IE Alumni Mentoring Program Launched

“IEs coaching IEs” is how UPIEAA Vice President Kenny Bulahan describes UPIEAA’s mentoring program—dubbed as “AcadémIE”—that was launched last May 5, 2018 at Kuppa Roastery & Café at BGC.

“With industrial engineering being applied over a diverse range of fields and industries, from manufacturing, marketing and logistics to banking and fintech, UPIEAA hopes to provide its members a venue for career counselling and mentoring.”

The program involves small group mentoring by UP Industrial Engineers who’ve played at the highest levels of their game. The pilot session—entitled: Authentic Leadership—featured JJ Alano ‘87, current President of Jollibee Food Corp, overseeing more than 70,000 employees and franchisees.

Attendees to the event included IEs from almost all decades: Malou Esguerra ’80, Cilla Sugay and Ricky Banaag ’82, Liza Reyes-Ting and Kenny Bulahan ’85, Gelo Arellano ’95, Arlene Juliano and Dj Ching ’04, and Anais Silvestre ‘08.

In the first half of the session, JJ presented a video entitled “The Power of Vulnerability”, and defined authentic leadership as passionate leadership, leading by example, responsible with integrity, tough but with a pure heart.” He then outlined the 5 marks (insight, initiative, influence, impact, integrity) and the 4 cornerstones (character, credibility, integrity, vision) of authentic leadership, arguing that authentic power is in service.

For the second half of the session, each participant shared his/her journey’s victories and challenges, with JJ, as well as the more senior attendees offering counsel to the junior IEs. Some even shared personal struggles as the group agreed that career and personal life are inseparable. At the end, participants were united in commending the activity as both helpful and inspiring, one that directly promotes cooperation among alumni .

UPIEAA President Ricky closed the event by presenting JJ with a plaque of appreciation.

Referring to JJ and Ricky, who retired from being country manager of Intel Corp to go on to IT-preneurship, Liza Reyes-Ting posted, “Both of these gentlemen, just by their presence, stories and accessibility, clearly modeled ‘authentic leadership’. Wow, I am grateful and joyful to have had this coaching time.”

About JJ Alano

“Mr. Justo S. Alano, III, serves as President of Jollibee Business at Jollibee Foods Corp. and served as President of Mang Inasal Business Unit from February 1, 2012 to July 31, 2016. Mr. Alano joined Jollibee Foods Corp. in 2006 and was formerly the Head of the Metro Manila North Regional Business Unit as well as Metro Manila South of the Jollibee Brand.

Justo ‘JJ’ Alano III was appointed President of Jollibee Philippines in August 2016. Before his appointment to the top executive position in the country’s largest Quick Service Restaurant, he was seconded to Mang Inasal as General Manager February 2012 (Mang Inasal was already 70% owned by JFC then). He was promoted to President of Mang Inasal July 2015.

JJ joined Jollibee in 2006 as Points of Access head under the Restaurant Systems and Quality Mgt Grp. He was promoted to Regional Business Unit Head for Metro Manila North July 2007, one of five Jollibee regional business units, responsible for overall operations.

In 2010, he was moved to Metro Manila South. He helped manage caffe Ti-amo, a joint venture, as acting General Manager while managing Metro South.

Prior to Jollibee, JJ was involved with the Telecoms Industry, as a director of E-volve Technologies which created applications in gaming, polling, market research, and storekeeping on SMS, MMS, and WAP platforms; as VP Sales & Marketing at Broadband Philippines; as Country Manager at The Voice Company Philippines, a Singapore-based application service provider; with PILTEL, as product manager, then business unit head for paging and messaging services; and with PT&T as Senior Vice President for Marketing and Business Development.

JJ started his corporate career with CFC, San Miguel’s Magnolia Division, and Johnson & Johnson Phils. as Product Manager, first for Baby Care and later with J&J’s Business Development Group.”