BYU Management Society to empower Asian leaders in its Annual Conference in Manila

To inspire and empower Asian business and management leaders, the Brigham Young University Management Society (BYU-MS) will hold a two-day Asia Regional Conference on November 24-25, 2023, in Quezon City, Philippines.

Holding the event for the first time in the Philippines, George Kenneth Lee, the BYU MS Philippines Chapter President, has prepared an extensive list of resource persons who are experts in their fields, leaving no dull moment in the two-day program designed to instill moral and ethical leadership to best practices in business and management.

This year, the BYU MS Asia convenes under the theme: “Leadership in a Changing World: Utilizing Technology in the Work Business Environment, Improving Diversity and Increasing Moral Values.” The two-day conference will be held at the Aurora Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City.

“The event's objective is developing leaders in this ever-changing world faced with constantly changing challenges in helping be competitive in the work or business environment equipped with skills that will help them become the type of leaders needed by our society,” Lee said.

“Competition drives people to test their moral values whether at work, business or in the development of their careers. In the Philippines, we need visionary leaders who have the passion in their own endeavors but also have the strength to keep moral values such as honesty, integrity, fairness, and compassion towards others,” he added.

Among those invited to speak on November 24, the first day of the Conference, are Anita Hummel, Global Board President of BYU MS Asia and founder of Mondoro; Philip Tan, Country Director of The Academy for Creating Enterprise; Wilfredo “Dondie” Rellora Jr., the Country Head of Risk and Internal Control for Siemens; Elvin Laceda, CEO of RiceUP Farmers, Inc.; Mary Elaine Timbol, CEO of Sakahon Marketplace, Inc.; and Dr. John M. Cutter, DDS, President of TeethCloud.

On the second day, November 25, equally distinguished guests are expected to lead the discussions, along with Ms. Astrid Tuminez, President of Utah Valley University, and Nyla Burgos, Senior Vice President of QStrike Innovations; Dr. Gigi Sunga, the Rockstar CEO; Matt Eyring of BYU Pathway-Worldwide; Shane Cragun, Managing Partner of LeadersCode.ai; and April Fernando-Adao of Global Psychosocial Taskforce and Smile Train.

Also confirmed to attend are Financial Journalist Salve Duplito, Founder and President of Empower & Transform; Arlyn Almacen-Revillo, Service Delivery Director of Concentrix; and Junell and Julie Hernando, Founders of Lighthouse Sanctuary.

Lee, also serving as an Area Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has also confirmed the attendance of Elder Steven R. Bangerter, President of the Philippines Area of the Church, as the event’s culminating speaker. Jonathan Toronto, the General Counsel of the Philippines Area, will also share his experiences balancing law and ethics.

“This conference is for all to learn, ponder, and somehow be able to apply the principles learned from the conference keynote speakers, presenters, and panelists who will provide their wealth of knowledge to those attending whether virtual or in person,” Lee emphasized.

“The event is for anyone looking into professional development, leadership training, and building a career or a business that teaches moral values and ethics,” he added.

Apart from the rich pool of resources available at the conference, business teams from Mongolia, Taiwan, India, and the Philippines are expected to participate in the BYU-MS Business Plan Competition, where the top three winners in three categories will be selected. The Business Plan Competition was organized and supported by BYU-MS Provo, Chet Hamer and doTERRA Philippines.

Teams joining the competition will be given invaluable advice by a panel of experts from the branding, marketing, freelancing and the gig economy, including Guilla Garcia of Faith.ph, Florante Luis, a marketing strategist from the Agency of Freelancers; Maz Elix-Antolin of Soar.com; Elaine Timbol, CEO and co-founder of Sakahon; and Elvin Jerome Laceda from the Young Farmers Association.

For those interested in attending this year’s Asia Pacific Annual Conference, registration is still available here: https://tinyurl.com/533by6pf. For more information, visit the BYU Management Society’s website at https://tinyurl.com/23n73khr.