2023 Retail Asia Forum-Manila

A Mass Communications graduate from the UP- Diliman, a Media Course earned from Pennsylvania, USA and Trade- related Course from Brisbane, Australia.

She started her career as a radio and television announcer and joined the government through the Departments of Trade & Industry and Tourism.

Her stint at the DOT transformed her home region into a Next in Mind destination. At the head office she led the institutionalization of national programs like OJT for Hotels and Academe, Needs and Gaps Assessment for Training and inclusion of regions in the Mabuhay Awards.

She has served as Resource Person for international talks in South Korea, China and ASEAN countries on Tourism-related matters.

She initiated Curricular Reforms at the PTTC and is leading the Institutional Reforms of Industry Skills through the introduction of the Philippine Skills Framework. She possesses both passion and commitment to manage and execute effective operation while ensuring a strong link between national policies and regional concerns.

Declared Woman Leader, Ulirang Ina awardee, Crystal International Women Awardee and Outstanding Teduray Achiever Award, our speaker is the Executive Director of the DTI – Philippine Trade Training Center and the Project Director of the Philippine Skills Framework Initiative. 

Julian Cua is a Filipino Partner at BCG Manila and leads the firm’s Center for Consumer Insights in the Philippines. Since joining BCG in 2010, he has worked primarily on Digital Transformation programs focused on growth and delivering innovative experiences for consumers. Julian also carries and MBA from London Business School and has worked previously at Amazon in the UK.

Bernard Ong is the President of Ace Hardware Philippines.

He has 33 years business leadership experience, including 22 years in general management and 5 years in global marketing. He has run businesses or led projects in diverse industries including FMCG (P&G, Unilever), metals (Reynolds), energy (Shell) and financial services.

At Unilever, Bernard was responsible for branded retail initiatives covering 2000+ stores in all 6 continents in 2001 to 2005.

Bernard joined Ace Hardware in 2012 and has helped the Philippine team reach significant milestones.

In 2017, Ace Philippines became the largest Ace franchise chain in the world. In 2022 and 2023, Ace Philippines was awarded Retail Asia’s back-to-back Hardware Retailer of the Year-Philippines. The company was also awarded Retail Asia’s ESG Initiative of the Year-Philippines in 2023.  

Bernard earned his MBA from IMD in Switzerland. He has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics from the University of the Philippines in Diliman.

Marco has over a decade of experience in technology, supply chain and retail. As the Commercial Director APAC for Cegid, he helps large specialty retailers solve complex retail challenges ranging from O2O execution, staff enablement, country compliance, to China expansion. Today Cegid powers 85,000 stores for 1,000 brands globally, with a leading cloud POS and unified commerce platform.

Kaye is a Business Consulting Partner in SGV & Co, a member firm of EY. She has extensive experience in finance transformation programs, and helped companies envision the future of their finance function and create a transformation program from design to implementation. She also focuses on helping multinational companies set-up their shared services or global business services in the Philippines.

Graham Coates is a British national with extensive international management experience in numerous culturally diverse locations such as Asia (twenty eight years), Europe (eight years) and the United States (four years). He has demonstrated a record of sustained profitable growth, building world-class organizations and driving change for global, multinational and family owned corporations and entrepreneurial companies in the United States, Europe and Asia. Graham is skilled in P&L, Operations, Merchandising, Marketing, Customer Development, Business Development and Logistics. 

Graham's General Management expertise combines a unique leadership style of motivating, mentoring and strategic and tactical know-how to foster performance improvement. Over the years, he has honed these skills towards managing and motivating large teams through significant change, while achieving great results and improving bottom line performance via innovative programs both in back-end and frontline operations. He brings with him a wealth of experience that cuts through many retail formats and cross functions. 

He is a visionary executive with global experience in conceptualising ideas, seizing opportunities, building operations, and creating new business development initiatives. He has carved out a blended career path in all functions to seamlessly partner at all levels of company. He is a sound decision maker with savvy that gives the flexibility and ability needed to adapt to the dynamics of the market place. 

