Another First!

Disclaimer: This 'publication' has not been approved nor seen by anybody from the Lopez group prior to posting. In other words, some of the comments may just be from the writers perception.

IN SYNC

Living excellence & social responsibility

The Lopez Way

Something New

A business conference with a Twist

October 21-22, 2008, Eugenio Lopez Center, Antipolo, Rizal

On his 10th year with the Lopez Group, Rene Jueco Mayol, with his Business Excellence Team and the Lopez Group Foundation, pulled another first!

A business conference for the Lopez companies' to share their respective best practices and corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs and activities.

The CSR programs and activities presented were those that have been awarded by external bodies; while the best business practices were the recipients of the Lopez Achievement Award (LAA) and the Oscar M.Lopez Award for Performance Excellence (Oscars).

The conference initially had a target of 50 participants. This was adjusted to 200 when the companies started asking for participant allocations. When pre-registration closed at the end-of-business on Friday, 17 October, there were 298 on the list! This number did NOT include the 79 moderators, facilitators, and speakers.

By the 2nd day of the conference, net of the no-shows, there was a total of 305 participants!!! There was 1 no-show speaker...the company sent a replacement.

For the breakdown:

• Day 1: 10:05AM - 211 pax have signed in.
• Day 2: 09:20AM - 200 pax were seated in plenary.
• All breakout sessions were either SRO or filled to seating capacity. The 3 breakout rooms used have the following seating capacity: 66 (+15 seats added - Mini Theatre), 60 seats (Lecture/Meeting room 1 & 2)

The participants truly and actively participated! They attended the plenary and breakout sessions; and as appropriate, they asked questions, gave their opinions, gave suggestions. It was an resounding and unprecedented SUCCESS!!!

Mr Oscar Lopez, Chairman of the Lopez Group, stayed for the 2 day conference; joined and actively participated in some of the breakout sessions. Mr Manolo Lopez, Chairman of MERALCO, stayed for the morning of the 2nd day. Mr Gabby Lopez, Chairman and CEO of ABS-CBN arrived at noon of the 2nd day and stayed until his slot at 4:45PM. These are currently the 3 pillars of the group of companies. They are sometimes called 'The 3 Kings', 'The 3 Dons', and 'The Trinity'.

The Conference

While there was a 7-point objective for the conference that was published in its posters, invitations, and souvenir handouts, this event is aligned with the Malcolm Baldridge business excellence model - the sharing of best practices that enabled to companies to be recipients of the LAA and the Oscars.

The event also had top leaders of the Lopez Group as presentors or speakers. This partially fulfills the Leadership and Knowledge Sharing categories of the business excellence model.

The Program

The Nay-Sayers

No activity is without its detractors.

At the outset, when the conference was first presented as a proposal, 2 VPs were unanimous in saying "who's going to be attending your conference?" (sino'ng aatend sa conference mo?). When the plans were underway and the announcements were released "napaka-gastos mo talaga". At the end of Day 1: "ang laki ng gastos mo".

The only rebuttal of note: at least when I spend the company's money, I show results! (at least kung ako ang gumagastos, me results!).

The Accolades

"....I've never seen this many people..." - Mr Oscar M. Lopez

"as many of you know, I've planned for election campaigns, both national and local...akala ko ang galing-galing ko na...every 15 minutes, this activity....me mas magaling pa pala sa akin. I congratulate the organizers of this conference..." - Mr Paul Aquino, President and CEO of Energy Develpment Corporation (EDC)

A number of "CONGRATULATIONS" from peers, partners, customers from the group of companies.

The Core Teams

The Business Excellence Team: Rene Mayol, Maribel Relatado-Rubia, Roel Espinoza, Glenn Perez, Amy Agaton. Mr. Ben Liboro, Director.

The CSR Team from the Lopez Group Foundation Inc: Dulce Festin-Baybay, Diane Miñon, Julie Cuevas, Vanessa Suquila, Benjo Sandoval. Mr Raffy Alunan, Executive Director.

With: Ritzi Ronquillo (MERALCO), Rosan Cruz (Benpres PR)

and, TEAM ASIA.

Other "Firsts" from RJM

Upon joining the Lopez Group, Rene developed the ESH-Management Assessment Rating System (MARS) a rating system and subsequent award levels of Chairman, President, and Founders. This eventually evolved to the EHS-Business Assessment Rating System (BARS). Both of these are based on the ISO Environment, Safety and Health standards...the latter incorporated business excellence.