The Future Of Leadership

Morris Garages Philippines, a three-year-old company that carries the famed European car brand, is not out to compete with other makes in terms of volume sales. Instead, it looks to a niche market—a young generation of car owners who want to be unique, fashionable, and stand out from the crowd without being impractical.

- Demai G. Sunio-Granali

Its chairman, Morgan Say, is the embodiment of what the company is all about. He’s young, smart, and has a nose for technology and learning to fuel his vibrant leadership strategies. With a background in civil engineering from the De La Salle University, the 30-year-old executive takes over one of the family’s businesses and aims to drive it to new heights.

Your family’s corporation, Capital Wise Group Ltd., has been in the restaurant, hospitality, and food supplement businesses for quite some time. What got you into the auto industry?

My father has always been a car enthusiast and even my grandmother was also into cars. We first tapped into the automotive market in 2010, when we offered customized Morgan Motor Company cars to friends and people in the collector’s market. These were handmade cars from the UK, made-to-order with custom-made trims, leather, and interiors, so that was more of a specialized niche.

How did Morris Garages Philippines come about?

Over the course of selling Morgan cars, we developed the team, the organization, and then the capability and opportunity came after our friends from Morgan introduced us to people at Morris Garages (MG). In 2015, we brought MG to the Philippines after we saw its exponential growth in UK, U.S., Asia, and Middle East since its revival in 2008.

What tips can you give to young car buyers?

Well, first things first, listen to your heart. I know a lot of people who took courses in college because a relative told them so, but it’s not really what they want so they regret it afterwards. It’s the same thing for cars—get what you want, what you feel, what your heart desires so at the end of the day, you won’t have regrets.