Leading The Revolution

Nearly 15 years since he took on the helm at SM Supermalls, COO Steven Tan talks about how the company continues to evolve to keep abreast of a rapidly evolving retail industry, writes Marga Manlapig

- Marga Manlapig

Dynamic, forward-thinking, and game-changing: these are just a few of the words that have described SM Supermalls for over three decades. But it doesnot come as a surprise that the same words are also used in connection with the man who currently stands as the head of its mall business operations: chief operating officer Steven Tan.

Over the course of the past 15 years, Tan has risen through the company’s ranks from managing The Podium in Ortigas to his current position where he oversees a portfolio that consists of 71 malls and retail hubs throughout the Philippines, as well as seven in Mainland China, including SM Tianjin which is considered the second largest shopping mall in the world in terms of gross land area. Tan cites the rapidly evolving nature of both the local and global retail scenes as a catalyst for the company’s growth.