A mentor, leader, and advocate for MSMEs—Joey Concepcion is all of these and more. He is prominent in both the private and public sectors as he has served as an adviser to two government administrations and is currently serving on the current one.

Joey Concepcion, a man of many hats, is the President and CEO of RFM Corporation, one of the biggest food and beverage companies in the Philippines. But he is perhaps more well known as the founder of Go Negosyo—a non-profit organization that helps over a million small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). 

Current Company and Role

• Chairman, President and CEO, RFM Corporation
• Chairman, RFM Unilever Ice Cream Corporation
• Director and Executive Committee member, Concepcion Industries, Inc.

Other Roles

• Founder, GoNegosyo
• Vice-Chairperson, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council [Department of Trade and Industry]
• Chairman, ASEAN Business Advisory Council Philippines
• Jobs Committee Lead, Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC)
• Vice Chairman, MSME Development Council
• Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship (2016), Duterte administration
• Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship (2005), Macapagal-Arroyo administration

Awards and Recognition

• Time Global 100 List of Young Leaders for the New Millennium (1994)
• Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (1995)
• CEO Excel Award, International Association of Business Communications (2009)
• Heroes of Philantrophy, Forbes Asia (2011)
• Padma Shri Award, Republic of India (2018)
• The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award (2018)
• Golden Peacock Awards of Excellence, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (Phil) Inc. (2019)
• Arangkada Lifetime Achievement Awardee, Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (2021)

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Business Management, De La Salle University 

Key Quotes

Now, we have MSMEs, so somehow you can see generation to generation, and it’s not only growing our business but helping others grow their business, [too].”

On the influence the older generations had on him

“We give the Filipino consumer the option to buy world-class products at affordable prices. Value for money is the same commitment we uphold in entering the highly competitive and dynamic world market.”

On the driving force of RFM Corporation

“The whole idea is you get more [companies] to scale up, so they will hire more people. And as we hire more people, jobs will grow and the economy will. When there’s more spending power here, we all benefit, including the big companies.”

On the vision of Go Negosyo

“Even if we are experiencing challenges—not just as an individual but as a nation—with inflation and other issues, we don’t stop. Entrepreneurs will still exist despite these challenging times.”

On entrepreneurship and handling challenges

“Find a mentor who can guide you and support you as you navigate your path towards success. Mentorship is very important and a big differentiator. There’s value in learning from people who have done it already.”

On the value of mentorship

Read more about Joey Concepcion’s perspective on entrepreneurship, leading a company, and nation building, as well as his outlook on the future.