CFO Forum at AGSB 50th anniversary

Every generation needs a revolution - an entrepreneurial revolution

Rizal Philippines
March 30, 2017

The Department of Economics Finance and Accounting held last March 28, 2017 a forum of chief financial officers on what to focus in 2017.  This was held at the Auditorium Basement 1 of Ateneo Professional School. The CFO who were present  were Francis H. Suarez Jr,  EVP,   Jose Teodoro K. Limcaoco,   CFO of Ayala group, and the moderator, Ana Bess G. Pingol, the moderators and also  CFO of Federal Land, SM Land Rockwell Land,  Deputy CFO of Metro Pacific Investment  Corporation.

What were the views of the CFO?

Both are conglomerates:  both have organic growth from core businesses, but Ayala is one of the oldest, and GT an investment arm of George Ty, the controlling stockholder of Metro Bank is the youngest, and only 5 years old.

The discussion were mostly from strategic point of view, rather from financial point of view.

Some critiques on the strama yesterday for MBAH

Every generation needs a revolution - an entrepreneurial revolution

Rizal Philippines
March 26, 2017

1. On the research facility -  A scientific game changing lab is bleeding profusely not because of its operational defects, but because it cant get support from the President, the doctors and the managers are quareling, the boss for the investors is blunt and unforgiving, and there is a lot of friction.  The strategy class does not handle  or delve on conflict resolution, and corporate politicsl

2.  Exercise on futlity  -  A GOCC is likely to fail in its mission as a cheap medicine procurement agency for the simple reason that the multi agency involved:  DOH DTI and the LGUS   (those are DTI, DILG, DOH)  will not buy from them, or that the admin code for buying , ie conducting the bidding that takes months even for their agency (these should not happen) That the student went through the ardous process of analysis can simply be solved by fiat or leadership move or a MoA wherein everybody promises to abide by the law.  And the law is clear (a simple case of insubordination, lack of communication, or cooperation)

3.  Family affair -  a student whose family owns a hospital proposes some brilliant analysis  and strategy.  But at the end of the day, nothing will happen and nothing will get done because her mother hates her, and sides with the other siblings,  her profession and her MBA cant move her mother to abide by her proposal.   The father on the other hand will not let go.

4. Some critical issues on revenue  - /This post appreciates more explanation on the data on the hospital in the south: 30% comes from PHIC, 30% comes from Diagnostics, and 30% comes from Pharma revenues, only 10% comes from admissions and board and lodging

It tells zillions that the hospital management and the strategist must mind the pharma, and diagnostics. That is why St Lukes and TMC makes zillions investments  for state of the art diagnostic sends their pharmacists to MBA, puts a pharma on every floor of the hospital, puts an ERP system for the pharma and that great relations must be made at PHIC, or beef our staff dealing with PHIC.  We should have had more time for that.

Since there are the main drivers of growth, they should guide the strategy and making the right decision

Some execs will remain as second in command and cant be strategists nor business owners

Every generation needs a revolution - an entrepreneurial revolution

Rizal Philippines
March 26, 2017


Some execs will remain as second in command and cant be strategists nor business owners/entrepreneurs.  Thats what the chairman of a large business told me.  He told me of  former senior officer he just got to run an operation.  From the way it looks, they are engaged in a constant debate or struggle, about the direction the business is to take.

How could that be.?"

Until I talked to the guy. He was sort of mayabang and kept on harping about his achievement. But take note that his former company closed in a big and embarrassing way and even boasted how he sold off some of the assets (for which he got some handsome commission). Despite his brilliance though, he cant see the big picture and aping the words of his chairman, which he could not fathom well.

I also observe my fellow panelists and their questions are shallow and often focus on the form (the scoring the matching of scores of this table with that table) and are not in depth analysis of the strama defense which must be searching, focusing on the critical thinking of the MBA candidate.

At the end of the day, and this is the defect of the course, the students come out with generic strategy that are more of the same, less of the same, that merely perpetuates administer the existing business, and in the strictest sense of the word, not really brilliant, strategic or game changing.

Some are country managers of multinationals. But their thinking is really that of subordinate who must report to a superior abroad.  

PREPREHO.