Andrew Tan’s Megaworld @35: From 5 to 5,000 employees, from 150 to 1.5 million sq. meters
Exponential.
That’s how a layman can best describe the growth of Dr. Andrew Tan’s Megaworld Corp., which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.
Its president, Lourdes T. Gutierrez-Alfonso, who has been with the company for 35 years now, recalls how Dr. Tan grew Megaworld into a mega world in real estate in the past three-and-a-half decades.
“We held office within a 150-sq.-meter space, which at that time was still being shared with another affiliate company,” recalls the lady president of Megaworld’s first year. “At that time, the company was still virtually unknown and faced bigger, more established real estate giants.”
Mrs. Alfonso, also known by “LTG” (her initials when she first started at Megaworld), credits Dr. Tan, whom she describes as “a man full of wisdom,” for Megaworld’s mega growth.
“During those years, we were already facing several challenges, most notable of which were the six coup attempts, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked Luzon, the Gulf War, and the Asian Financial Crisis. I will never forget how Dr. Andrew L. Tan led the company to navigate all those challenges. He taught us to persevere and have courage in the face of adversity,” she says with a grateful HEART (which, by the way, is her leadership style. More on that below.)
“Today, we take great pride in the fact that Megaworld has become one of the largest and leading real estate companies in the country. From just having five employees when I first started, we now have more than 5,000 employees within the Megaworld Group,” LTG adds.
LTG started in Megaworld as chief accountant, and was “employee No. 2.” She was Megaworld’s chief operating officer before she took over the post of president, a post formerly held by Dr. Tan, who will remain as chairman of the board of directors of the company.
“From a simple office that we shared with another group, we now have an entire building as our headquarters, which is just one of the nearly 90 office developments we have built over the years,” LTG says proudly. “Across the country, we have built more than 1.5 million square meters of office space, which makes us the number-one office landlord and developer in the Philippines today.”
During Megaworld’s grand anniversary party at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, during which Megaworld honored its partners for the last 35 years, Alliance Global Group (AGI) president Kevin L. Tan echoed his father’s commitment to job generation.
“We commit to build more townships in the provinces, enrich more lands across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and help generate more jobs for Filipinos in every township that we build,” the 44-year-old Tan scion said.
His father Andrew’s commitment to generate more jobs for Filipinos is evident in the numbers — from five, there are now over 5,000 employees within the Megaworld Group.
“Dr. Tan has a clear vision of how we should do and grow our business while also fulfilling our higher purpose of uplifting lives and making an impact on the communities where we are present,” LTG points out. “Every day has always been a learning experience for me.”
“Today, I feel blessed and grateful to see how much we have grown,” she continues.
Was it difficult for a woman to reach the top, especially the presidency, of a mega corporation like Megaworld?
“The organization believes in meritocracy,” she replies. “It’s neither about who you know, nor is it about seniority or gender. Everyone is given the chance to thrive within an equal playing field and encouraged to work together as a team and excel as individuals.”
And that is perhaps how and why Megaworld has leapt from five to 5,000 employees and from 150 to 1.5 million sq. meters of office space built in 35 years.
From someone who has witnessed it all from the beginning, the numbers really do add up and reflect not just the success of a corporation, but the progress of a nation.
LTG’s leadership guideposts
I believe in leading with a HEART:
H – Higher PURPOSE
For me, it’s all about pursuing things and fulfilling a higher purpose beyond our current work and goals. Doing that lends more meaning to how we lead and affect people, both inside and outside of our organization.
E – Empowerment
trust is an important element to build and nurture for any team to succeed. trusting in the capacity and capability of your team to implement and reach shared goals shows a leader’s willingness to listen and be open to new ideas.
A – ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability is integrity. As a team, we recognize our responsibility as stewards of the people, resources, and opportunities that have been entrusted to us. Instead of laying down authority, we choose to exercise our accountability and responsibility, particularly in making sure that we exercise integrity in all actions and decisions that impact our stakeholders.
R – Relational
I am a firm believer in teamwork and nurturing strong connections with people. As a leader, I need to harness these connections to help build a strong and motivated team. I put great value on creating a safe environment where everyone is encouraged to contribute and excel. Building and nurturing relationships means creating harmony and building a better team.
T – Thankfulness
Having an attitude of gratitude leads to contentment, productivity, and happiness. We must recognize that each day that we enjoy is a gift from the Lord, and that includes our family, work, and our health. *
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