Cynthia Mamon: Providing fun is serious business

MANILA, Philippines - If there’s one person who knows how it is to lead a magical life, it’s Cynthia Romero Mamon.

As COO and vice president of the SMILE (Sales, Marketing, Imagineering, Leisure and Entertainment) division of the country’s first-class amusement theme park, Cynthia is surrounded by wizards and other magical creatures at the Enchanted Kingdom (EK) in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. But more than working with these fairy-tale characters, what adds magic to Cynthia’s job is her unwavering desire to make a difference.

Someone who had already made a name for herself in the IT industry before she joined the family-owned Enchanted Kingdom, Cynthia impeccably leads her SMILE team in achieving their objectives. It is in this department where she waves her magic wand and casts a spellbinding leadership. “It used to be called SMED. But we have a local word ‘ismid,’ which means to frown,” she explains. “So I changed the name of the department to SMILE. I also encouraged all employees to always smile to each and every guest.”

Cynthia knows what she wants from the beginning: to make sure that every single guest that steps into EK gets to have that magical experience. And the naturally happy and positive person in her knows that a simple smile can make a whole world of difference to the brand of experience the park is offering.

When one talks to Cynthia, one can’t help but notice the sparkle in her eyes when she talks about her people. “Our Sales team plays a critical role in generating revenue for the company. Marketing takes care of brand management, corporate communications and promotions. Imagineering, which is a combination of imagination and engineering, is activated to consolidate all our creative efforts,” says Cynthia. “Leisure is in charge of all our future plans for the company while Entertainment provides exciting shows in the park.”

Cynthia, who was a member of the UP Los Baños Filipiniana Dance Troupe in high school and college, joins the cast of many a performance at the theme park. “We call our employees cast members simply because we believe that EK is one big stage,” she muses. “In all our performances, we use our available resources — our people. (Having them perform) boosts their confidence and gives them a chance to showcase their performing skills.” Always hands-on on the operations of the park, Cynthia was even the one who first tried the EKstreme Tower Ride.

The business savvy Cynthia, a recipient of many leadership awards, is also aware that running an enterprise is not always a smooth sailing ride. She knows there will be times when a company is just like a Space Shuttle ride. But despite all the twists and turns and bumps and curves that are the challenges — the global financial crisis, the local economic problems, rising prices and safety issues in theme parks — Cynthia helped her husband Mario (president and CEO) to steer the company back to a stable and secure position.

“When there is an economic crisis, the first thing that people cuts off from their budget is entertainment. So we have to find a way to continue to attract people to come to the park,” she says. So Cynthia, together with her team, forged a much better partnership with tour operators, as 60 to 70 percent of EK bookings are school field trips. They also tapped corporate bookings and recruited new business partners from the travel and tourism sectors.

So what is the secret to her successful leadership style? “My humor,” she quickly replies. “It’s something that’s common in our family. I want a happy environment. My staff knows that they can always approach me anytime.” It also helps that she prays a lot. “God is the true owner of this business and whatever I do, I lift it up to Him.”

Cynthia Mamon, Enchanted Kingdom COO and SMILE vice president, by the Space Shuttle.

Enchanted Kingdom, a member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, has been a witness to many tales of family, friendship and love. And this is something that Cynthia truly appreciates. “It’s part of my future endeavor to collate the most heartwarming stories and experiences in EK.”

As the park celebrates its 16 years, Cynthia Mamon is inspired all the more to continue offering a magical experience to the park’s customers and loyal patrons. The seasoned entrepreneur reveals her formula to success: prayer, passion and people.

“At Enchanted Kingdom, we firmly believe that our real mission is to share God’s happiness and build God’s EK, eternal kingdom,” she shares. “The passion for the company and its more than 300 employees is what I think helped me through the difficult times. And thanks to our people who continuously put their dedication in making sure that guests have a great time in the park. They are our most important assets.”

With her EK-cellent brand of leadership, Cynthia knows that providing a fun and magical experience is serous business.