In Focus: Steven Tan

GMA Network

When Steven Tan was appointed as president of SM Supermalls, he immediately faced challenges including the Taal Volcano eruption and the COVID-19 pandemic. How did he overcome these problems and how is taking the country's biggest mall group into the future?

Transcript

00:00I don't think that I would be who I am today without those experiences that I had.

00:06It made me stronger, it made me a better person,

00:09understanding really what the needs of our people and our community.

00:15My name is Stephen Tang, I'm the president of SM Supermalls.

00:30Do you know that the next mall that I opened after the podium was Mall of Asia?

00:38You see the contrast, right?

00:41You know, when you're young, you don't know fear.

00:45You don't know any, fear is not in the equation.

00:50When I was asked to open the Mall of Asia, you know, it was a daunting task

00:55because it's so big and there's no community around the area.

00:58But you just do it.

01:00Just do it, just focus and make sure that you give your best.

01:04I am still a physical kind of guy, you know.

01:07I do browse a lot online, but when I've decided to buy,

01:12I would go to the physical store because sometimes the fit of a jacket

01:16or the fit of a jeans would not be the same, you know, when shopping online.

01:22And it is sometimes very troublesome to have it exchanged again or to send it back, you know.

01:27So I always like to fit it before I buy it.

01:30I always want to use it.

01:33For example, if I buy a bottle of cologne, I always use it first.

01:38And I go around the mall, hmm, I really like it.

01:41It stays well.

01:42That's the only time that I'll buy it.

01:44So those kind of things cannot be done, you know, online.

01:52SM has become a modern day park and a modern day park that is comfortable for people to dwell.

01:59So nowadays, people are more into experiences.

02:07It's no longer you go to a shopping center, you buy something and you leave.

02:13Nowadays, this has transitioned into you go to a store,

02:18you wanted to have that communication and conversation with a product

02:23and trying to see also what value can that give you.

02:31My advice is hold up your sleeves and do the dirt job.

02:36There's no such thing as an overnight success.

02:40You really work your way up.

02:53And I want to be back.

03:03Come on.

03:04Let's go.

03:06Let's go.

03:09Let's go.

03:10Let's go.

03:12Let's go.

03:16Let's go.

03:22Let's go.

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