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Talk about
having the right address.
That’s how
Atty. Andres D. Bautista, chief executive officer of the
Kuok Group in the Philippines, was initially considered to
become the Hong Kong-based group’s top guy in the
Philippines.
Bautista,
a BS Legal Management and law graduate of the Ateneo de
Manila University, did not pass through the headhunter for
the job search.
Instead,
his neighbor in the condominium, Tom Zita, then the head
of the Kuok Group in the country, referred him to the Kuok
management. An interview was scheduled with no less than
Edward Kuok, who came to Manila.
Initially,
Bautista said he was shocked because he did not have a
background in managing a property company.
But he
agreed to do the interview nonetheless.
“At the
back of my mind, I said I got nothing to lose and maybe
possibly add another potential client for the office,”
said Bautista, who took his Masteral studies in Harvard
law school.
Bautista
admits he thought he was merely asked to fill up the list
of interviewees. The ungodly schedule of 12:45 am for the
interview reinforced his thinking.
He was
prepared not to make it to the next stage of screening.
“I was
very happy with my situation then managing an
international office and a law school,” said Bautista, one
of the topnotchers in the 1990 bar examinations.
At that
time, Bautista was the partner and country head of Anglo
Oriental Ltd. in Manila, representing British law firm
Allen Overy LLP. He was also managing the dual program of
law and masters in business administration program at the
Far Eastern University and the De La Salle University. Up
to now, he still handles the program.
After the
interview with Kuok, Bautista was informed by Zita that he
made it to the shortlist and was asked to go to
Hong Kong for another round of interviews and to meet the patriarch of
the group, Robert Kuok.
During the
interview, the sage-like tycoon told Bautista that “we are
given yokes to bear and the trick is you have to bear them
with grace.” Kuok also mentioned how his family developed
a strong affection for the Philippines, where the group
started in the late-1980s at a time when the political
situation was in an “interesting” stage highlighted by
attempts to overthrow the government.
Then he
was interviewed by brothers Robert and Edward Kuok and the
manager of Shangri-La Hong Kong. It was Edward Kuok who
told Bautista: “Andy, we’ll take our chances with you.”
Bautista,
who also worked for New York-based White and Case as
senior associate, admits having mixed reactions in
accepting the job.
“I was
open to accept the job because I wanted to do something
else. But at the same time, I was hesitant to leave
because it’s already something I do well and something
that I am comfortable with. Then all of a sudden, you’ll
try out this new field and things don’t work out. I might
end up eating dust,” he said.
Bautista
describes his current job as both challenging and
interesting. The job also teaches him new skills,
especially in the business aspects, which Bautista noted
is different from law.
He said a
typical lawyer has an aversion to numbers.
“You go to
law when you are afraid of numbers. I can’t say that’s the
reason I went to law. But I also can’t say math was not my
strongest point. But now, you are compelled to get your
hands dirty, so to speak, in order to learn how business
is being run,” he said.
He said it
was also a good timing when he joined the company in
September 2006 as he was also able to experience the
growth the following year—which he said was so far the
best for the group in its hotel, mall, condo and office
building operations.
For 2008,
Bautista said the company is looking for bigger things to
come. Highlighting the big push is the
Saint Francis Shangri-La Place,
a twin-tower structure reaching 60 floors strategically
located at the heart of the bustling Ortigas district.
Saint
Francis is already 72-percent sold and looking to a
turnover in April.
“We’re not
just selling here a condominium unit but an integrated
community wherein you have a mall, residential, spa,
church, medical facilities,” said Bautista.
The Kuok
group is also setting its sights on the Bonifacio Global
City, where it bought a 1.5-hectare property for a future
hotel-condominium project.
Of course,
the Kuok group is also excited over the opening of
Shangri-La Hotel in Boracay this year, destined to be a
premiere hotel on the island once it operates.
For office
space development, Bautista said the Kuok Group raised its
stake in the ownership of the
Enterprise
Building
in Makati by buying P1.8 billon worth of controlling
stake.
For the
mall rats who love the classy and elegant manner of
shopping, Bautista said the management will extend the
Shangri-La Plaza Mall to make it more attuned to the
demands of the times.
Bautista
said he enjoys managing people and finding ways to ensure
that everybody contributes to the company’s growth.
“It’s so
different managing a property firm with various
components. It’s not just selling a condominium, a mall,
office building and a hotel. It has different
disciplines,” Bautista pointed out. “We’re quite fortunate
that we’re able to have good and competent general
managers of the various properties who operate the
day-to-day activities of these properties.” |
