ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Frederick D. Go
President & CEO
Frederick D. Go, President and Chief Executive Officer of Robinsons Land Corporation, has always been one to rise up to a challenge. He began to develop his leadership acumen as a student in the Ateneo de Manila University, where he secured his Bachelor of Science degree in Management Engineering and served as the Editor-in-Chief of the official student publication, The Guidon. While in college, he had already started working at the Gokongwei Group’s newly acquired The Manila Times Publishing Corporation, first as a reporter, and eventually, as Advertising and Promotions Director.
In 1992, he entered Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC), a budding company then with only 5 property assets. With a vision to lead the company forward, Frederick began his entrepreneurial journey with the construction of Robinsons Place Bacolod Mall and the redevelopment of Robinsons Place Manila. From then onwards, he patiently built RLC piece by piece, project by project. Today, it is
one of the country’s leading real estate companies with 52 malls, 21 office developments, 76 residential buildings, 38 housing subdivisions, 20 hotels, and 19 mixed-use developments.
Frederick’s success did not come without its fair share of trials. At the height of the 2007 global financial crisis, the business of office building spaces suffered as multinational companies put expansion programs to a halt. Whereas others slowed down to manage resources, Frederick saw an opportunity to expand in a different category. He took a risk with an unproven and unique business model and launched Go Hotels. Over a decade since then, Go Hotels growing portfolio proves that it was a business risk based on keen market knowledge and insight.
“In today’s business landscape, especially in the real estate arena where competition is extremely fierce, one of the keys to future success is providing top-calibre customer satisfaction.” Thus, he believes that being “customer-obsessed will make RLC the leading property company in the Philippines”
More recently, the rise of online retailing continues to challenge mall properties to stay relevant. This inspired Frederick to transform traditional shopping centers to one-stop lifestyle destinations with a wide variety of dining options, entertainment centers, and service outlets for a complete customer experience. He also pioneered the placement of several government service offices inside the malls under the Lingkod Pinoy Center, which currently houses 18 government offices, where shoppers can renew their passport, apply for driver’s license, and process employment documents.
Keeping abreast with the demands of the digital age, he also recently ventured into the flexible workspace arena with work.able, a plug-and-play type of private workspace designed to enable users to bring their business wherever they want. He is likewise at the
forefront of digital transformation in the company as he champions the integration of modern tools and ways of working. As a result, RLC marked its banner year in 2018, delivering a net income of P8.22 billion, behind a strong 31% revenue growth.
Today, RLC has over 2,000 employees, with major projects including Giga Tower, Summit Naga, and RLX 2, nearing completion. It has also forged strategic partnerships with other developers, such as Shang Properties and Hong Kong Land, to deliver ultra premium
residential projects. Expanding its footprint overseas, the company has also launched the Chengdu Ban Bian Jie residential complex in 2018.
Looking ahead, Frederick is expecting RLC to grow through a variety of revenue streams, including partnerships with other real estate firms, industrial and warehouse leasing, the development of more hotels and fully integrated communities like Bridgetowne, and
experimental projects in the mold of workable.
When asked about his remarkable success over the years, Go looks back and shares that he relies on three main principles: customer obsession, identifying pain points, and making life easier for people. “These three things are very important to keep an organization going. I always think that being a non-bureaucratic, flexible organization matters a lot. It was true then, and it’s even more important now that the organization is very big.”
He adds that the best part of his job is the constant challenge to innovate and to pursue new opportunities
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Frederick D. Go
President & CEO
Frederick D. Go, President and Chief Executive Officer of Robinsons Land Corporation, has always been one to rise up to a challenge. He began to develop his leadership acumen as a student in the Ateneo de Manila University, where he secured his Bachelor of Science degree in Management Engineering and served as the Editor-in-Chief of the official student publication, The Guidon. While in college, he had already started working at the Gokongwei Group’s newly acquired The Manila Times Publishing Corporation, first as a reporter, and eventually, as Advertising and Promotions Director.
In 1992, he entered Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC), a budding company then with only 5 property assets. With a vision to lead the company forward, Frederick began his entrepreneurial journey with the construction of Robinsons Place Bacolod Mall and the redevelopment of Robinsons Place Manila. From then onwards, he patiently built RLC piece by piece, project by project. Today, it is
one of the country’s leading real estate companies with 52 malls, 21 office developments, 76 residential buildings, 38 housing subdivisions, 20 hotels, and 19 mixed-use developments.
Frederick’s success did not come without its fair share of trials. At the height of the 2007 global financial crisis, the business of office building spaces suffered as multinational companies put expansion programs to a halt. Whereas others slowed down to manage resources, Frederick saw an opportunity to expand in a different category. He took a risk with an unproven and unique business model and launched Go Hotels. Over a decade since then, Go Hotels growing portfolio proves that it was a business risk based on keen market knowledge and insight.
“In today’s business landscape, especially in the real estate arena where competition is extremely fierce, one of the keys to future success is providing top-calibre customer satisfaction.” Thus, he believes that being “customer-obsessed will make RLC the leading property company in the Philippines”
More recently, the rise of online retailing continues to challenge mall properties to stay relevant. This inspired Frederick to transform traditional shopping centers to one-stop lifestyle destinations with a wide variety of dining options, entertainment centers, and service outlets for a complete customer experience. He also pioneered the placement of several government service offices inside the malls under the Lingkod Pinoy Center, which currently houses 18 government offices, where shoppers can renew their passport, apply for driver’s license, and process employment documents.
Keeping abreast with the demands of the digital age, he also recently ventured into the flexible workspace arena with work.able, a plug-and-play type of private workspace designed to enable users to bring their business wherever they want. He is likewise at the
forefront of digital transformation in the company as he champions the integration of modern tools and ways of working. As a result, RLC marked its banner year in 2018, delivering a net income of P8.22 billion, behind a strong 31% revenue growth.
Today, RLC has over 2,000 employees, with major projects including Giga Tower, Summit Naga, and RLX 2, nearing completion. It has also forged strategic partnerships with other developers, such as Shang Properties and Hong Kong Land, to deliver ultra premium
residential projects. Expanding its footprint overseas, the company has also launched the Chengdu Ban Bian Jie residential complex in 2018.
Looking ahead, Frederick is expecting RLC to grow through a variety of revenue streams, including partnerships with other real estate firms, industrial and warehouse leasing, the development of more hotels and fully integrated communities like Bridgetowne, and
experimental projects in the mold of workable.
When asked about his remarkable success over the years, Go looks back and shares that he relies on three main principles: customer obsession, identifying pain points, and making life easier for people. “These three things are very important to keep an organization going. I always think that being a non-bureaucratic, flexible organization matters a lot. It was true then, and it’s even more important now that the organization is very big.”
He adds that the best part of his job is the constant challenge to innovate and to pursue new opportunities