Passion & purpose beyond business
A fireside chat is an informal, yet structured, conversation between a host, or moderator, and a guest in front of an audience, designed to be engaging and conversational.
Think “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman” on a popular streaming service and you get the idea.
The term originated from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s series of radio addresses during the Great Depression and World War II, which were delivered in a personal and approachable tone that made listeners feel as if he were speaking directly to them in their homes.
Modern fireside chats, either as stand-alone events or as parts of conferences, mimic this informal style to provide value to the audience through storytelling and insights from the guest.
Just recently, the Penn-Wharton Club of the Philippines, the largest and most engaged US alumni club in the Philippines, and one of the most active Penn alumni clubs in Asia, hosted a fireside chat with our MVP Group of Companies chairman, Manuel V. Pangilinan, or MVP, at the newly-refurbished Meralco Theater in Pasig.
In this tete-a-tete dubbed “MVP Insights” and hosted by Roby Alampay, PLDT-Smart’s first vice-president for Public Engagement and Corporate Communications, MVP offered thoughtful reflections on leadership, nation-building, and navigating the evolving role of the private sector in public service.
In his opening remarks, MVP noted that the Wharton he attended back in the ‘60s was very different from the Wharton that most of the alumni audience attended now. He mentioned that members of the audience might think that Martin Luther King was assassinated years ago, when in fact he was killed in the very year he graduated from Wharton.
MVP also spoke about how the technology we take for granted today was nonexistent back then, recalling the experience of how communicating with loved ones across the miles was rather expensive.
MVP mentioned that “we endured our respective hardships — not simply for a traditional education, but to be imaginative and creative, to rewire our brains, to resuscitate our boldest impulses.”
He capped this with “and perhaps the boldest of all was this: to see how things were done elsewhere, and to think — I want to bring that home.”
MVP said that when he was asked what to speak about in the fireside chat, he said that his answer was simple: think big.
When he said “think big” he meant not a slogan, but a policy, for without scale, our economy will eventually be marginalized.
His humble appeal before the start of the chat was: “one, lend this country your innovative entrepreneurial spirit;” and “two, help us not fear bigness in our country.”
During the Q&A, MVP underscored the importance of purpose-driven leadership and the private sector’s role in nation-building. He also shared his reflections on leadership, public service, and the evolving responsibilities of businesses in shaping the country’s future.
MVP also spoke about the value of aligning profit with purpose and fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors.
All in all, it was an inspiring exchange that reminded us all of the value of purpose-driven leadership — and the power of dialogue to shape our shared future.
I also take this opportunity to congratulate MVP for leading honorees in the recent Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Press Corps Awards. MVP was bestowed the “Danny Floro Executive of the Year” award for a record-tying third time following the two-championship, one-runner-up run of the TNT Tropang 5G basketball team, the MVP Group’s flagship franchise in this PBA’s Season 49.
This reaffirmed his commitment to basketball and underscored the value of the game to the country; Filipinos being acknowledged as the greatest fans of the sport.
“The passion which binds us all here tonight is unique,” MVP said in receiving the award. “And that passion goes beyond business. It is about pride in the heart, pride in seeing Filipinos excel on the court here or internationally…”
Yet another example of purpose-driven leadership that goes beyond the boardroom. Cheers! *
- Latest
