GESG chairman Francisco C. Sebastian delivered a wide-ranging, forward-looking keynote at Global Executive Solutions Group’s 20th-anniversary celebration, using the milestone to spotlight both the company’s longevity and the urgent challenges confronting Philippine leadership development in the age of AI.
Speaking as the evening’s main figure, Sebastian underscored an emerging crisis that many industry insiders have quietly acknowledged for years: the Philippines faces a widening talent gap for C-level executives equipped with advanced skills in artificial intelligence and digital transformation. This shortage, he stressed, is already forcing many local companies to hire foreign executives to fill critical leadership roles.
He opened his address by setting the context of the global business landscape, noting that even with improved access to information and analytics, the world remains a difficult place for enterprises to survive. “Thanks to AI, we know that around 20 percent of businesses fail within two years, about half close within five years, and two-thirds fail within the first 10 years,” Sebastian said. “Perplexity, better than ChatGPT, I think, estimates less than 10 percent have reached what Global Executive has achieved today.”
He reflected on how economic disruptions, political instability, rapid technological shifts, and operational constraints frequently derail organizations—yet emphasized that longevity like GESG’s is increasingly rare. What is harder to explain, he added, is why certain companies endure while others fall away. “It is easier to explain why companies fail than to explain why some companies, a few of them like Global Executive, succeed. I will leave that hard work to Mr. Ray Canilao later,” he quipped.
Throughout his speech, Sebastian chronicled the personal and professional evolution of his partnership with GESG president and co-founder Ray Canilao. He traced their relationship back more than 30 years, from first meeting in Hong Kong to reconnecting in Manila in the late 1990s and ultimately building the two-decade corporate collaboration being celebrated. He described Canilao as a client, a borrower, a partner, a friend, and “a brother in faith,” emphasizing shared values, discipline, and what he described as a vocation-driven approach to business.
Sebastian emphasized that Canilao’s leadership and steadfast commitment to transparency and integrity anchor GESG’s success. He cited their monthly arroz caldo breakfasts at The Peninsula Manila—informal yet deeply substantive sessions where Canilao walks him through financials, trends, opportunities, and broad industry scenarios. “Continuing education is one of Ray’s strengths,” Sebastian noted, recalling yearly planning sessions and constant learning initiatives spanning technology, HR, business strategy, and macroeconomic shifts.
However, the highlight of his warning, which resonated strongly with the business leaders in attendance, was Sebastian’s revelation about the country’s critical leadership deficit in the digital age. He shared that GESG has seen firsthand how many Filipino companies are now struggling to find top-tier executives who possess strong capabilities in AI, automation, and advanced digital tools. The shortage is so severe that an increasing number of local organizations have turned to expatriate C-level hires to drive transformation and competitiveness.
“This is no time to just look back,” Sebastian said. “There is a pressing need to look forward.” He recounted how Canilao often confides that his heart breaks when business conditions worsen for clients, especially in a country as “accident-prone” as the Philippines. But Sebastian reminded him that leadership solutions are needed in both boom cycles and downturns. “Global Executive is a business for all seasons,” he told the audience. “Times are good, we need good leaders. Times are bad, we need better leaders.”
He acknowledged that the past years have been difficult for the Philippines, marked by economic swings, political uncertainty, and industry disruptions, yet affirmed that GESG has remained steady through those cycles. He assured companies and executives that the firm will continue to serve as a trusted partner for leadership search and development, especially as businesses pursue transformation and regional growth.
In closing, Sebastian honored the people behind GESG—its team, the leaders it has placed across industries, and the companies that trusted the firm for two decades. He reiterated that the organization’s future will be built on both its history and its ability to anticipate the next wave of leadership needs, particularly in a world shaped by AI and digital advancements.
“We look forward to the future with our feet grounded on our 20-year history,” he said. “For the past two decades, thank you all and thanks be to God. And for the coming decades ahead—good luck and Godspeed.”