He is an expert strategist with special focus on managing start-ups, turnarounds and rapid growth companies in emerging markets. He is recognised for sound fiscal management and delivering P&L results that enhance profitability, reduce costs, and optimise shareholder value. 

Graham is currently the First Vice President and Head of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, Philippines' pioneer of the Live-Play-Work township concept. He is managing all the business aspect of the company from managing the P&L to operations, leasing, creatives, brand and marketing. 

Graham was previously the COO for Century Properties Inc., one of the Philippines' leading Real Estate Developers. He was tasked with building their first ever high-end mall within Makati City, the central business district of the Philippines. 

Graham was the CEO for Metro Gaisano Group, a position that he was headhunted for by Amrop International, after having formerly worked with the Robinsons Retail Group as general manager for six years. 

In the Philippine context, he has the unique advantage of being very familiar with all retail formats, the working environment of the country and the specific demands and challenges that the Philippines has for any senior executive. He has a permanent Residence Immigration status in the Philippines. 

Graham also has his own retail consultancy company GMC management consulting, which he runs with his wife focusing on executive search and working as an advisor on several retail companies.

Samuel Powell has recently been appointed as the CEO of HMR Philippines, after almost a decade of successfully growing the HMR Group’s auction company. During his tenure as CEO of HMR Auctions, he established the Philippine’s first live public automotive auction and developed the country’s largest online auction platform – HMR Bid. Specializing in the liquidation of commercial assets.

Samuel now leads HMR Philippines, the industry leader in full-service asset management for retail consumer returns. They offer logistics, refurbishment and omni-channel sales solutions to extract maximum value from every surplus asset, all while minimizing landfill by ensuring assets are re-purposed in the circular economy.

In his leisure time, Samuel enjoys playing tennis as well as co-managing a fantasy football team with his 11-year-old son.

I'm Marcela D Luca , and I'm honored to be here at this conference. With a career spanning more than 25 years in the retail industry, I've developed a deep expertise in successfully navigating the complex and ever-evolving retail landscape. From my roles as a retail executive in both the United States and Southeast Asia, I've honed the skills necessary to thrive amidst the constant shifts in consumer behavior, emerging technologies, and market trends.

My passion lies in strategically adapting to change, identifying emerging opportunities, and leading teams through transformational periods in the retail sector. I've not only witnessed but actively participated in the industry's transformation, from traditional brick-and-mortar retail to the digital age.

I'm eager to engage in discussions, share my experiences, and learn from fellow industry leaders here at this conference. Together, we can explore the strategies and insights that empower us to thrive in the dynamic world of retail.

Yukiko Tsukamoto is a member of Bain & Company’s Financial Services and Consumer Products practices. 

She has more than 15 years of consulting experience across a range of industries in Japan, North America and Southeast Asia, including food and beverage, retail, luxury goods, credit cards, insurance, and investment funds for multinational clients. Yukiko co-leads the firm’s Tokyo Sustainability practice.  

Yukiko earned her MBA from Harvard University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from Keio University. 

Ms. Rosemarie Bosch-Ong is the Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Wilcon Depot who has made a significant impact in the home improvement and construction retail industry with her knowledge and experience in marketing, administration, and operations.  

Rosemarie has been in the industry for more than 40 years, starting out as the Purchasing Manager of then Wilcon Builders Supply, Inc. in 1984. In addition to her integral role in Wilcon, she is also the Chairwoman of the Philippine Retailers Association, serving as President for six years. She is also heavily involved with various advocacies and organizations, taking on leadership positions in Wilcon Foundation as President, Board Director at WomenBiz Philippines, Chairman of Trade at the Philippine Chamber Commerce and Industry, and Founding Director of Proptech Consortium of the Philippines to name a few. In addition, she’s a regular columnist for the Philippine Star with her column, “Rose to the Occassion”. 

