MASTER ENTREPRENEUR CATEGORY

Dr. Steve Mark Gan

Chairman & CEO

GAOC GROUP OF COMPANIES

Healthcare, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology

www.gaocdental.com
www.novodental.com.ph
www.samuraidental.com

Information about the Entrepreneur

Dr. Steve Mark Gan is acclaimed as a nationalistic, creative savant who possesses remarkable leadership and entrepreneurial skills. He chartered and executed a strategic plan to place Philippine dentistry on the global stage. As the Chairman, CEO, and President of the Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center Group of Companies (GGC), Dr. Gan’s commitment to the pursuit of excellence has positioned his organization at the top of the local dental industry.

From the start of his professional education and career, the values of hard work, discipline, and perseverance that Dr. Gan’s parents instilled in him would serve as the foundation for 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 U.S. and even finished his Fellowship Training in Implant Surgery at the West Coast Center of Osseointegration in Los Angeles, California 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. Dr. Gan then returned to the Philippines with a goal and vision – to improve the status of the dental industry in the country.

Other Interesting Facts about the Entrepreneur

A prominent figure both locally and internationally, Dr. Gan carries numerous accomplishments quite modestly. 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) along with several other positions of prominence and influence.

He is also a Visiting Professor at the 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, a Project Head of the Overseas Outreach Program of the Academy of Osseointegration, and a Member of the Academy of Prosthodontics and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI). Besides that, he is also a Full Fellow at the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Genoa in Genova, Italy.

You can never put a price to goodwill.

“Dr. Gan’s dental conglomerate would eventually and successfully expand to include 10 premium dental clinics, 15 mid-tier dental clinics (and growing), 2 dental laboratories, a dental supply distribution company, a full-service media production and marketing agency, a charitable foundation, and last but certainly not least, a new dental academy for continuing education. Proudly, these businesses have generated employment for over 600 full-time staff.”

Company Achievements and
Role of the Entrepreneur

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.

From that humble beginning, Dr. Gan’s dental conglomerate would eventually and successfully expand to include 10 premium dental clinics, 15 mid-tier dental clinics (and growing), 2 dental laboratories, a dental supply distribution company, a full-service media production and marketing agency, a charitable foundation, and last but certainly not least, a new dental academy for continuing education. Proudly, these businesses have generated employment for over 600 full-time staff.

Seeking to establish GGC across borders, the company has recently acquired a significant stake in the Dental Academy Malaysia, offering educational programs that feature world-renowned speakers from Asia, North America, South America, and Europe.

Vision, Mission & Future Plans

Being known as both an industry maverick and innovator, Dr. Gan has a clear vision of constant re-invention for the entire GAOC Group and non-stop continuing education for all his dentists and staff. His future plans include establishing a Dental Hospital that would serve as the catalyst for his country to be recognized as the best dental destination in Asia.

In addition, he endeavors to expand the scope of Dental Academy Malaysia to be able to reach a wider audience in the region. This goes with his ultimate goal of uplifting his company’s dental industry standards to the global level.

As Dr. Gan continues to aspire bringing the Philippine dentistry to compete at a world-class standard, GAOC is in strong partnership with the Philippines Department of Tourism. These institutions are collaborating to promote medical-dental tourism globally.

Dr. Gan has always believed that opportunities only knock once and lightning never strikes twice. And his advice that he commonly likes to share is to remember that there is no shortcut to success and that hard work will make one’s own luck.