MANILA, Philippines - Upon arriving at the PPL building on United Nations Avenue, I was met with a friendly smile by someone who’s impressive profile intrigued me. Enrique Raymond Ilusorio Yap was born Mar 15, 1979, a true blue Piscean who was named after his father. At 6’1”, he cuts an impressive figure in his office barong.
?The youngest of five kids, he learned at an early age not to make the same mistakes his older siblings made, cleverly avoiding being reprimanded. He shares how there had been “no death by nagging stories” in his family, as his parents were supportive, very encouraging, not strict, and had a good relationship with each other. “Our family is very close and we were never restricted by too many rules,” he said.??His memorable childhood experiences consist mostly of long sea board trips with his father. Raymond remembers playing in the ship’s conference room while waiting for his dad to finish work. The rest of the day was time spent together. Knowing that his dad took him on those trips to spend time with him made missing school worth it, despite his mother’s disapproval.
A typical teenager with lots of barkadas, Raymond also had a talent for numbers. Something his father quickly acknowledged and encouraged. So it isn’t surprising that the greatest influence in his life is his father –– a man Raymond describes as approachable, teaching him to resolve problems and hurdle obstacles on his own; a man with disciplined work ethics and strong personality; a pep talk giver and the person responsible for molding him into the confident man he is today.
Coming from a family of successful business men, Raymond possessed the same drive to succeed. At 17, he took a summer job at the office of Robert Coyuito, who also made a great impression on him growing up. “Mr. Coyuito made me feel important, calling me to his office to talk to me and teach me about the business. He gave me pep talks that proved to be valuable in my future endeavors and he possessed the same character traits as my dad,” he said.
Drawing from his summer job experience, Raymond opened a brokerage business soon after. Despite his young age he was greatly encouraged by his dad who guided him and taught him eventually to run it on his own. With a strong support system and words of encouragement, Raymond pursued his degree in Accounting at the De Lasalle University. He is a certified public accountant and licensed stock broker. His creative side is expressed through designing tailor- made accounting systems for particular businesses which is a talent and skill he enjoys greatly.??One big challenge he has successfully undertaken in his life was from none other than his dad. In 2005 he was made to believe that his services were required to run their company in China for just two weeks. Raymond, though hesitant, took on the challenge. Three years later, he decided to come home. What was meant to be a short stint turned out to be a long and fruitful lesson in running a company on his own. A training style his father is notorious for applying on Raymond throughout the years.
Coming from a family of successful achievers in business and other fields can be very intimidating. In Raymond’s case however his father’s training has clearly been effective. Seen in his involvement in the various family businesses ranging from food and hospitality, pharmaceutical, and securities companies, Raymond has proven himself to be both a businessman and an entrepreneur his father can be proud of.
The Café France EVP also oversees seven other restaurants namely: Tempura Japanese Grill, Karate Kid, Holy Cow, Congo Grill, H & E Heaven and Eggs, Gitara Grill and Flavors of China. He is also at the helm of Hemotek Renal Center, as well as a part of Euro-Med Laboratories, TedaPharm and Phil-Progress Securities Corp. His hard work and dedication ensures that these businesses are safe in his hands.
Having learned much about his family and business background, I was interested to know more about the other side of Raymond Yap. Who are the women in his life??“My mother, the creative homemaker who enjoys surprising my father with her numerous renovations of their home. She adds the balance needed to counter my many pep talks and business talks with my dad, by asking about my love life, she talks to me about other things not related to business.
“Then there is my sister, a successful concert pianist who lives in South Africa, one of my favorite places too visit. I am very close to my siblings and enjoy time spent with them whenever possible.”
Then there’s that special someone who brought a smile to his face, possibly a woman who possesses the traits Raymond is looking for in a partner. Someone humble, interesting, a good conversationalist, friendly and someone to compliment his personality. A woman whose anonymity remained intact throughout our whole interview...
A typical day for Raymond: “My day begins really early, I like to be the first to arrive at the office, and I consider this a treat! Sometimes my day is full of meetings outside, other times my schedule is easy. When work is done, I usually play underwater hockey or meet up with friends for dinner before I head of home to rest. I enjoy outdoor sports a lot, like rock climbing and adventure racing… Amazing Race-type of activities. I also like cars and own a red Ferrari 430 which I love to drive to Baguio. Given any excuse, I would be off in a heartbeat. I enjoy long drives with beautiful scenery, alone, with friends or with a special someone.
When the young executive is asked to describe himself, he says, “Sensitive, athletic, prayerful, driven. My dad describes me as someone who rises to the challenge all the time, and I agree with him. At the office I have a casual business style –– no strict meeting schedules, mostly spontaneous ones. I am approachable and I encourage my people to come up with their own ideas. I am organized and very hands-on, it is important for me to know the business in and out.??My favorite color is silver and I have eight silver cars to prove it!?I like fried chicken and a good steak. My favorite gadget is my iPad; I like to read about the latest news from all the newspapers via an app that compiles it all in a continuous format. ?My favorite place of all is Cape Town in South Africa; I love the scenery and the city itself. ?My fears… women, especially the ones I like. In business....making the wrong decisions.”
Raymond Yap epitomizes a new generation of businessmen and women: wiser and smarter than their years, brimming with fresh ideas, and eager to push forward and achieve their full potential, experiencing life at its fullest. He shares his philosophy in life: ”Life must always move forward, so every year, I try to do something to top what I did the previous year, with family, friends and even in business. I am always looking for growth.”