MANILA, Philippines, September 12, 2020 — The Philippines’ largest and only integrated telecommunications company PLDT has invited sought after leadership expert and recognized author Dr. Nancy Koehn as the keynote speaker at PLDT's Annual Corporate Governance Enhancement Session (ACGES) this year. 

Over 300 Directors and key officers from PLDT and other publicly-listed affiliate companies in the MVP Group including Meralco, Metro Pacific, Philex Mining and the various hospital groups, are expected to attend the organized online event.

"PLDT and the companies in our Group have been at the frontline since the start of this pandemic, extending assistance in whatever way we can to the government and to our stakeholders. Throughout this turmoil, we hope to steer our focus in overcoming the challenges and uncertainties we are facing from this crisis, to become better and more effective in our organizations for the welfare of our companies, our people and to our country," said PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V Pangilinan. 

In line with the on-going challenges of the global pandemic crisis, this year's discussions will highlight on How to Lead Courageously during a Crisis. 

Lead speaker Dr. Koehn is a noted historian and author from the Harvard Business School where she holds the James E. Robison chair of Business Administration. She has been a professor of Business Administration since 2001. 

She has also authored several books on effective leadership, with her most recent "Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times." 

With her work studying courageous crisis leaders for the past two decades, as quoted from her Harvard Business Review published article "Real Leaders are Forged in Crisis," Dr. Koehn knows "that real leaders are not born; the ability to help others triumph over adversity is not written into their genetic code. They are, instead, made. They are forged in crisis." 

"Leaders become “real” when they practice a few key behaviors that gird and inspire people through difficult times. As Covid-19 tears its way through country after country, town after town, neighborhood after neighborhood, here’s what we can learn from how some of history’s iconic leaders acted in the face of great uncertainty, real danger, and collective fear," wrote Dr. Koehn. 

Also being covered is effective management of the hospital group since the start of the pandemic. The health sector has been a visible group in battling the crisis with focus on the conditions of healthcare workers and doctors. 

Joining Dr. Koehn and speaking separately at the session is Makati Medical Center Director Dr. Saturnino Javier who will tackle the lessons learned, management experiences, and best practices of the MPIC Hospitals in handling the challenges of the pandemic in the health sector. 

The ACGES has been an annual conference of the PLDT and MVP Group Companies for its Directors and Key Officers as a training and learning session on new practices for good governance. A well-attended event, previous sessions focused on relevant topics throughout the years such as new technology, cybersecurity, and best practices in management.