How Mega Global siblings work together
(Second of three parts)
The five children of Mega Global founders William and Marylou Tiu Lim—Michael, Michelle, Mark, Malcolm and Marvin—are accomplished individuals with diverse interests and personalities.
Of course, they do not always agree, but because of their love for each other, they have learned to speak their mind and heart. Loving families know how to conduct healthy discussions rather than just being civil to each other on the surface while letting resentments build up inside. It is heartwarming when the family starts meetings with updates from each child (Who is expecting babies, taking courses or traveling?), before segueing into the set agenda. Rejoicing in each other’s joys, sharing in each other’s sorrows—these keep them close as siblings.
“Even when we were young, we have been vocal with each other,” says Michelle Tiu Lim-Chan, chief executive. “We sometimes get into fights but my dad told my brothers that they cannot lay a hand on girls. We do not just tolerate something we [view as] not acceptable. But we also fight for each other. If someone is in trouble, we help.
“We have our own personalities and strengths. What is important is that we know who is strong in one aspect and weak in another. This makes us self-aware and also helps us know [when a task] is not someone’s core competence.”
In March 2023, when the patriarch announced that he would step down from daily operations to assume the chair’s role and that the baton would be passed on to Michelle, the only female among the children, her brothers all supported the decision. For a Filipino-Chinese founder to choose a successor who is neither male nor the eldest is rare, but this was a decision that the family deemed most beneficial for all.
Michael holds a master’s degree in National Security Administration from the National Defense College of the Philippines. His passion is information and communication technologies (ICT), where he takes on leadership roles. Mike revels in his responsibilities as vice president and chair of the Zamboanga ICT Council, helping the government cement ties with other parties to bolster innovation, infrastructure, employment and growth. “Mike is very intelligent, with good networking skills,” says Michelle.
Mark, whose faith in God anchors the family, has exemplary social skills. “He is very good in looking for [the right] people,” says Michelle.
When I was approached years ago to advise their family, I accepted partly because Mark’s calling card read “Chief Spiritual Advisor,” the only time I encountered such an official post, which speaks volumes about their family values.
Today, as Mega Global’s chief spiritual and people officer, Mark keeps the family spiritually grounded as he leads their sessions with me while taking on added responsibilities in human resources as the company grows. He and his wife also do couples counseling, sharing their experiences and providing guidance to others. Malcolm is “very good [with] the technical [aspects],” says Michelle.
Since Mega Global is primarily into manufacturing, Malcolm as chief technical and innovations officer is indispensable as he oversees the maintenance of machineries, training of equipment specialists and monitoring of operations on the ground and in the water.
Juggling multiple tasks is not easy, but Malcolm reminds himself of what his father tells the children: “Never stop challenging yourself.”
Marvin, chief growth and development officer, builds on a solid track record as vice president of sales and marketing, even as he trains to be a pilot and runs his own dealerships in trucks and computers.
“Marvin is very good [at] public relations,” says Michelle. Marvin oversees the company’s philanthropic efforts, and he is often called upon to share his expertise in society, such as serving as a judge in the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANAta) Awards last year.
(Next week: Looking to the future)
Queena N. Lee-Chua is with the board of directors of Ateneo’s Family Business Center. Get her book “All in the Family Business” at Lazada or Shopee, or the ebook at Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks. Contact the author at [email protected].
