Speaking on the sidelines of the celebration marking what would have been the 100th birth anniversary of his father, John Gokongwei Jr., Gokongwei said younger family members should be free to pursue their own ambitions before deciding whether to join the conglomerate.
“The kids of the next generation, they have so many choices and their own aspirations. Many of them want to prove themselves outside in their own independent capacity,” Gokongwei said on Wednesday.
Less than a handful of the Gokongwei family’s third-generation cousins have joined the family business.
“[In] the third generation, there’s 50 cousins. Maybe only two or three of them are in the business,” he said.
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Making the business attractive
Rather than expect younger family members to return, Gokongwei said it is up to today’s leaders to make the business worth joining.
“It’s our job in the second generation to make this attractive for them to join the business because they have so many choices,” he said.
Values that matter
When they do join, Gokongwei said the qualities the family values remain unchanged.
“Hard work, integrity, prudence and entrepreneurial spirit. It’s really being entrepreneurial, trying to find solutions for customers and pursuing new opportunities,” he said.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
