by rossanahead | Mar 9, 2017 | gender equality, woman
Today is International Women’s Day and what better way to celebrate it than to give tribute to all the hardworking women in the world.
For the longest time, society has dictated what women should do, where they should work, what they should wear and where they should go. That’s not the case anymore. Today, women are working their way up in male-dominated fields.
More and more women are occupying the highest seats in the biggest companies in the world.There are also iconic women rising to the top of public service. And incredibly, women are slowly being known as great influencers.
Smartsuperwomen.com was created in 2011 to help women from all walks of life reach their fullest potential. To celebrate its 7th year, this website will be improved and re-launched to meet the needs of more women in different fields. So whether you are a mother, a working woman or an entrepreneur, smartsuperwomen.com will be here to help you. It will also continue sharing stories, tips and informative articles which can serve as a woman’s guide in everyday living. These changes in the website represent the progress women have made throughout the years.
So cheers to all mothers, women in the corporate world and the business industry. Cheers to female public servants, influencers and doers. You are the reason why we celebrate today.
Featured Photo by Josh Howard on Unsplash
by rossanahead | Mar 8, 2017 | Existing Business, Recent Posts
By Romelda C. Ascutia
The Philippines is one of the top countries in the world in terms of the proportion of women holding senior management positions in business, according to a new global study by international professional services firm Grant Thornton.
Women business leaders account for 40% of the members of senior management teams in the Philippine corporate world, earning recognition for the country for its embrace of diversity, said the 2017 study entitled “Women in Business: New Perspectives on Risk and Reward,” released this March.
Along with the Philippines, receiving top marks as well for diversity in the workplace are Russia (with 47% of senior business leaders being women), Indonesia (46%), Estonia (40%), Poland (40%), and Lithuania (37%).
But in some nations, prospects for women in business are less bright. Among those cited for having male-dominated senior management teams are Japan (only 7% are female), Argentina (15%), India (17%), Germany (18%), Brazil (19%), and the United Kingdom (19%).
Globally, the report said, women now hold 25% of senior management roles at companies. This, however, is up by just one percentage point from 2016 and an improvement of only 6% since research began in 2004, Grant Thornton said in the report issued in conjunction with International Women’s Day.
On the other hand, the percentage of companies that have no female participation at senior level rose by a percentage point in 2017 to 34%.
“Globally, one in four senior roles is now held by a woman. This is a slight increase from last year. But the proportion of businesses with no women in senior leadership positions has also risen,” said the report.
Once again, it added, developing countries are leading the charge on diversity, with many major economies continuing to lag behind.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, is the most diverse, with 36% of females in senior business posts, up from 34% in 2016.
In contrast, developed Asia-Pacific has a staggering 54% of business that had no women in senior roles, compared to only 13% of companies that did.
In terms of senior management roles, 23% of human resources directors worldwide are represented by women in 2017, unchanged from 2016. Female chief financial officers comprise 19% of total CFOs, down from 21% in 2016, while women chief executive officers rose to 12% this year from 9% last year.
Meanwhile female chief operating officers in 2017 are recorded at 9% from 8% in 2016; chief marketing officers have an 8% share of total CMO posts, a decline from 11% last year; corporate controllers 8% from 10%; and sales director 6% in 2017, a pullback from 8% in 2016.
According to the annual report, geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties are pushing diversity down the list of priorities for companies. “Leaders are concerned with reducing costs and retaining talent, relegating diversity to a nice-to-have rather than a must-have,” it noted.
The study said more needs to be done to level the playing field for women at all levels of the corporate ladder, emphasizing that diversity is key to business success.
“Diverse teams benefit from connections to a wider network, increased legitimacy among stakeholders and better decision-making,” said the report.
It recommended steps to have more diversity in leadership roles, such as implementing organization-wide changes, creating conductive environments, and sponsoring more women to climb the corporate ladder instead of only offering mentoring.
The findings for the 2017 report were based on a survey of 5,500 businesses across 36 countries conducted between July and December 2016.
Photo courtesy of www.BoldContentVideo.com
Featured Photo Courtesy of The Filipino Times
by rossanahead | Mar 7, 2017 | Recent Posts, Trainers
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is holding a tax forum on March 10, 2017 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Makati Shangri-La. For the program of the forum, entitled “Deepening Understanding of Package 1 of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (HBs 4774, 4688 and 4888),” click here.
Interested parties may call PCCI at (02) 846-8196 loc.110 or send an email to advocacy@philippinechamber.com.
Featured Photo Courtesy of Manila Bulletin Business
by rossanahead | Mar 7, 2017 | Existing Business
While the term “millennial” is oftentimes broadly equated with words like “entitled“ “spoiled,” and “narcissistic,” many millennials are in fact bucking this stereotype—they are showing in their own special and pioneering way that they’re doing more than their fair share in helping shape a better tomorrow for humankind.
