With customer satisfaction taking precedence, Metro President and COO Manuel Alberto reveals plans and ongoing projects for retail chain—set to take place in this post-pandemic economy.

Only 1% of all aspiring actors have a chance of getting employed. This news from a Hollywood acting coach made Manuel Alberto stop in his tracks and reassess his career choices. “I was young, living in LA, and had entertainment ambitions. People are surprised to know that I was once an actor, singer, and host,“ Manuel says candidly. “Yes, I wisened up immediately after I heard that frightening statistic in an audition."

Thus, in 1990, armed with a degree in Communications from the Santa Clara University of California, he applied and was hired as an assistant store manager by a special discounter of home linen and furnishing: Strouds Linen. That was his first foray into the retail business.

After a year, he had a two-year stint in Hong Kong working as the General Manager (GM) for a landscaping company. Then Manuel went back to the Philippines and became the GM of the Telemarketing Services Department of RJ Jacinto’s Rajah Broadcasting Network. There, he dabbled in show business somewhat.

For the most part of the 90s, he produced shows focused on direct response marketing and selling As Seen On TV products. In the last 25 years, he fortified his resume and held key corporate positions in Pilipinas Makro, Inc., Jollibee Foods Corporation, and Rustan’s Supercenter, Inc, until 2018 when he joined Metro.

To date, Manuel Alberto is the President and COO of Metro Retail Stores Group, Inc., where he has spearheaded many projects for the brand since. This is his story.

All in a Day’s Work

Manuel starts his day at 6 AM and goes for either a jog or a bike ride before heading to the office. He attends a minimum of five meetings a day, monitors store performances, and checks on the progress of strategic initiatives. He also travels at least 3 times a month—shuttling between Metro Stores’ main office in Mandaue, Cebu, and the company’s executive suite in BGC, Taguig.

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