MASTER ENTREPRENEUR CATEGORY
DR. STEVE MARK GAN
PRESIDENT & CEOGAN ADVANCED OSSEOINTEGRATION CENTER (GAOC) GROUP OF COMPANIES
Healthcare, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Industry
www.gaocdental.com
Information about the Entrepreneur
An esteemed visionary who changed the landscape of dentistry in the Philippines, Dr. Steve Mark Gan is acclaimed as a nationalistic, creative savant who possesses remarkable leadership and entrepreneurial skills and chartered and executed a strategic plan to place Philippine dentistry on the global stage.As the President and CEO of the Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center (GAOC) Group of Companies, Dr. Gan’s commitment to the pursuit of excellence has positioned his companies at the top of the local dental industry.
Other Interesting Facts about the Entrepreneur
From the start of his professional education and career, the values of hard work, discipline, and perseverance that Dr. Gan’s parents had instilled in him would serve as the key to his success. He graduated with a degree in Dental Medicine at the University of the East and completed his externship program in Oral Surgery at the University of the Philippines-PGH. Determined to raise the level of his own competence in the field, he studied in the United States of America and obtained his Residency in Advanced Prosthodontics (1995-1996) at the University of Southern California (USC) and Residency in Prosthodontic Osseointegrated Implants (1996-1997) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He finished his Fellowship Training in Implant Surgery at the West Coast Center of Osseointegration in Los Angeles, California.Dr. Gan’s steel-willed determination and ambition to succeed would serve as the pre-eminent guide to achieve his vision of an advanced dental industry that all Filipinos could be proud of.
In 1998, with only Php 3,000 in his bank account (or USD 70 using the exchange rate at that time), and a modest third hand dental chair, Dr. Gan opened his practice in a tiny clinic in Binondo. As a struggling new dentist, he would count those days as the most difficult of his career.
It was in these humble beginnings after he joined St. Luke’s Quezon City, that he learned the values of integrity amid challenges. He envisioned reviving the dental implantology practice in the Philippines, an advanced and expensive corrective procedure for tooth replacement, amid a challenging economy and a dentistskeptic community. Although this uphill battle sometimes seemed insurmountable, his perseverance would eventually pay off.
After he completed his residency and fellowship under the tutelage of world-renowned oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Peter K. Moy, who at present serves as the Director of the Surgical Implant Center at the UCLA School of Dentistry, he returned to the Philippines with a goal and vision – to improve the status of the dental industry in the country.
You can never put a price to goodwill.
Dr. Gan has always been guided by the mantra of continuous improvement through continuous learning.
Company Achievements and
Role of the Entrepreneur
A prominent figure both locally and internationally, Dr. Gan carries
numerous accomplishments quite modestly. His achievements
consistently reflect a man of discipline, integrity, commitment,
perseverance, conscience, and skill whether in private practice,
public service, civic action, or in his private life.
Never shy to accept the most daunting of challenges and responsibilities, Dr. Gan became the youngest Chairman and Member of the Board of Dentistry to assume office in the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) from 2010-2016. At present, he serves as a Member of the Board of Regents at the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (UERMMMC), a Member of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Prosthodontic Society (PPS), a Past President and Member of the Board of Regents of the Philippine Academy of Implant Dentistry (PAID), and Member of the Philippine Dental Association. He is also a Visiting Professor at Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU).
He sits in positions at various international organizations and institutions such as being the International Director Committee for Asia, a Membership Committee Member, and Project Head of the Overseas Outreach Program of the Academy of Osseointegration, a Member of the Academy of Prosthodontics, and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI). He is a Full Fellow at Pierre Fauchard Academy, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Genoa in Genova, Italy.
Vision, Mission & Future Plans
Dr. Gan has always been guided by the mantra of continuous improvement through continuous learning. Whether it be for the GAOC Group of Companies or other non-company related projects that he undertakes, his drive and determination to inspire those with whom he works with is contagious.With the depth of wisdom ascertained over his years of experience in and out of the clinical setting, Dr. Gan is widely recognized as an expert in Dental Implantology as well as in many other facets of dentistry.
Encompassing such additional topics as the Economics of Dentistry and the craft in the field of Prosthodontics, he is often invited to share his knowledge in both local and international speaking engagements as a Key Opinion Leader and Lecturer. To date, he has already graced hundreds of engagements as a speaker. The content of his presentations serves as an indelible inspiration for all participants to appreciate and enjoy.
Being known as an industry maverick and innovator himself, Dr. Gan has a clear vision of constant re-invention for the entire GAOC Group and non-stop education for all his dentists and staff. His future plans also include building a Dental Hospital that would serve as the catalyst for the country to be recognized as the best dental destination in Asia.
Dr. Gan has always believed that opportunities only knock once and lightning never strikes twice. His advice to the younger generation is, “Remember that there is no shortcut to success. Hard work will make you lucky.”
Indeed, by following his example, our faith in the transformational power of resolute and transformative leadership can only be deepened. The industry cannot ask for more from any Filipino dental practitioner.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
