Stepping into a leadership role introduces new responsibilities and challenges, along with incredible growth opportunities that can be both rewarding and demanding. While not all leaders are born, they can be made through grit, determination, mentorship, and experience. At Aboitiz Foods, we place great importance on developing leaders because it is one way we can Feed their Future, enabling their growth and helping them reach their full potential.

Over the past year, 15 team leaders from Aboitiz Foods participated in the inaugural Leadership Development Program (LDP). This initiative provides personalized guidance and support to new leaders through a series of workshops and coaching sessions, offering insights, feedback, and strategies to enhance their leadership capabilities. The program brought together managers from four countries where we operate, providing them opportunities to take on new challenges, discover their strengths, and turn their potential into lasting impact. 

Throughout the program, participants strengthened the foundations of effective leadership—from self-awareness and communication to decision-making and leading teams—while gaining insights they could apply in their respective roles.

Building Leadership Foundations

Becoming a better leader begins with understanding yourself, your leadership brand, and the areas where you can improve.

For Eva Simanjuntak, Laboratory Assistant Manager based in Gold Coin Indonesia, this meant rethinking how she addressed leadership challenges. Working within the Laboratory and Research and Technical Development (RTD) department, Eva oversees quality control operations and regional laboratory teams across four mills in Indonesia.

Previously, she saw herself as a “technical firefighter,” often stepping in to solve problems herself. Through her leadership journey, she began shifting her mindset from solving problems for her team to motivating them to solve problems themselves.

Today, she approaches leadership with a different perspective: “After the LDP training, my leadership brand has transformed from being a technical firefighter to becoming more data-driven. I shifted my mindset from ‘I do the work’ to ‘my team does the work, and I pave the way.’ Now, effective leadership for me means enabling the team to work independently and ensuring that data accelerates action rather than finger-pointing.”

Learning Through Mentoring and Coaching 

Leadership also grows through the guidance and mentorship of other leaders. 

“The biggest benefit I experienced as a mentor was seeing growth happen in my mentee,” Gayle Guzman, Finance Director, shared her experience as a mentor in LDP. 

Throughout their journey, participants had opportunities to learn and seek guidance from experienced leaders, mentors, and coaches from Aboitiz Foods. These sessions and conversations allowed them to gain new perspectives and reflect on their experiences. 

“Watching someone think bigger, make bolder decisions, and realize that they were capable of more than what they ever believed. It reminded me why developing people is really one of the most meaningful parts of leadership,” she added. 

Leadership in Action

In addition to learning the fundamentals of leadership and having one-on-one mentoring sessions, participants also put their learning into action. 

Participants were encouraged to apply their leadership capabilities to challenges within their respective areas, giving them opportunities to turn insights into action and create meaningful impact.

For Lulu Maksumah, an Acquisition and Development Assistant Manager from Indonesia, her final project focused on developing sales staff and nutritionists. By using data to understand employees’ capabilities and identify their development needs, her team saved a significant amount in non-targeted training investments.

Beyond this achievement, this project reinforced Lulu’s belief that leadership is not simply about delivering results yourself but also creating opportunities for others to take ownership and accountability.

“Through the program, I realized that leadership is not only about execution. My aspiration is to become a transformational leader—someone who develops people, influences others beyond authority, and creates sustainable organizational impact.

Perhaps the most personal challenge was learning to let go of being the executor and becoming someone who enables others to succeed,” Lulu shared as she reflected on her LDP journey.

Growing Together

Throughout this journey, perhaps one of the greatest lessons learned from the participants is that the leadership journey is not theirs alone. 

Having leaders from different countries, departments, functions, and experience levels gave participants the chance to learn from perspectives beyond their own. Through their shared experiences and challenges over the course of the program, they have built a community that could support their continued growth. 

“We began this leadership development program not quite knowing what to expect. And somehow, we all made it work. Between workshops and sessions, we balanced learning with our day-to-day responsibilities. Looking back, those moments became part of what made this journey memorable. So, and now 15 months later, here we are—still learning, still growing, and proudly celebrating this milestone together,” said Marinette Piao, Country AP Operations Manager from the Philippines,  during her address at the LDP graduation ceremony. 

As the leaders continue with their respective leadership journeys, they carry with them lessons that extend beyond the program—from being more confident in their roles to empowering their teams and creating positive impact in the business. 

Teo Wan Theng, HR Business Partner in Malaysia highlighted the importance of the program in reaching the organization’s broader purpose, “LDP is more than just a leadership program; it gives our people the opportunity to grow, challenge themselves, take ownership, and make a difference. It’s rewarding to see our participants grow in confidence and put our leadership values into practice as we work together towards a better future at Aboitiz Foods.”

After all,  leadership is not simply another step in the corporate ladder. It is about becoming the kind of leader who steps up and helps others grow alongside you.

At Aboitiz Foods, we embrace change and inspire innovation, leading the way in food and agribusiness solutions. Join us as we shape the future of food in Asia and build a culture where, together, we nourish the future. 

Ready to Feed Your Future with us? Visit our Careers page to learn more.