Let’s meet three young Filipinas who are proving critics of millennials wrong as they strive to make their mark as social entrepreneurs in their chosen fields of endeavor.
When she was 13, Mica Tan started trading stocks and at 19, she formed her own distribution business. At 21, she established MFT Group of Companies, a financial holdings firm that provides financial assistance to other companies.
“In just a span of a year and a half, MFT has already undergone a whole lot of changes,” Mica says. “We started with two companies under our belt and now we have expanded to nine and are still growing. Our company focuses on angel investing which provides tailor-made funding to empower, as of the moment, nine businesses (some of them as old as forty years) to achieve their goals. These firms are engaged in diverse businesses and fields including manufacturing, publishing, film production, agriculture, and soon, pharmaceuticals.”
Mica adds that “with every company that joins or opens up to a young group like us, we see it as a way for us to also grow personally and professionally.”
In her first year in high school, Alexandra “Alex” Eduque got involved with Habitat for Humanity through a school project in which she was assigned to volunteer her services in helping to build homes for the underprivileged in a community in Amadeo, Cavite.
The weeklong experience made a huge impression on her, she recalls. “I remember enjoying it so much and finding so much fulfillment in what I was able to accomplish that week, and thought to myself that if I got involved even more and shared more of my time, I would be able to help out even more than I already had.”
“That summer, I took it upon myself to contact the Habitat for Humanity headquarters in the Philippines and a few weeks later, I found myself building homes in Baseco, Tondo, Manila. For two months, I went there every day and engaged in a multitude of construction tasks, alongside making friends with the community.”
From there, Alex has moved on to found her own organizations, such as Move.org Foundation, Inc., also known as MovEd (Molding Optimism and Values through Education), an offshoot of her undergraduate thesis work at Barnard College in New York. MovEd provides early childhood care and development programs in underserved communities through holistic education, providing children with the foundation to succeed in school.
When Tal de Guzman of Risqué Designs by Tal was studying fashion and accessories design, she realized that most Filipino designers were focused on apparel, bags, or jewelry. She noted that Filipino shoe designers were rare, and even rarer were those who used local materials in their creations. She found this scarcity to be an opportunity worth exploring.
And so Risqué Designs by Tal, her first business venture, was formed. “Most brands are content with using conventional materials such as leather, suede, canvas and lace,” she says. “But the Philippines has a rich array of textiles. Risqué uses handwoven fabrics from different parts of the country, but now mostly focuses on the traditional art of hablon-making in Valladolid, Negros Occidental. We not only use this fabric in our designs, but we also help our hablon weavers improve their income—this is part of our advocacy.”
Tal adds that many of her shoe designs are outrageous enough to make people do a double take and question if they are wearable or not (they are). “I like pushing boundaries with my designs, making use of materials in ways that haven’t been used before for shoes,” she says.
Because of her unique designs, Tal has been the recipient of different recognitions and awards. “Somehow it feels like a sort of validation, in terms of the concept and the business,” she says. “It propels me to move forward and do more.”
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
by rossanahead | Mar 6, 2017 | business, career, Education, gender equality
Written by Susan Agustin, Go Negosyo
To kick of National Women’s Month, Go Negosyo sa Radyo aired a femme-powered episode on March 1 with two phenomenal women entrepreneurs as guests. Hosts Sen. Bam Aquino & DJ Cheska San Diego-Bobadilla were joined by Emma Imperial of Imperial Homes and Rossana Llenado of AHEAD Tutorial and Review Center. Both have been previously awarded by Go Negosyo (Imperial in 2015 and Llenado in 2016) for being women entrepreneurs worth emulating.
On March 30, Go Negosyo will award another batch of women in the Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneur Awards 2017 which will be held in the prestigious Malacañan Palace. Much like Imperial and Llenado, the women who will be given recognition are those who have sparked significant progress and inspired change in the entrepreneurial community.
Sen. Bam and DJ Cheska began the episode by setting the tone for the listeners. At the end of the hour, they hoped to have uplifted the listeners and opened their eyes to the nuances of women entrepreneurs’ experiences.
Imperial Homes Group of Companies
Emma Imperial was the first to share her story. She is a well-decorated and respected CEO in the realty industry wherein her male counterparts mostly dominate. Imperial shared that at the onset of her career, she had to prove herself as someone worth paying attention to. “Big developers are usually male and the engineers that work for me are mostly male as well.” Despite these odds, Imperial has managed to lead her company to becoming well-recognized globally. With recognitions under her name like Biz News Asia 2016 Entrepreneurship Awardee and Filipina Women Network’s 100 Most Influential Filipinas 2015, it is an understatement to say that Imperial is at the top of her game.
