Ateneo Family Business Development Center

Ateneo Family Business Development Center Ateneo Family Business Development Center (AFBDC)

The Ateneo Family Business Development Center (AFBDC) is one of the pioneers in helping family businesses understand and effectively manage their own unique family dynamics and business challenges. Being a university-based center involved in research, professional training and project assistance services, AFBDC is equipped to help families address the combined challenges of the family and the business.

20/08/2026

⏳ Last Call: Family Business Conversations — Marrying the In-Laws into the Family Business

Slots are filling up fast and the event date is almost here — don't miss your chance to be part of this conversation!

Should in-laws be part of the family business? It's a topic many families navigate quietly, but rarely discuss openly. Hear both sides from our panel:

🔹 Alice Liu — President and CEO, GOLDEN ABC, Inc. with extensive experience in fashion retail and marketing. As an in-law, she stepped into the CEO role as part of a multi-year succession plan, continuing the legacy her husband built.

🔹 Ricky Mercado — Founder, Ateneo Family Business Development Center, with over 200 family businesses advised and guided.

🔹 Ambassador Joseph Yap — an in-law himself, he is the Chairman of the Board, Filinvest REIT Corp. as well as a former Philippine Ambassador to Singapore.

Together, they'll unpack the benefits and potential challenges of bringing in-laws into the business — and how families can make either choice work for them, followed by an open Q&A.

🚨 Seats are limited — secure yours now before the event!

Join us at:
📍 Seda BGC, Taguig City (with option to attend online)
📅 August 25, 2026
🕣 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Attend onsite for only ₱ 5,000 or attend online for only ₱ 2,500.

Register via this link: https://go.ateneo.edu/program-interest

The event is co-presented by Ayala Land Premier and East West Bank.

Family and Business, Building Legacies.

14/08/2026

Family Business Conversations: Marrying the In-Laws into the Family Business

Should in-laws be part of the family business? The Ateneo Family Business Development Center (FBDC) launches its new Family Business Conversations series with a topic many families navigate quietly, but rarely discuss openly.

While there's a perception that having in-laws in the business is challenging, real stories show it can also be done successfully. Join us as our panel unpacks both sides — the reasons some families might consider not to bring in-laws in, and the firsthand experience of those who have.

🔹 Alice Liu — President and CEO, GOLDEN ABC, Inc. with over 30 years of experience in fashion retail and marketing.

🔹 Ricky Mercado — Founder, Ateneo FBDC, with other 200 family businesses advised and guided.

🔹 Ambassador Joseph Yap — Chairman of the Board, Filinvest REIT Corp.; former Philippine Ambassador to Singapore

Together, the panel will explore the benefits and challenges of each path — and how families in business can make either choice work for them. The program concludes with a moderated panel discussion and open Q&A, where participants can ask questions and share their own insights.

Whether you're weighing this decision in your own family business or simply curious how others have navigated it, this conversation is for you.

Join us at:

📍 Seda BGC, Taguig City (with option to attend online)
📅 August 25, 2026
🕣 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Attend onsite for only ₱ 5,000 or attend online for only ₱ 2,500.

Register via this ink: https://go.ateneo.edu/program-interest

The event is co-presented by Ayala Land Premier and East West Bank.

Family and Business, Building Legacies.

Should in-laws be part of the family business? At our upcoming Family Business Conversations: Marrying the In-Laws into ...
07/08/2026

Should in-laws be part of the family business?

At our upcoming Family Business Conversations: Marrying the In-Laws into the Family Business, we're unpacking a topic many families navigate quietly, but rarely talk about openly.

Here's what to expect:

🔹 Mr. Ricky Mercado, drawing from his experience assisting over 200 family businesses, will share the common reasons why some families choose not to bring in-laws into the business — and the concerns behind that decision.

🔹 Ms. Alice Liu and Ambassador Joseph Yap will both offer a different lens: their own firsthand experience as in-laws working within a family business, and what that journey has looked like for them.

