PHILIPPINES – 9 December 2019 – Twenty outstanding Philippines’ entrepreneurs and organisations were honored at the recently concluded Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2019 or APEA, led by Megawide Construction Corporation’s Chairman and CEO, Mr. Edgar Saavedra and Robinsons Land Corporation’s President and CEO, Mr. Frederick D. Go.
An initiative by Enterprise Asia, the leading non-governmental organization for entrepreneurship in Asia, APEA is the largest regional recognition program, with over 3,000 nominations received each year, and less than one tenth of that receiving the awards in all 14 markets. With the theme of ‘Promoting Inclusive Economic Development Through Sustainable Entrepreneurship’, over 300 attendees were present at the by-invitation only event, comprising of industry leaders and dignitaries.
Leading the list of winners was Mr. Frederick Go, Robinsons Land Corporation’s President and CEO who received the award under Entrepreneur of the Year in the Property Development Industry.
About Mr. Frederick Go
Frederick D. Go, President and Chief Executive Officer of Robinsons Land Corporation, has always been one to rise up to a challenge. In 1992, when he entered Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) with a vision to lead the company forward, Frederick began his entrepreneurial journey with the construction of Robinsons Place Bacolod Mall and the redevelopment of Robinsons Place Manila. Frederick’s success did not come without its fair share of trials. Today, RLC is one of the country’s leading real estate companies with 52 malls, 21 office developments, 76 residential buildings, 38 housing subdivisions, 20 hotels, and 19 mixed-use developments.
At the height of the 2007 global financial crisis, the business of office building spaces suffered as multinational companies put expansion programs to a halt. Whereas others slowed down to manage resources, Frederick saw an opportunity to expand in a different category. He took a risk with an unproven and unique business model and launched Go Hotels. Over a decade since then, Go Hotels growing portfolio proves that it was a business risk based on keen market knowledge and insight.
In each of his dealings, Frederick exemplifies sharp management and business sense. These qualities make him an exceptional leader in the field of real estate. “I wouldn’t be here today without going through many challenges. My upbringing and education trained me to be logical, process-oriented, entrepreneurial, fair, and resourceful,” he said.
Keeping abreast with the demands of the digital age, he ventured into the flexible workspace arena with work.able, a plug-and-play type of private workspace designed to enable users to bring their business wherever they want. “I think technology is the biggest change from when I started to today.” he mentions. He is at the forefront of digital transformation in the company as he champions the integration of modern tools and ways of working.
When asked about his remarkable success over the years, Frederick shares that he relies on three main principles: customer obsession, execution excellence, identifying pain points and making life easier for people. “These three things are very important to keep an organization going. I always think that being a non-bureaucratic, flexible organization matters a lot..” Frederick is always on the lookout against bureaucracy and is in constant communication about it with his people. “It’s our job to make life easier for both the customer and my team,” he says.
Looking ahead, Frederick is expecting RLC to grow through a variety of revenue streams, including partnerships with other real estate firms, industrial and warehouse leasing, the development of more hotels and fully integrated communities like Bridgetowne, and experimental projects in the mold of work.able.
About Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards
Launched in 2007, the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards is the region’s most prestigious awards for outstanding entrepreneurship, continuous innovation and sustainable leadership. The Award provides a platform for companies and governments to recognize entrepreneurial excellence, hence spurring greater innovation, fair business practices and growth in entrepreneurship. As a regional award, it groups together leading entrepreneurs as a powerful voice for entrepreneurship and serves as a by-invitation only networking powerhouse. The program has grown to encompass 14 countries and markets all over Asia. For further information, visit www.apea.asia.
