Prominent Business Icons Joined First ASEAN Family Business Conference Held In The Philippines

Last October 21, 2019, the first-ever ASEAN Family Business Conference that took place in the Philippines. Notable business figures from the South-East Asian region graced the event held in Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati. Titans Joey Garcia and Pocholo Gonzales are among the attendees to learn fresh insights and ideas from other experienced business icons from the different South-East Asian countries. 

This event is a great platform to recognize the importance of family businesses and their key roles in the economic growth of their nations. Its theme for 2019 is “ASEAN Family Businesses of the Future”, it presents the topics related to rising up to the challenges brought by generational transition for every family business. This is critical and significant to ensure that established businesses will continue their progress despite the changes in leadership and other factors as well. 

GoNegosyo Founder Mr. Joey Concepcion III welcomed the attendees of Family Business 2019 and Prof. Annie Koh, VP of Business Development of Singapore Management University gave the opening remarks. Three insightful panel interviews were conducted and the panelists are distinguished individuals from their field.

For the keynote panel “Built to Last: Succession Planning for Family Businesses”, the panelists are as follows: Mr. Serge Pun, Executive Chairman of Yoma Strategic Holdings, Inc. (Myanmar), Dr. Robert Yap, Executive Chairman, YCH Group (Singapore), Mr. Hans Sy, Director of SM Prime Holdings (Philippines), Mr. Michael Tan, President and COO of LT Group Inc. (Philippines), Mr. Chris Po, Executive Chairman, Century Pacific Food, Inc. (Philippines), and Mr. Tennyson Chen, President and CEO of Bounty Fresh Food Inc. (Philippines)

For the second panel “Transformation: Shifting the Family Business”, the panelists included Ms. Hajah Noor Monasalieana (Chief Executive Officer of Seri Pekaten SDN BHD (Brunei), Mr. Nguyen Duy, CEO of KOVA Trading (Vietnam), Mr. Donny Pramono, CEO and Founder of Sour Sally (Indonesia), Mr. Derrick Yap, CEO of PBA Group (Singapore), Mr. Rajan Uttamchandani, CEO of Esquire Financing Inc. (Philippines), and Prof. Alejandrino J. Ferreria Ed. D., Entrepreneurship Guru and President, ACE Center for Entrepreneurship and Management Education (Philippines)

At the third panel,”Keeping It Together: Managing Ties in the Family Business”, the panelist are: Dr. Lee Ol Kum, Founder of Houde Foundation (Malaysia), Ms. Ma Khine Zaw, Founder and CEO, Earth Group of Companies (Myanmar), Mr. Raul Joseph Concepcion, Chairman and CEO, Concepcion Industrial Corporation (Philippines), Mr. William Belo, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Wilcon Depot (Philippines), Mr. Miguel Aboitiz, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Aboitiz Power Corporate Business Group (Philippines), and Mr. Virgilio "Nonoy" Espeleta, Founder of Famcor Franchise Management and Executive Development Corporation (Philippines)

The three panels are moderated by Prof. Annie Koh. Family Business Conference 2019 was hosted by Ms. Josephine Romero, Senior Adviser to the ASEAN-BAC Philippines Chair. Attendees are C-level executives and business leaders from different industries. Some also flew all the way to the Philippines to learn more from these successful individuals. The partnership of ASEAN-Business Advisory Council Philippines (ASEAN-BAC PH), Go Negosyo, and Singapore Management University made Family Business Conference 2019 a huge success for its first run in the Philippines.