By: Ivan Ray T. Verzonilla, PRA
As the retail industry braces for a rapidly evolving market, the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) hosted its 3rd Retail Leaders Summit on March 5, positioning itself as a key driver in redefining leadership, fostering transformative change, and enhancing customer engagement. With the theme “Retail Recharge: Inspiring Strategies for Retail Success,” the summit provided a strategic roadmap for businesses to navigate industry shifts and seize growth opportunities ahead of 2025.
The summit brought together an impressive roster of retail leaders, thought pioneers, and key decision-makers from diverse sectors. Small businesses and retail giants alike convened to exchange insights on how to adapt, upskill, and thrive in the modern retail landscape.
Julian Cua, Managing Director and Partner of Boston Consulting Group, set the tone with his session address, “Philippine Retail: Key Predictions for 2025.” He highlighted emerging trends, digital transformation, and evolving consumer behaviors that will shape the future of retail.
A compelling session on “The Upskill Advantage: Leveraging Strengths-Based Strategies for Leadership and Innovation” was led by Coach Pia Acevedo, Founder and CEO of The OneCORE. She emphasized how businesses can harness talent, build high-performance teams, and drive meaningful change.
L-R | Julian Cua (Managing Director and Partner of Boston Consulting Group) and Coach Pia Acevedo (Founder and CEO of The OneCORE)
One of the summit’s standout moments was the morning panel discussion, “Leading Teams to Peak Performance: Lessons on Empowering the Next Generation Workforce.” Panelists included Alvanson So (Canva Philippines); Neil Rojas (Workbean); and Ruby Jaucian (Personal Collection Direct Selling). Moderated by Coach Pia Acevedo, the session explored strategies for nurturing talent and cultivating a thriving workplace.
L-R | Moderated by Coach Pia Acevedo (Founder and CEO of The OneCORE), Ruby Jaucian (Chief People Officer of Personal Collection Direct Selling), Neil Rojas (Co-Founder and Head of Research and Analytics of Workbean); and Alvanson So (Regional People Lead, Canva Philippines)
AI and digital transformation were central themes in the summit’s discussions. PwC Partner – Asia Pacific Deals Strategy Retail Leader Karin Shenkar delivered a thought-provoking talk on “AI’s Transformation of Retailing: The Future is Here.” She outlined the increasing role of artificial intelligence in enhancing retail efficiency, customer experiences, and seamless retail integration.
Key speakers included Berns Bernardo, AVP for People and Culture Excellence at Globe Business, who spoke on “Leadership in Action: Building a Competent, Driven, and Best-in-Class Organization,” and Alex Luu, Centric Software Regional Strategy Director for Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam, who shared insights on “Innovative Retail Strategies for Philippines’s Dynamic Market: Leveraging AI and Data in Product Lifecycle for Stronger Growth” by embracing a people-first approach, and harnessing technology for smarter and more efficient growth.
L-R | Karin Shenkar (PwC Partner – Asia Pacific Deals Strategy Retail Leader), Berns Bernardo (Assistant Vice President for People and Culture Excellence at Globe Business), and Alex Luu (Regional Strategy Director for Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam)
The afternoon sessions featured dynamic discussions on cloud adoption, brand visibility, and customer engagement. Rollane Cordova, SCA Practice Lead at Crayon Philippines, tackled cloud technology optimization in “The Right Way to the Cloud: Smart, Efficient, Cost-Optimized.” Meanwhile, Pauline Fermin, President and CEO of Acumen Strategy Consultants, explored branding and strategic execution in “Elevating Retail Stores: Enhancing Brand Strategy Implementation to Frontline Success.”
L-R | Rollane Cordova (SCA Practice Lead at Crayon Philippines) and Pauline Fermin (President and CEO of Acumen Strategy Consultants)
A high-impact panel discussion, “Where Purpose Meets Marketing: Transforming Spaces and Driving Brand Growth with Consumer Love,” featured industry veterans, including Hans Lopez-Vito (Ayala Land), Eric Thomas Dee (Foodee Global Concepts), Jacqueline Gutierrez (Allure Asia Inc. / Beauty Refinery Inc.), and Gian Reyes (KMC Solutions). Moderated by CJ Jesena, Leasing Consultant and PRA Thought Leader, the discussion centered on customer expectations, brand trust, and building loyalty through purpose-driven marketing.
L-R | CJ Jesena (Afternoon Panel Moderator, Leasing Consultant and PRA Thought Leader) Hans Lopez-Vito (Vice President, Head of Brand Experience & Strategy – Residential Business Group, Estates and Corporate of Ayala Land), Eric Thomas Dee (Chief Operating Officer of Foodee Global Concepts), Jacqueline Gutierrez (Co Founder and CEO – Happy Skin, BLK Cosmetics, Seoul White Korea of Allure Asia Inc. / Beauty Refinery Inc., and Gian Reyes (Vice President for Marketing and Strategic Partnerships of KMC Solutions).
The event concluded with sessions focused on customer-centric growth. JV Wong, CEO of People Ignite, led an insightful discussion on “Unlocking Customer Experience Growth through CXJM (Customer Experience Journey Maps).” A first for PRA, the summit wrapped up with an engaging World Café Workshop on “Future Retail Challenge: Forging Ahead with Retail Foresight,” facilitated by Nancy Mendiola of People Ignite.
L-R| JV Wong (CEO of People Ignite), Nancy Mendiola Lead Facilitator of People Ignite/World Cafe Workshop)
Backed by key industry players, the summit is supported by Premium Brand Partners SM Retail, Crayon Philippines, Globe Business and Centric Software; Knowledge Partners The OneCORE, People Ignite and PwC Philippines; Official Digital Marketing Partner InnovationOne, and Media Partners The Philippine Star and Philippine Daily Inquirer.
As the retail industry continues to evolve, the Retail Leaders Summit 2025 reinforced the need for agile leadership, technological adaptability, and customer-focused innovations. We look forward to welcoming you to the 4th Retail Leaders Summit and continuing our mission to drive innovation and leadership growth.
