Amanda Sandoval
Business development manager, philstar.com
Amanda Sandoval loves challenges. As part of the batch who joined the dot.com bandwagon when the whole world was bullish about new media a few years ago, she’s now one of the rare few who has remained dedicated to making it work, while her batchmates have ventured into more traditional arenas.
Sandoval is a business development manager for philstar.com, the website of The Philippine STAR, where she handles finance and partnerships, developing ideas for tie-ups with companies that could help sustain the existence of the website without compromising the site’s editorial content. "The fact that it is a nontraditional form of media, people say it is hard to market, it is hard to find new things to do with it but we have so many ideas planned, it just all depends on the timing."
While hers is an everyday 9 to 5 job, during school year Fridays, she gets the day off to pursue her artistic calling: as moderator of the Assumpta Theatrica, the theater guild of Assumption College, where she gives drama workshops. What’s kept her in the dot.com world is the fact that it brings together her business and artistic sides. Apart from having a say on the editorial direction of the site, she used to also write a column, mostly personal essays and theatrical reviews. And, of course, there’s her love for challenge: "It’s challenging to have to come up with new things, to be given so much flexibility and responsibility with a small team that feels like a family." What does it take to succeed in Amanda’s job?" You have to be innovative, creative, and to always think out of the box."
Geni Lopez Psinakis
Restaurateur, Mati
Last year, just as her restaurant was starting to create a major buzz, Geni Psinakis was asked why after 20 years of living in the United States she decided to make the Philippines her home base. Her answer: "To give Manila one good try as an adult."
Her one good try, as everyone in this city’s darling set knows by now, has become a hit. Mati became not just the talk of the town because of its chi-chi clientele but more importantly because of its excellent Greek food and great interiors. Her restaurant was inspired by her travels to Greece. ("The sun so strong, the beautiful sea, the warmth of the people.")
Geni may be carrying a famous surname but it was her vision for Mati and how she was able to translate it into what it has become that made people really take notice. Just recently, Geni decided to take on a career switch. This month, she leaves for Los Angeles to get certified as a Pilates instructor.
Sander Tantoco
CEO, Greenline Onyx Envirotech
Philippines
"Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be in the waste business," says Sander Tantoco. As CEO of a company that’s the pioneer in system technology in the country using fully-mechanized and containerized system for waste handling and transport (a joint venture with Vivendi Environment), he is a one-man marketing team, monitoring day-to-day operations.
"The best part of what I do is that I enjoy dealing with people and I believe that we can provide better service to our clients with the type of equipment we use compared to the current industry standard." As a fresh graduate of the De La Salle, Sander felt being an entrepreneur was what he wanted to be. That he would end up dealing with waste seem to still surprise him until now. "I saw the opportunity when I went to Singapore and my creative mind convinced me that we have to be at par with international standards with regards to using more efficient equipment for waste. We are proud to say that now, we are."
Margarita Locsin
Managing director, Visions & Expressions, PR and events agency
She had originally wanted careers that involved animals. First, it was as an equestrian but she realized it would be too expensive. Then, it was veterinary medicine; she passed the UPCAT but decided against pursuing the course because, as her mom said, "Unless you’re the vet of the Sultan of Brunei, you’ll starve."
Good thing she developed a love for people along the way. After getting her Communication Arts degree at the Ateneo, and working in the Stock Exchange, London, and then for a multinational cement company, Tats is now in the people business – PR.
"You have to love people," she says, "all kinds, and be able to find out what makes them tick and then, you realize that it’s not that difficult to work with them and that it’s the diversity between you that makes it exciting and fun."
As managing director for one of the more prominent publicity agencies in town, she oversees office operations, client relations and project implementations, as well as media relations and maintaining the image of the company whose clients are some of the top names in local and foreign lifestyle and fashion.
She does love the people she works with ("I’ve actually been fortunate that in every job I’ve had, the people have always been wonderful") but she says the best part about her present career is that the "products and the people I work with are always changing, evolving, developing. I love it that I get to know them on a level where I am not just a consumer or spectator.
Carlo Tanseco
Director/owner, Store Super Global Café
Food and design have always been two of Carlo Tanseco’s greatest passions, and travel his best source of inspiration. At the last quarter of this year, together with cousin Reena Francisco, he put together passion and inspiration and came up with Store Super Global Café, a restaurant that is not only a feast of his and Reena’s favorite dishes from different parts of the world, but also a feast for the eyes what with its interiors’ rich Oriental colors and modern lines.
"The best part about my job is that I get to express myself through it, and in some ways affect people’s lives," he says. "The creative part is fun. I can easily visualize a design solution in detail. It is the execution and logistics that pose a challenge. The product has to be as good as how I imagined it, if not better."
Carlo trained as an architect and is a product design consultant to various local and international companies. He is an award-winning designer of houseware and furniture, involved in architectural and interior design of some of Manila’s more innovative homes, restaurants and shops.
As a director in Figaro, he is involved in the design and architectural aspect of the coffee house chain "but also can’t help messing around in the kitchen." Hence, two of the cafe’s bestsellers bear his name: Pasta a la Carlo and Sandwich a la Carlo. "One has to have the passion for design," says Carlo. "One has to be born with it, nurture it and enjoy it tremendously."