Financial Adviser: 5 Business Lessons Everyone Can Learn from Steven Tan, President of SM Supermalls
By Henry Ong
In Photo: From Mall Manager of The Podium to President of one of Asia’s biggest retail chains, Mr. Steven Tan’s journey is full of lessons worth learning. (SM Supermalls File Photo)
He first worked for the SM Group as manager of Podium Mall. Now he leads one of the largest retail chains in Asia. Here’s the story of Steven Tan.
Steven Tan, the dynamic president of SM Supermalls, built an impressive career in the hospitality industry for many years before transitioning to the retail sector. His journey is marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence, an instinct for leadership, and a dedication to continuous learning. With a background deeply rooted in hospitality and a strong understanding of customer experience, Tan has become one of the most respected leaders in the retail sector in the Philippines.
Born into a Filipino Chinese family, Tan’s education began at Chiang Kai Shek College in Manila, where he completed both elementary and high school. Afterward, he pursued his undergraduate studies at the University of Hawaii in the United States. His time abroad was a transformative period, as Tan became immersed in Western culture.
However, his father, like many traditional Chinese parents, was concerned that he was becoming “too Westernized.” As is common in many Filipino-Chinese families, his parents felt the need to reconnect him with his Chinese roots, prompting them to send him to Taipei shortly after graduation.
Tan moved to Taiwan at the age of 20, and he would spend the next eight years of his life there, from around 1990 to 1998. It was during this period that he entered the hospitality industry, working as a food and beverage management trainee in a five-star hotel, where he learned every aspect of hospitality from the ground up.
By the age of 25, he had become the youngest front office manager for a five-star hotel in Taiwan. Despite his success in the country, Tan felt that something was missing after eight years of working. He realized that he needed to pursue further studies to gain a broader perspective and enhance his skills.
In 1998, following the 1997 Asian financial crisis and Hong Kong’s handover to China, Tan moved to Paris to pursue an MBA. His two years in Paris gave him global exposure and a deeper understanding of business, which shaped his future leadership style. In 2000, after completing his MBA, Tan returned to Manila and resumed his career in the hotel industry with a multinational hospitality group as a regional director.
One of the properties he managed was Taal Vista Hotel, an iconic hotel in Tagaytay City, undergoing renovation at the time. This role brought Tan into contact with the Sy family, the owners of SM, which marked the beginning of his long relationship with the company.
In 2004, after four years with the company, Tan felt that he had reached the top of his game in the hotel industry and began toying with the idea of moving back to Paris to explore new opportunities. However, just a week before his planned departure, he received a phone call that would change the course of his career.
It was Tessie Sy Coson of the SM Group who invited him to work at SM Malls. His first role at SM was as the mall manager of Podium, the smallest mall in the SM Group at the time. Despite its size, Tan showed strong leadership, which was key to its success. This proved his capabilities and led to the promotion of his career at SM.
Today, as the president of SM Supermalls, Tan continues to lead with a focus on innovation, customer experience, and expansion. His career journey reflects his adaptability, his commitment to learning, and his ability to seize opportunities. From his early days in hospitality to his leadership of one of the largest retail chains in Asia, Tan’s story is one of vision, hard work, and perseverance.
How did Tan’s experience in hospitality shape his leadership approach when he began managing malls? What role did mentorship, particularly from the Sy family, play in Tan’s career development? What can young professionals aspiring to achieve career success learn from Tan’s journey?
Here are the five business lessons everyone can learn from Steven Tan, president of SM Supermalls:
https://www.esquiremag.ph/money/industry/business-lessons-malou-fores-mamou-a7445-20241001-lfrm5
