of business and management practice.
In a statement yesterday, MAP said Gokongwei was chosen “for his business acumen and management qualities which steered the Gokongwei Group into remarkable growth through his foresight and exceptional ability to launch new ventures and transform existing ones to better adapt to challenging times and an unpredictable future.”

MAP also cited Gokongwei’s leadership role in the “substantial contributions of the Gokongwei group to national development, job creation and income generation through its huge investments in food manufacturing, real estate, air transportation, banking, petrochemicals, shopping malls, livestock farming, publications, power generation, power distribution and telecommunications.”

The tycoon was likewise credited by MAP for the following:

strengthening the identity of the companies under the Gokongwei Group as socially responsible corporate citizens through the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation’s developmental and scholarship programs on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education

for being an entrepreneur “par excellence” and an “exemplar” of Filipino talent in management excellence for nation-building

for his contributions to shaping national values and inspiring others by his “outstanding achievements attained from humble beginnings through hard work, perseverance, frugality and discipline.”

Gokongwei has been called the “industrialist challenger,” unafraid to venture into highly competitive new sectors like telecom, or dipping into untested waters, like petrochemicals, and nurturing them no matter how long it takes to achieve profitability.