First Filipino woman president prepares Hunter Douglas to lead its industry

Hunter Douglas, a world renowned leader in architectural products and window fashion prepares to take Philippine construction to new heights of quality and originality with the recent appointment of Gigi Anne M. Lapira as the first woman president of its local operations.

Lapira, a familiar name in the Philippine construction industry, brings more than a dozen years of practical marketing experience to Hunter Douglas. Her impressive list of achievements with companies such as Puyat Steel Corp. and James Hardie Philippines are testament to a shrewdly analytical marketing mind, adept at long range planning while remaining open to innovation.

Before taking the helm of Hunter Douglas Philippines, Lapira was based in the United States where, as managing director for Globe Asia Executive Consulting, she handled the business development and strategic market planning and execution for various local and overseas companies.

Management with style

Her managerial credentials are even more remarkable when one considers that Lapira made her way to the top of her field while completing her MBA at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business and successfully juggling the corporate world with life as a wife and a mother of three children ranging from four months to 14 years in age.

Along with her husband, an economics and social science doctor of education at the New Era University, she even finds time to remain an active member in her church community.

All in a day’s work for Lapira, who describes her managerial style as "hard-hitting, consultative and results oriented."

"I can come across as aggressive to some people but it doesn’t take long for them to realize that I am sincerely passionate about the products I handle," she says. "In my experience, that kind of passion is extremely infectious within a company and helps to boost morale and drive productivity upwards."

"As much as possible, I also strive to reach a consensus," elaborates Lapira, who makes it a point to encourage everyone in the company to voice their opinion in order to get a broader perspective.

"This consultative process may seem tedious to other managers but I’ve found that you can get remarkable insights from people if you’re open to what they have to say."

Lapira credits her six-year tenure with Puyat Steel Corp. for shaping her managerial style. "The Puyats gave me a chance to learn as much as I could about the industry and I owe a lot to them," she says, recounting fond memories of her on-the-job-training when her bosses would give her volumes of technical manuals on metallurgy to study so she could have unassailable product knowledge in the steel industry.

"Ever since then, I’ve always applied the same thoroughness to understanding my product because it’s only when you are immersed in your product that you understand it’s potential and can sell it with conviction."

The changing landscape of Philippine construction

Now, as president of Hunter Douglas Philippines, Lapira applies her keen analytical intellect and no nonsense work ethic to changing the landscape of Philippine architecture.

"Right now, most people could walk through some of the most admired modern structures in the country and not recognize Hunter Douglas’ contribution to its design," she admits. "We intend to change that situation and take the Hunter Douglas’ name beyond its current niche status among architects and designers to the mainstream public."

With 85 years of expertise in integrated manufacturing, Hunter Douglas is synonymous with quality, originality and creativity in innovative architectural products, window coverings and home improvement products. Hunter Douglas products grace some of the most architecturally stunning modern landmarks in the country today such as Insular Life building in Alabang, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Davao, the Ateneo Graduate School, the Philippine International Convention Center and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, to name just a few.

"The Philippines is currently in a construction boom driven by positive economic growth spurred by the increased remittances from OFWs, renewed confidence from Filipino immigrants living abroad who are contributing back to the economy by buying Philippine properties as well the growth of the business process outsourcing industry (BPOs), among the few," she explains "My job is to raise market awareness for Hunter Douglas products so that builders know that we can provide integrated architectural solutions to meet and even surpass their requirements."

"I want Hunter Douglas to be the first thing that comes into people’s minds when they envision a building project of outstanding quality, durability and design."

"On the consumer side, I want to strengthen our distribution channels for our Window Fashions product lines through our Gallery Program while debunking the myth that our window fashions are inaccessibly priced for most consumers," she continues.

With objectives clearly defined and more than ready to face any challenge, Gigi Anne M. Lapira feels completely at home in an industry where men, more often than not, call the shots.

"In my experience, this is still a male dominated industry but at the end of the day, what matters most to businessmen are results and like Hunter Douglas, I am all about delivering optimum results."