Serial Entrepreneur RJ Ledesma Named as 2022 Outstanding Transformative Leader at the SGV-MAP NextGen CEO Transformative Leadership Program

The 2nd SGV-MAP NextGen CEO Transformative Leadership Program named RJ Ledesma as its 2022 Outstanding Transformative Leader. 

SGV (SyCip Gorres Velayo & Company), a multidisciplinary services firm, partnered with MAP (Management Association of the Philippines) to bring together industry leaders and experts to provide valuable insights on the challenges and opportunities faced by the next generation of leaders.

As Knowledge Partner, SGV worked with MAP in conducting interactive leadership programs geared towards helping high-performing young and future CEOs reframe the future of their companies. The program has been running since November 2020.

“The SGV Leadership Program equipped us with the business value drivers of people at center, technology at speed, innovations at scale, so that we can better serve our organizations and our customers in the New Normal. This recognition is dedicated to all the small food business entrepreneurs whom we have the privilege to incubate through Mercato.  With the lessons from the program, we look forward to scaling our ability to help more entrepreneurs in the near future,” Ledesma said. 

RJ is the co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Mercato Centrale Philippines, one of the biggest and most well-known open air food markets and small food business incubator. He is also the Vice President of EnterPH, a Filipino-owned full-service business consultancy that provides a soft landing for foreign individuals or companies interested to establish businesses in the country, and the co-founder of Easy Franchise, the country’s first go-to tech platform for franchising that assists franchisees in the applying for, operating and growing their businesses. All of this while he serves as the Honorary Consul of Monaco in the Philippines. When not wearing his entrepreneurial and consular hats, RJ is a well-known host and motivational business speaker and mentor who hosts his own self-titled podcast, ‘The RJ Ledesma Podcast.’  He currently sits on the Board of Trustees of the College of St. Benilde. 

This award marks another feather in the cap for Ledesma who has been recognized for his accomplishments at Mercato Centrale, especially during the pandemic.  These include the Winner in Business Model Innovation for Small and Medium Enterprises in the First Mansmith Innovation Awards (2020), finalist in the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)’s Injap Sia Outstanding Young Entrepreneur Awards (ISOYEA) (2020) and, most recently, a finalist in the first Ayala Incredibiz Awards (2022) for Best in Grit - for overcoming challenges and showcasing success and resilience. 

As we enter the year of recovery, transformative leadership becomes even more important than ever. It is the type of leadership that focuses on value-driving pillars: people, technology, and innovation.

SGV-MAP Transformative Leadership Program aims to help shape the future generation of leaders who operate with a clear and powerful purpose and are equipped with the right tools to manage threats and sustain business relevance, reinvention, and innovation.

Every year, the NextGen Conference features and awards industry experts and business executives based on their leadership styles and practices, especially during the pandemic.