By Cesar Marcelino Cruz Jr.
The role of a president of an organization is serious business. Leading the officers and its members can significantly impact the bottom line for better or for worse, not to mention its mission for existing in the first place. The job is not for the faint of heart, especially when the company is high profile. Needless to say, it would take a big man to fit this bill. Meet Stanley Ng, who has been appointed head honcho of the flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) in 2022 and in 2023, the leader of SKAL International Makati, an active member of SKAL International—the world’s largest global network of tourism professionals.
Stanley Ng is not only the current president and chief operating officer of PAL but also a pilot captain of the airline as well. Interestingly, the last time someone held this dual role was way back in 1963. As a feather in his cap, Stanley holds the distinction of being the pilot-in-command to the President of the Republic for the ASEAN 2022 Summit.
As high as he is on the corporate ladder now, the mild-mannered captain earned his stripes through dedication and hard work. After just a year of learning the ropes of the trade as an airport staff member, he joined flight school. The experience instilled in him the discipline of being a pilot. “In life, you go through a lot of difficulties. Difficulties, exactly like in a flight, there are some unexpected scenarios that might happen as well. So, you just have to have situational awareness, the presence of mind. I always say that’s the most important thing as a pilot,” he added.
Aside from foresight, Stanley gives importance to customer focus. He is attuned to their pain when flight disruption happens, as this would inadvertently affect their vacation plans. The captain can empathize with their frustrations.
With regard to managing his team, this leader espouses the value of having high standards to provide the quality of service that passengers deserve. For him, it all boils down to knowing one’s identity because with it, one can always define one’s product and service level. “People are willing to pay a premium as long as they experience comfort and are well taken care of. It’s really value for money instead of competing in a price war,” the youngest PAL president uttered.
Likewise, as a way of looking after the well-being of its people, the airline supports its employees through various programs that educate and support physical and mental health. In fact, the captain shared that they have signed with LinkedIn Learning to gain access to thousands of enriching online courses. While fully aware that some jobs might become obsolete in the future, the importance of having a continuous learning mindset and reskilling oneself cannot be overemphasized by this man.
Busy As a Bee
Having a lot on his plate, though, did not deter him from accepting additional responsibilities. Given the overwhelming support of the members and board of SKAL International Makati, Stanley took on the role of being their president. The man with a plan believes in growing the number of its members and for them to see the value of joining SKAL. “If we have more members, we can also capitalize on their expertise in certain fields. Because right now, it’s more of the hotel industry, but when we talk about tourism, there’s so much of it—sports tourism, food tourism, medical tourism. We need to create a complete ecosystem. Then, you can assign some champions to head those departments. That’s going to help a lot. And using Philippine Airlines, we can promote also the Philippines as a whole,” he voiced.
Brimming with all these creative ideas, Stanley attributes the Financial Management Program he took at Harvard Business School for being the catalyst that totally changed his mindset into carrying out his purpose first over profit. He was able to find himself after the enlightening experience.
As for his educational attainment, Stanley holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a major in Computer Application from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
Beautiful Philippines
On the subject of Beautiful Philippines, it goes beyond world-class scenic spots in the country for this man. Stanley beams with pride as he points to our people as a contributing factor that endows the Philippines with the charm it possesses, even noting that wherever he travels, he receives compliments on Filipinos as being among the world’s friendliest and the preferred workforce abroad.
As part of loving the Philippines, he sees investing in infrastructures and a shift in safety perception as the main drivers in making the country more attractive to tourists. “It is not difficult for people to love the Philippines. It is easy but we still have to work hard, not just in marketing and promotions,” the captain said with conviction.
With his resilience and sharp perception, Captain Stanley could only chart a course for excellence that will elevate Philippine Airlines and SKAL International Makati to the top of their game.
Коментарі