Likewise, her company is equally laudable and has even received international attention. Imperial Homes Group of Companies was awarded by the CEO Asia Awards 2015 as the ADEC Innovation Green Company of the Year, certified by IFC-World Bank Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) for Green Building, and recognized by the Financial Times in 2016 as a nominee for the Transformational Business Awards. “You don’t have to be big to be counted in the global community. It’s about innovation and how you believe you’ll help your country; it’s not about the size but the idea,” Imperial shared.
Her big idea manifested when her company decided to construct solar-powered small houses. It was for them, a way to address the backlog of housing in the country as they were low-cost and efficient. In a country where solar power is somehow relegated to more expensive projects, Imperial homes saw the potential for them to be ideal for the provinces where brownouts were frequent. The switch to solar meant that these areas would never have to suffer from power cuts and solar at scale would actually be energy and cost efficient. It was a revolutionary idea: solar power for low-income families. After her company started this project, many took notice. “Ginawa tayong poster child ng World Bank,” Imperial proudly says.
With her story, Imperial wishes to impart to other women entrepreneurs that working in a male-dominated business doesn’t have to be a struggle. Although you have to prove yourself worthy at first, she shares that strict implementation and being consistent with your policies ultimately makes others listen. She’s proud that her organization is now seeing a lot of interest from the youth because the youth she says, are intrigued by innovation (like Imperial Homes solar-powered low-cost houses)
Not to take away from the men in her industry, but Imperial shares that she believes women have more heart than men. “ I had more chances to make my business high-end, but I chose to cater to the low-end group. I can also honestly stop doing business now and I’d be okay but I can’t stop because of my employees.”
She also shares that it’s important for women in business to have camaraderie. She shares that when she was starting in her industry, it was hard to be part of bigger projects because the men would already have a so-called “boys club” and she would be left out. Today, she happily shares that women entrepreneurs have already set-up similar groups to support each other and they often meet about projects related to nation-building.
AHEAD Tutorial and Review Center
Rosanna Llenado was the second guest who shared her story and insights on what it means to be a successful woman entrepreneur. She was named as one of the 100 Most Amazing Filipinas by Summit Media in 2012 and received numerous awards from the Philippine Marketing Association, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Entrepreneur Magazine. Her business, AHEAD is one of the most venerated tutorial and learning centers in the country. As one of the first tutorial centers to offer college entrance exams review programs, Llenado eventually expanded their services to offer a wide range of programs to complement students’ learning.
Recently, they’ve put a center that focuses on teaching Singapore Math— a method that she believes is more functional and practical which eventually makes student’s more proficient at the often dreaded subject. They’re also offering courses on speed reading and mind-mapping which are valuable skills for any student tackling difficult and lengthy reading materials. From a small business started at her home, AHEAD has now risen as the go-to tutorial center in the metro because of its quality and comprehensive programs that position students for excellence.
When Llenado was asked about her opinion on Filipina entrepreneurs, she says that a lot of Filipinas are still scared to enter into business. But what most Filipinas don’t know, she said, is that we’re relatively lucky compared to women from other countries. She discovered this fact when she conducted a research on women entrepreneurs across the world. She found out that the Philippines was ranked #5 on the list of women-friendly countries for business. She further shares that there are some countries wherein women aren’t allowed to have properties or businesses registered to their name and would have to put them under their father’s or husband’s.
She recognizes that there are a lot more women entrepreneurs now compared to when she first started AHEAD. But she says that despite this increase, women will still encounter struggle or discrimination, especially when they’re just starting out. “I also had an experience when I struggled with doing business as a woman; I was invited to do business with these group of guys.
I noticed one of the men was trying to pulling one over us, and I called him out. They eventually met without me and kicked me out. True enough, that man I called out did deceive all of them.”
Despite the welcome positive change of more women entering business, Llenado wishes however, that more women in our country would hold positions in different boards. She noticed that most board of directors and trustees are still predominantly male. “Women can lead. We’ve had two women presidents! And in the senate and company presidents, ang dami rin babae.” So, why should the boards be different, right?
Llenado and Imperial’s stories are just two amongst a plethora of inspiring success stories of FIlipina entrepreneurs. They are a testament to the woman’s ability to lead and succeed. So, if you’re a woman, currently aspiring to turn that business dream into reality, but afraid to start, here are choice words from our two guests yesterday:
“Do things for the greater good of the country. Imperial Homes never really intended to become a social enterprise, but because we had the heart to think of the communities that other competitors weren’t thinking of, we were able to distinguish ourselves from them. We profited of course— but that naturally follows when you do good work” – Emma Imperial
“If you don’t know where to start, ask yourself— whats the right business for me? ano ang kailangan ng kababayan ko? If you can answer these two and somehow the answer is one thing then that’s a good place to start.” – Rosanna Llenado
