FIRST Philippine Industrial Corporation (FPIC) president Leonides U. Garde likes to recall his first day with the Lopez Group, reporting for work as assistant to the president in First Philippine Holdings Corporation, the day after the president who hired him resigned.

Recruited through a headhunter, Garde had to face the new president, current chairman Oscar M. Lopez (OML), who was himself returning to First Holdings following the EDSA Revolution in February 1986. “For a while there, HR (Human Resources) did not know what to do with me. I just stayed there (in HR) waiting and nobody told me what was happening. It was only when OML did his rounds mid-morning when I learned that there was a new president,” said Garde. He added, “I was interviewed in the afternoon by OML with some of the new FPHC directors.” Garde was assigned to the special projects group created to support the settlement of First Holdings debt amounting to over P1 billion at the time.

Identifying new investments
By 1988, Garde found himself in business development where he helped the company identify new investments. He is a mechanical engineer who got involved in agriculture including reforestation, prawns, asparagus and cut flowers.

In the early 1990s, Garde was appointed general manager of First Electro Dynamics Corporation (Fedcor), which currently manufactures small transformers and repairs distribution transformers under the electricals division of First Holdings. Eventually becoming its president, he oversaw the growth of Fedcor from operating in a small rented building in Makati to another rented building in Laguna, until the company moved into its own building in Batangas.

In 1999, First Holdings tapped Garde to organize the Asian Eye Institute, nurturing it from a concept to full operation in two years. With a team of consultants and other First Holdings executives, he put together the doctors, raised funds for the venture, designed and built the facility, and debugged operations as its business director in its first year in Rockwell Center.

Champion of business excellence initiatives
As president of FPIC since 2003, Garde improved the value of its main asset, the pipe - line, and turned it from an operation facing contraction into a growing business. He championed business excellence initiatives while declaring a billion pesos in cash dividends over the next five years.

Throughout his many postings within First Holdings and its investees, Garde has consistently bet on his people.

“The first lesson I learned is that success will always require people. So I really believe IiP (Investors in People) is the ideal start of a corporate journey to excellence,” he said.

International standard
FPIC was among the first companies in the Philippines certified under IiP, an international standard for improving business results through investments in people learning and development. FPIC uses IiP to execute the elements of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria, the company’s framework for continuous organizational improvement.

“The second lesson is that people would love to excel if given the opportunity. Nobody wants to be mediocre. (Leaders) can capitalize on this desire to excel and use it as a tool for profitability, growth and sustainability,” he added.

“No matter what industry you are in engineering, healthcare, social responsibility—your people and their desire for excellence will eventually lead to the best value of your product or service, and this will give you your competitive advantage,” Garde concluded.