Woman power in a man’s world
Credit to Author: CYNTHIA U. SANTIAGO| Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2019 17:43:21 +0000
The new MAP president is getting the job
MANAGEMENT experts list a number of skills one must master to become an effective manager. Such skills may be summarized in three top qualities that best describe Rizalina ‘Riza’ Gervasio Mantaring, the new president of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) for 2019.
Academic excellence
Mantaring earned a Bachelor of Science degree, major in Electrical Engineering, cum laude, at the University of the Philippines (UP) with a BS Electrical Engineering degree. Then, she beefed up her academic qualification by working on a Master of Science degree, major in Computer Science at The State University of New York at Albany. She is also a Fellow of the Life Management Institute, with distinction.
In 2010, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary, the UP College of Engineering named Mantaring as one of the College’s 100 Most Outstanding Alumni of the Past Century.
Innovative leadership
Mantaring is chair of Sun Life Financial Philippine Holding Co., a director at Sun Life Grepa Financial, and also chair of Sun Life Foundation.
Started her career in Information Technology (IT), she joined Sun Life in 1992 as senior manager and head for Asia Pacific of the then Nascent Information Systems Department.
She built the IT function in Asia, managing the turnover from Toronto and Montreal to Manila as the hub for IT activity in the region. She gradually took on increasing responsibilities until she became chief operations officer for Asia in 2008, deputy president for Sun Life Philippines in March 2009, then CEO and country head from August 2009 to June 2018.
Mentoring also serves as chair of the 12 Sun Life Prosperity Funds aside from being a director of the various Sun Life companies. During her term, Sun Life implemented numerous industry firsts and innovations that paved the way for its leadership in the industry.
During her term as CEO, Sun Life’s market profile and brand strength significantly increased, with the pioneering and multi-awarded “It’s Time!” financial literacy advocacy campaign and the record-high increase in agency manpower numbers and sales. The company also entered bancassurance — an agreement between a bank and an insurance company which allows the insurance company to sell its products to the bank’s client base— with the creation of Sun Life Grepa Financial.
Outstanding achievements
Under Mantaring’s leadership, Sun Life won numerous prestigious awards, including the Life Insurance Company of the Year Award given at the 19th Asia Insurance Industry Awards (the first Filipino company to do so) and the 2015 Employer of the Year Award bestowed by People Management Association of the Philippines (the first life insurance company to win).
Her own accomplishments have likewise been recognized by prestigious award-giving bodies. She received the Asia Talent Management award at CNBC’s 2017 Asia Business Leader Awards and the CEO Excel Award from the International Association of Business Communicators-Philippines.
Apart from Sun Life she serves as an independent director of Ayala Land, First Philippine Holdings, and MicroVentures Foundation. She is also a board member of the Makati Business Club and Philippine Business for Education.
Fit for the job
Mantaring keeps fit to withstand the rigors of her management responsibilities. She has conquered not only man’s business world but what before was a manly sport.
In her spare time, she runs and she is one of only a handful of Filipino Six Stars, having completed the marathons in Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, London, and Tokyo.
And now she leads what used to be the predominantly male Management Association of the Philippines. She is MAP’s 70th president and the 4th woman president since its inception in 1950.
This year, Mantaring leads a distinguished group of management experts serving as MAP board members including Atty. Francisco “Francis” Ed. Lim, senior partner of ACCRALAW, as VP; Atty.
Benedicta “Dick” Du-Baladad, managing partner and CEO of Du-Baladad and Associates, as treasurer; Cesar Romero, country chair of Shell Companies in the Philippines, as asst. treasurer; and Maria Carolina “Carol” Dominguez, president and CEO of John Clements Consultants, as secretary.
Other Board members are Jose Rene Gregory “Rene” Almendras, president and CEO of AC
Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, John Philip “JP” Orbeta, managing director and head of Corporate Resources Group of Ayala Corporation, Justo “Tito” Ortiz, chair and CEO of UnionBank of the Philippines, and Gov. Amando “Say” M. Tetangco, Jr., member of the Board of Directors of Philippine Airlines (PAL).
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once famously said, “If you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.”
Having established herself at the top of the management arena, Mantaring has well proven she has a say in the business world, and yes, she can get the job done.
done.
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