Together, the panel will explore both sides of this decision — the benefits and challenges of each path — and how families in business can make either choice work for them, whatever they decide.

Whether you're weighing this decision in your own family business or simply curious about how others have navigated it, this conversation is for you.

Join us at:

📍 Seda BGC, Taguig City (with option to attend online)

📅 August 25, 2026

🕣 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Attend onsite for only ₱ 5,000 or attend online for only ₱ 2,500.

Register via this ink: https://go.ateneo.edu/program-interest

The event is co-presented by Ayala Land Premier and East West Bank.

Family and Business, Building Legacies.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝟱.𝟬by Jonah L. Fabul"The first generation builds it, the second generation maintains it...
05/08/2026

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝟱.𝟬
by Jonah L. Fabul

"The first generation builds it, the second generation maintains it, and the third generation squanders it." It's a familiar line — but is it true? This white paper challenges that notion, tracing it back to a single 1980s study that might have oversimplified how we understand family business continuity.

As family businesses step into Industry 5.0, leadership readiness has become more than preparing one successor to take over. This paper proposes that lasting continuity depends on three interconnected dimensions — the next generation, the family, and the organization — working together, not in isolation.

📄 Read the full white paper here: https://ateneofamilybusiness.weebly.com/leadership-readiness-in-industry-50.html

🤝 Are you a family business owner, successor, or researcher interested in family business continuity, governance or innovation? Message us to learn more about our research initiatives, programs, and opportunities for collaboration.

In late July, the Ateneo Family Business Development Center (Ateneo FBDC) convened to discuss its research agenda to int...
03/08/2026

In late July, the Ateneo Family Business Development Center (Ateneo FBDC) convened to discuss its research agenda to interested faculty who would want collaboration opportunities.

The meeting focused on the Center's research agenda namely Sustainable Family Business, Human Resources in Family and Organization Development, as well as Family Governance and Leadership.
In addition, it talked about the research grant opportunities open to faculty members of the John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM), as well as potential future contributions to white papers and the public programs the Center has.

Discussions also explored new opportunities for collaboration, knowledge creation, and meaningful engagement with family business stakeholders and the academic community.

Grounded in research and informed by real-world family business challenges, these initiatives reflect the Center’s commitment to generating relevant insights, developing impactful programs, and fostering partnerships that support the long-term success of Filipino family businesses.

Interested in collaborating with us as a researcher, practitioner, family business member, or partner?

We would love to connect with you! Message us here.

Family and Business, Building Legacies.

Learn from one of our panel of experts in Family Business Conversations: Marrying the In-Laws into the Family Business.C...
31/07/2026

Learn from one of our panel of experts in Family Business Conversations: Marrying the In-Laws into the Family Business.

Chairman of the Board of Filinvest REIT Corp.(FILRT) and former Philippine Ambassador to Singapore (2018–2022), Ambassador Joseph Yap is a seasoned executive with over 40 years of leadership. In the Filinvest Group, he served as President and CEO of Filinvest Land, Inc. from 2007 to 2012 and was a board member from 1997 to 2015. He also sits on the board of EastWest Bank where he chairs its Trust Committee. Ambassador Joseph Yap is also an in-law in the family business.

Learn from him and join us!

📍 Seda BGC, Taguig City (with option to attend online)

📅 August 25, 2026

🕣 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Attend onsite for only ₱ 5,000 or attend online for only ₱ 2,500.

Register via this ink: https://go.ateneo.edu/program-interest

The event is co-presented by Ayala Land Premier and East West Bank.

Family and Business, Building Legacies.

Learn from one of our panel of experts in Family Business Conversations: Marrying the In-Laws into the Family Business.A...
31/07/2026

Learn from one of our panel of experts in Family Business Conversations: Marrying the In-Laws into the Family Business.

