'What makes a good mentor? It’s someone who creates hope in you that you can be someone in the future. Those (bosses) I worked with instilled in me the belief that I could go beyond what I could (already) do.”FOR Michael Jaey C. Albaña, mountaineering and sales and marketing can be approached using a similar strategy. This former member of the UP (University of the Philippines Diliman) Mountaineers and current commercial director of Conrad Manila says: “Begin with the end in mind. Your objective is to reach the peak or to be No. 1 in the market. Don’t lose sight of that goal.”According to him, preparation and teamwork are two vital ingredients in the recipe for success. Making it to the top is what crowns any endeavor, but it’s the groundwork laid earlier that ultimately determines the outcome one can be proud of. “You can expect to encounter a lot of challenges along the way, but if you know the level of the [these] challenges, you can prepare yourself in terms of [the] skills and knowledge to handle them.”Mike, as everyone ends up addressing this congenial 46-year-old, seems to have never refused the siren call of excitement and adventure. As a high school student at Iloilo’s Santa Maria Catholic School (now Ateneo de Iloilo), he got into drag racing, usually held on the city’s Diversion Road. One weekend, school authorities caught Mike and his pals engaged in the red-hot activity and called in their parents to take their boys in hand. “I was really into getting the adrenaline rush then,” he recalls, eyes sparkling.He thought he could extend his love of thrill-seeking by becoming a pilot. He enrolled at the Airlink International Aviation School in Pasay City, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in civil aviation and nine hours of flying under his cap. Unfortunately, in the early 1990s, only Philippine Airlines was the dominant employer in the industry, with budget carriers Cebu Pacific and Air Asia still on the drawing boards. Conditions compelled him to seek other avenues of future employment, such as enrolling for three years at the UP College of Industrial Engineering before transferring to the nearby Asian Institute of Tourism, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in tourism.[caption id='attachment_668407' align='aligncenter' width='650'] Mike is a firm believer in the maxim “that all work makes Jack a dull boy,” which explains his many interests as a race car driver, mountain biker and golfer. He can also fly a small plane. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS[/caption]Veteran hotelier and former Waterfront Philippines president Patrick C. Gregorio, one of Mike’s lecturers, took note of him early on. It couldn’t be helped, as Mike would often arrive late for Gregorio’s Saturday lecture, sneak into the back row with cap pulled low, and ensconce himself among the other stragglers. Sensing there was more to this ostensibly cavalier student than meets the eye, Gregorio decided to utilize Mike in helping organize the first grand AIT Alumni Homecoming and got him to head the solicitations committee. To his day, even Mike admits he was surprised to be entrusted with the responsibility.Despite his laid-back image, Mike was always serious about getting somewhere in life. He worked as a student assistant at UP’s College of Social Science and Philosophy, and later applied to be a membership consultant, promoting the Bankard Mastercard for the old PCI Bank (which, as Equitable PCI Bank, was taken over by the Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., or Metrobank, in 1995). At 18, he was the youngest in a team whose average age was 35.“I was earning good money, and I exceeded my quota that enabled me to buy a diesel Izusu Gemini,” Mike says. With his experience of dealing with blue-chip clients, he was able to secure important sponsors to guarantee a rousing AIT bash. Gregorio’s gamble had paid off, and he made sure to remind Mike to report for duty at the then-Century International office, where he was to serve as account manager for the then-Insular Century Hotel Davao & Pearl Farm Beach Resort. Hospitality giant Accor later acquired the Century chain.What followed for Mike were over two decades in the hospitality industry that has seen him master the intricacies of dealing with the pillars of the trade: corporate clients, travel agents, airlines and event organizers, among others, and gaining their trust. From Century International, his journey, in various ascending sales and marketing roles, took him to Holiday Inn Manila (now the Manila Pavilion, which shuttered in March 2018 because of a major fire), the Westin Philippine Plaza (renamed Sofitel Philippine Plaza in 2007), Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa (where he spent two tours of duty), Traders Hotel Manila (renamed Hotel Jen in 2015), Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort and Spa, Edsa Shangri-La Manila and, in 2017, Conrad Manila. It wasn’t surprising that his clients, now his good friends, followed him to his new assignments.Throughout his odyssey, Mike’s mantra has been simple and unwavering: “At the end of the day, it’s all about establishing relationships with your clients. When you handle them, you have to become the sole solution to their problems. You must delight them all the time.'His deep industry relationships surely explain why it’s not unusual to see his clientele move when he does.A consummate diplomat, Mike declines to name which hotel personality had the most impact on his work view. It’s worth noting, however, that Gregorio and fellow marketing maven Rose Libongco are listed as references in his curriculum vitae. Regional hotel marketing icon Peggy Angeles was mentioned several times during Boardroom Watch’s interview as having offered him several postings that resulted in promotions. “I learned from everyone,” he says with genuine sincerity.“What makes a good mentor? It’s someone who creates hope in you that you can be someone in the future. Those bosses I worked with instilled in me the belief that I could go beyond what I could (already) do…that I could always be someone better. And to go beyond, I would be No. 1. My mentors gave me hope that I could be that.”About meROLE MODELMy dad Jose Garganera Albaña, who instilled the value of education and hard work in me as the ingredients of successGOALTo continue to be a key driver in promoting the Philippines as a world-class destinationFIRST PAYING JOBStudent assistant at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and simultaneously, a credit card sales consultant for Bankard MastercardMORNING RITUALSipping my first cup of double espresso while reading the news and current eventsSPECIAL SKILLAside from selling, I’m also adept at circuit racing, mountaineering, scuba diving and golfingTIME SPENT ON SOCIAL MEDIAWeekdays, about one to two hours; weekends, about two to three hours