She received an MBA with Distinction from the De La Salle University, and an undergraduate degree from the University of the East, Philippines. She also took Digital Transformation at Insead with distinction. She is a loving mother to her son, Amos Timothy, and a devoted wife to Antonio(+). 

She has been invited to numerous forums, conferences as resource speaker, panelist or keynote speaker sharing her insights, expertise and experience in Retail, operational practices, Economics and Digital Transformation 

Because of her tenacity, she has been recognized and have won International and National Awards such as the Philippine Daily Inquirer Woman in Power Awardee 2023, World Women Leadership Congress 2023, Philippines Women Leader-Hall of Famer, University of the Philippines Goad Oblation Award 2023, International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge Award 2018 among others. 

Mehdi is a Partner based in Thailand. He has over 11 years of experience in marketing sales, distribution, e-commerce and digital within the FMCG and healthcare industries across Asia, Europe and Latin America. Mehdi brings with him an excellent track record in strategy formulation, business development and large-scale expansion growth within top tier MNCs in the personal care, healthcare and food industry. He holds a B.A. in International Business Management from Edinburgh Napier University and a Masters in Management from EDHEC Business School. 

Shayne has been in the media industry for almost 20 years, having spent her journey with Starcom, Carat, UM, Mediacom, iProspect, and now as Chief Digital Officer of Havas Media Ortega.  Shayne has brought home recognitions locally and regionally – three of which include Campaign Asia Digital Agency of the Year Award 2017, Campaign Asia '40 under 40' in Asia Pacific, and Campaign Asia Women to Watch 2020.  She has also served in prestigious shows including 4As AOY Philippines and Festival of Media Asia-Pacific 2023.

Shayne is a teacher by heart - she is a regular subject-matter-expert and media program chair at the CDM program (Certified Digital Marketer Program), and a veteran speaker in multiple marketing events: including Nicholas Hall Conference in Vienna Austria last 2018 and London last 2019.

Shayne also currently teaches in UP Diliman, College of Mass Communications.

Frankie is a leader that embodies the new generation of the culture of creativity. She is the driving force behind the 5-year creative agency called Oddefy who has worked on several campaigns in retail with brands such as SM Fashion, L'occitanne, BYS Cosmetics, PhilUSA personal care products and more.  With a background in e-commerce, fintech & marketing technology, she has harnessed her skills to lead and be able to provide a space for creatives and marketers to collaborate in growing and enabling brands.  She is a visionary with a passion for shaping the next generation of creativity & culture in Marketing.

Mr Charlie Villaseñor is a board level supply chain leader and known as a supply chain icon in Asia and globally having led and pioneered many supply chain innovations. With his vision of making the Philippines as a supply chain back-office capital of the world, He founded and led the leading Supply Chain institute, and solutions & services (BPO) company in the region operating successfully for 21 years now.

He also had many years of experience leading supply chain, procurement and logistics for many years of American companies namely; Chevron (asia/middle east/Africa) , Cola-Cola Export Corp Philippines , and 3M Philippines. He was he founder COO of the Philippines largest eCommerce B2B supply management platform in early 2000 previously consortium owned by the country’s 6 largest multi-industry conglomerates. He was also head of Ariba in Asean region, a leading American eprocurement software company. and was also formerly Senior Vice President of LBC Express.

Happily married to Janet Yater Villasenor and blessed with twin boys (16 years old) Gabs & Migs.

Arnold T. Gonzales’s career in tourism spans over thirty years. He began his government service as a Market Specialist III at the Travel Trade Sales Department of the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC). He then went on to specialize in on-site marketing and promotions as Public Relations Officer III assigned at the Department of Tourism (DOT) Office in Paris, France. He later transferred to the DOT Office in Frankfurt, Germany as Market Specialist III to work side by side with the Tourism Attaché in the supervision and management of the DOT field office.

Over all, he spent 18 years overseas before heading back to the DOT Head Office in Manila to be part of its Market Development Group as Senior Tourism Operations Officer. As such, he facilitated in the conduct of market and product research and planning and was part of the organization and implementation of different marketing programs/special projects of the Group.