Aside from being the founder of the Ateneo Family Business Development Center, Mr. Ricky Mercado comes from a family that established one of the country's well known bakeshops, giving him a rare blend of academic expertise and lived experience in guiding family enterprises through governance, succession, and generational transitions.

Learn from him and join us!

📍 Seda BGC, Taguig City (with option to attend online)

📅 August 25, 2026

🕣 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Attend onsite for only ₱ 5,000 or attend online for only ₱ 2,500.

Register via this ink: https://go.ateneo.edu/program-interest

The event is co-presented by Ayala Land Premier and East West Bank.

Family and Business, Building Legacies.

Learn from one of our panel of experts in Family Business Conversations: Marrying the In-Laws into the Family Business.M...
31/07/2026

Learn from one of our panel of experts in Family Business Conversations: Marrying the In-Laws into the Family Business.

Ms. Alice Liu brings over 30 years of experience in fashion retail and marketing. She stepped into the CEO role as part of a multi-year succession plan, continuing the legacy her husband built — making her a firsthand voice on family business succession and continuity. She was referred to as the "perfect in-law" by Dr. Queena N. Lee-Chua during her lecture at the Ateneo Family Business Development Center.

Learn from her and join us!

📍 Seda BGC, Taguig City (with option to attend online)

📅 August 25, 2026

🕣 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Attend onsite for only ₱ 5,000 or attend online for only ₱ 2,500.

Register via this ink: https://go.ateneo.edu/program-interest

The event is co-presented by Ayala Land Premier and East West Bank.

Family and Business, Building Legacies.

The Ateneo Family Business Development Center (FBDC) launches our new Family Business Conversations with our first topic...
27/07/2026

The Ateneo Family Business Development Center (FBDC) launches our new Family Business Conversations with our first topic: Marrying the In-Laws into the Family Business.

While there’s a perception that it's challenging to have in-laws in the business, there are stories that also tell that it can be done successfully. Join us as we unpack these realities and lessons with family businesses who've navigated it firsthand.

With Ateneo FBDC's goal to be a vibrant hub for the growth and development of Filipino family businesses, the Family Business Conversations program aims to foster a culture of continuous learning by providing opportunities for participants to expand their knowledge, build meaningful networks that encourage knowledge sharing and professional growth, and engage in conversations on timely and relevant topics.

Starting off with speakers like Alice Liu (President and CEO of GOLDEN ABC, Inc.), Ricky Mercado (Founder, Ateneo Family Business Development Center), and Ambassador Joseph Yap (Chairman of the Board, Filinvest REIT Corp.), and concluding with a moderated panel discussion featuring the resource speakers, participants are invited to join this important conversation. Through an open Q&A, participants can ask questions and share their very own insights.

Join us at:
📍 Seda BGC, Taguig City (with option to attend online)
📅 August 25, 2026
🕣 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Attend onsite for only ₱ 5,000 or attend online for only ₱ 2,500.

Register via this link: https://go.ateneo.edu/program-interest

The event is co-presented by Ayala Land Premier and East West Bank.

Family and Business, Building Legacies.

Conversations are important, especially in family businesses.Join us in our new and upcoming Family Business Conversatio...
20/07/2026

Conversations are important, especially in family businesses.

Join us in our new and upcoming Family Business Conversations: Marrying the in-laws into the family business.

In this new program series, let’s all gather and navigate through the concerns of business, family, relatives, and in-laws.

Taking place at Seda BGC Taguig, mark your calendars and save the date, August 25, 4-7pm.

This event is brought to you by the Ateneo Family Business Development Center and sponsored by Ayala Land Premier.

Follow the Ateneo Family Business Development Center page for more information and details about our upcoming event!

Address

Room 407, John Gokongwei School Of Management Bldg. , Ateneo De Manila University, Loyola Heights Campus Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights
Quezon City
1108

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 12pm

Telephone

Telephone: (+63.2) 426.6001 local (5520) • Direct Line: (+632) 928-3503

Website

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