Even with nearly three decades with MMPC, Atty. Imelda M. Abadilla-Brown still enjoys working. What keeps her looking forward to her daily corporate routine?
“I don’t know,” she laughed. “I must have enjoyed and loved my work, and the people I work with, despite the many challenges and difficulties along the way. Honestly, this is where I am driven. It offers a lot of experiences and is rich in opportunities.”
She said it’s not so hard to fall in love with the industry. “It brings mobility to people by offering many exciting product offerings and options. Everybody loves cars.”
The downside, for her, is that the industry “is vulnerable to economic and political instability, considering the nature of the business. It was one of the worst hit during the past financial crisis, and during the pandemic.”
The native of Lal-lo, Cagayan, is a proud mom to a girl and a boy. The younger one, the daughter, is a student at Dela Salle University in Manila earning her double degree in (Bachelor of Arts) Philosophy and (Bachelor of Science) Entrepreneurship. The boy, meanwhile, is studying Computer Science at Mapua University.
A career in the auto industry seemed to be furthest from Abadilla-Brown’s mind during her academic life and early in her career. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science at the University of Santo Tomas, and Bachelor of Laws in San Beda College of Law (now San Beda University).
Her first job was as Executive Assistant at the Court of Appeals. She later joined the law firm of then Senator Raul Roco (Roco, Bunag, Kapunan and Jardeleza law offices) where she had a chance to engage in private practice.
In 1993, Abadilla-Brown also started teaching law. It was in this academic setting when, in 1995, she was referred by her co-faculty in San Beda Law to the chief legal counsel of Mitsubishi, which was then called Pamcor.
“He invited me to apply. Since then, I never left the brand,” she said. Abadilla-Brown started out as assistant manager at the legal department, becoming junior manager in 1998. Soon after, she was its senior manager. In 2014, she was MMPC assistant vice president. By 2018, its vice president.
“My work expanded to cover not only legal, but also government affairs functions. This gave me the opportunity to expand my experience in the auto industry where I had a chance to work with industry associations like the Campi and TMA. I participated in public consultations with various government agencies in the formulation of industry policies and regulations. We also engaged in discussions with the government on various programs and industry concerns,” she explained.
In September 2022, Abadilla-Brown was appointed as first vice president, in charge of the corporate division that encompassed the legal and government affairs, human resources, and general affairs departments. Apart from that, she now also acts as corporate secretary and chief compliance officer.
In TMA, she started as executive director and later as member of the executive committee until she was appointed as president in January 2022.
Abadilla-Brown imparts valuable words of wisdom to young women starting out in the auto industry: “Gender doesn’t define your value. It’s the value that you bring to the organization that matters. So, keep striving, persevering, and keep challenging yourself. Success does not come overnight. You go through bumpy roads and experience roller coaster rides. What’s important is that you safely arrived at your desired destination and enjoyed the ride.”
Atty Imelda M. Abadilla-Brown is the President of the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) and First Vice President, corporate division, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp (MMPC)
