Gokongwei named MAP Management Man

MANILA, Philippines — Taipan John Gokongwei Jr., 91, is this year’s Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) Management Man of the Year, joining the ranks of some of the country’s best businessmen, government officials and top executives.

The organization, led by its president Marife Zamora, announced Gokongwei’s selection yesterday.

Gokongwei, founder of JG Summit Holdings Inc., is the country’s second richest with a net worth of $5.5 billion, according to Forbes.

He bagged the prestigious title for “his business acumen and management qualities.”

MAP said that these qualities steered the Gokongwei Group into remarkable growth.

The organization also recognized his “foresight and exceptional ability to launch new ventures and transform existing ones to better adapt to challenging times and an unpredictable future.”

He was likewise chosen for “his leadership role in the substantial contributions of the Gokongwei Group to national development, job creation and income generation through its huge investments in food manufacturing, real estate, air transportation, banking, petrochemicals, shopping malls, livestock farming, publications, power generation, power generation and telecommunications.”

In all, MAP said, Gokongwei is an “entrepreneur par excellence and an exemplar of Filipino talent in management excellence for national building.”

Sought for comment, Gokongwei’s son Lance welcomed the recognition.

“We are all very proud of my dad and want to thank the MAP for recognizing his achievement in nation building and entrepreneurship,” the younger Gokongwei said.

The MAP Management Man of the Year is a prestigious award that MAP bestows on individuals in the business community or government “for attaining unquestioned distinction in the practice of management and for contributing to the country’s progress.”

The conferment of the award follows a thorough, stringent selection process.