After being with the Mother Agency, he then transferred to its attached agency, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), to head its Media Relations and Communications Division. He was tasked to direct and supervise its operations and workflow in developing and executing the media and communications plans of the Corporation.

He later on became the Officer-in-Charge of the Corporation’s Domestic Promotions Department responsible for the direction and monitoring of implementation of the TPB’s domestic promotions projects and activities.

After the hard works and assistance in the over-all implementation of the TPB’s programs and advocacies, he was selected by the Board of Directors to act as the Officer-in-Charge of the TPB from May to September 2018.

For almost two years, he was TPB’s Acting Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Marketing and Promotions. At present, he is the Head of the MICE Department, and together with the MICE team of TPB, exerts his best effort in addressing all challenges for a resilient and responsive MICE industry.

Mr. Arnold T. Gonzales is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Tourism from the University of the Philippines and holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the De La Salle University in Manila.

Anna is a Risk Advisory Partner at Deloitte Southeast Asia and is Deloitte Philippines’ first female Country Risk Advisory Services Leader. She concurrently leads Deloitte Philippines’ Cyber Risk Services and is its Financial Services Leader. Anna has over 23 years of experience in the fields of Cyber Risk Management, Information Technology Security Strategies and Technology Implementations. 

Her portfolio of Cyber Security Services includes Security Strategy and Governance, Vulnerability Management, Security Implementations and Security Operations for Financial Services, Utilities and Power Companies.  

She helps companies navigate the complex requirements of Data Privacy, Cyber Security and emerging risks brought about by new technologies and business trends such as Digital Transformation, Cloud, Mobility, IOT, RPA and Artificial Intelligence. 

Anna graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Accountancy, and holds a Masters of Science degree in Information Management from Ateneo Institute of Technology. She is both a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Information Systems Auditor. 

Before becoming an award-winning creative director of MullenLowe TREYNA, Roman started out in TV and Film production and eventually fell in love with Advertising. He has worn several creative hats: cinematographer, director, producer, writer, child star -all of which come in handy when it's time to get to work. (Yes, even the child star hat.)

He is a creative with a history of award-winning campaigns in Cannes Lions, Spikes Asia, WARC, Adfest, Mad Stars, Kidlat Awards, The Boomerangs, Adobo Design Asia, Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards, Tangram Effectiveness Awards, The Work by Campaign Brief, Asia-Pacific Tambuli Awards, Youtube Awards, PANAta Awards, and Araw Values Awards. He also got film festival finalists and grants in Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, and Cinema One Originals.

Pavan Powar is a seasoned professional with 10+ years of experience in business and strategy roles. He currently heads Strategy and Marketplace for SariSuki, a hyperlocal eGrocery platform that provides consumers with the freshest produce at the best value. Prior to moving to the Philippines, Pavan was part of the growing startup ecosystem in India. He spent 3 years at Indian E-Commerce giant Flipkart in various roles across strategy and business development. Post which he's worked exclusively with early stage startups, helping them to drive sustainable growth. Outside of work, Pavan is a PADI Certified Scuba Diving Instructor and also enjoys playing football, cricket and tennis.

Joseph Albette “Albet” Roble-Buddahim is the Chief Marketing Officer of PRIMER Group of Companies, where he is responsible for leading the various marketing and creative teams across the Group in both traditional and digital channels. 

PRIMER Group of Companies has both B2B / Industrial and B2C / Retail business. In Philippines Retail group, PRIMER brands is more than 100 (includes TUMI, Agnes B., The North Face, Columbia, Jansport, Birkenstock, Hydroflask, Herschel, POLER, World Traveller, Delsey, Freewaters, Sledgers, Reef, Rockport, Osprey, Tretorn, Travelon, Native, Moleskin, etc.) and concept stores (R.O.X., GRIND, The Travel Club, ResToeRun, BratPack, etc.) 

