For Lyn Manalansang Buena, the ultimate power template for women would have to be none other than Mary T. Barra, the chair and CEO of American auto giant General Motors, and the first woman to lead any major automaker.
It’s the template from which the two top women executives of The Covenant Car Company Inc (TCCCI), namely Buena and executive director Selene L. Yu, have been getting inspiration.
Despite handling multiple responsibilities with TCCCI (with the Chevrolet and MG brands), Buena makes it a point to spend quality time with her family. “I have an enormous amount of passion for what I do, so I make sure that I devote enough focus and time towards my career. Since I’m a mother and a wife, I try to maintain balance and keep my life’s goals in check and my day-to-day priorities realistic. My weekends are for my family, and I’ve learned to allot portions of every day for quality time with my kids, and for my self-care.”
Buena, a Malabon native, has two kids—daughter Sobe is a student-athlete taking up Communications in Ateneo de Manila University, while Milo is a grade 10 student at Manila Waldorf. Her husband Erick Buena III worked in the automotive industry for several years. He’s now managing the family business. Lyn’s sister Jane Mercado is also involved in an automotive-related company, working in its human resources department.
“I love how this industry enabled me to work with so many talented individuals. I’d like to think that, as a leader, I have been able to draw out and mobilize talents to come to the fore as needed. And so, I am happiest when I know that I’ve become instrumental in the recognition and success of a team member and that I’ve played a small part in improving their quality of life,” Buena shared.
“For me, being a woman doesn’t make a difference when it comes to work and output in this industry. I think it takes the same amount of dedication, competence and hard work to achieve business goals. In my 28-year career, I have learned many things, received many great opportunities and experienced pivotal moments that shaped who I am today. Building brands and maintaining the health of brands through effective communications is a daunting task, but I’m particularly grateful for the opportunity to have led the marketing teams responsible for the brand resurgence and market affinity of Volvo, Chevrolet, and MG in the Philippines.”
For tomorrow’s new challenges, Buena stressed that being open to learning new things would be key. “We are in a hyper connected world where business trends and landscapes are constantly changing. For one’s personal and professional growth, we need to adopt a learning mindset and be ready to embrace new experiences.”
And for women in the auto industry facing these future challenges, Buena advised: “Aim to always deliver outstanding work. Continuously evolve and learn to understand people—their motivations, dreams, and passions. This will help you deliver more meaningful results and gain the ability to motivate, inspire and facilitate, which are necessary traits of a good leader.”
Lyn Manalansang Buena is Executive Vice President and director of marketing communications services, The Covenant Car Company Inc-Chevrolet Philippines and MG Philippines and former vice president and marketing head, Volvo Philippines