Albet is also the Co-founder of Katapult Digital Corporation and the Chief Marketing Capability Strategist of Mansmith & Fielders. He is a Certified Professional in Marketing/CPM, Digital Marketing/CDM, Management Consulting/CMC and Coaching/CPC. His previous roles provided him with breadth and depth of expertise in Marketing, eCommerce, Media and Brand-building from P&G, AVON, L’OREAL, Publicis Group and IPG Mediabrands. 

Roki is a seasoned marketer and communicator of 18 years. He held local and global brand management and IMC positions for Coca-Cola and Splash Corporation and served as the Corporate Brand Management and Sustainability Director for Globe Telecom.

After 11 years as advertiser, Roki went agency-side to raise the bar of strategic thinking as Connections and Integration Director with Publicis Media handling, FMCG, tech, and finance clients.

He joined dentsu in 2019 to help build human insights and strategy capabilities across media and creatives. He was elevated as Head of Data to accelerate agency value through data-driven and tech-enabled solutions for clients.

Jerome is a Principal with the Deal Advisory Services team of R.G. Manabat & Co. (KPMG in the Philippines) and is the Country Leader for KPMG Private Enterprise as well as the lead for the Consumer and Retail sectors. He has over 24 years of experience in the areas of investment banking, corporate finance, and financial advisory, having been previously connected with several investment banks and financial institutions such as Amalgamated Investment Bancorporation, Dharmala Capital Investment & Trust Company and UBP Capital Corporation. Jerome also has over 7 years of retail experience and was the Chief Operating Officer of TechnoMarine Enterprises Philippines, Inc. and Techno Time Pte. Ltd. (Singapore), a wholesaler and retailer of luxury watches and jewelry.

Jerome graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University and is a Chartered Valuer and Appraiser conferred by the Institute of Valuers and Appraisers in Singapore. He also has an Advanced Certificate in Advising the Family Business and an Advanced Certificate in Family Business Governance from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners - Central Licensing Training International in partnership with the University of Manchester in the UK.

Gino Cruz is the Media Manager for SGMYVN & PH (South East Asia). He responsible for driving the global media strategy from a regional perspective, leading media tactics, and managing media agency relationships to achieve brand and sales goals.

Prior to this role, Gino was the Head of Marketing for Hennes & Mauritz Inc. since its launch in the Philippines in 2014. He was in-charge of building the H&M brand by leading the omnichannel marketing strategy for its 41 physical stores and online channels. Gino had been a key driver of breakthrough local campaigns and initiatives. In the earlier years, he was responsible for putting up the Guinness World Record’s biggest H&M wooden hanger near its first Cebu store and activating H&M Pop-up Store in the surf town of La Union. The most recent notable work that he spearheaded was the local relevance campaign Tropical Essentials featuring A-list celebrities Nadine, Maja, Blythe, Jodi Sta. Maria, Kim Chiu and Catriona Gray. He also led two market innovations and firsts for the whole H&M group. One was the Filipino-designed H&M collection which is a collab with streetwear DBTK and the other was the first-ever Metaverse activation for H&M globally called Celestial Spaces featuring BGYO.

Gino held product and marketing positions at L’Oréal and Unilever and had advertising and activations stints at J. Walter Thompson and BBDO.

Wence Wenceslao is a seasoned digital leader with a 15-year track record in steering digital businesses. As the current Digital Hub Lead of Unilever's Beauty & Wellbeing sector in Southeast Asia, she leverages digital and data-driven strategies to optimize regional brands. Her successful tenure in the Philippines as Digital Hub Lead witnessed the launch of pioneering initiatives like the U-COIN loyalty program and U-COINVille metaverse, contributing to the Hub's accolades, including "Digital Hub of the Year."

Before joining Unilever, Wence made significant contributions to SM Investments as Senior AVP for Digital Marketing & Innovations, and to Rising Tide as Group Head, where she escalated revenues by 900%. At Globe, the Philippines' largest telco, her role as Director for Strategy & Governance led to a rapid portfolio expansion from 5 to 50 products in less than 2 years, cementing her reputation as a transformative digital strategist.